Discountomania

Another Black Friday is looming ahead. A veritable monument to the consumerist society we’re living in. A national holiday of shopping addicts and bargain hunters. Around here, almost nobody once knew what Black Friday is, but thanks to the charms of globalization and the Internet, as well as our forceful attempts to be as close to the West as possible in every possible way, nowadays this is a rather recognizable date in Croatia. It is a day of long lines, crowds, and camping in front of the stores, waiting for that final countdown. I feel quite sick observing the heap of agitated buyers pushing each other so they could grab yet another expensive tech toy at a somewhat lower price than usual - most often a new mobile phone. Especially when I think about all of those in constant fear for their very existence. If nothing else, due to the general situation, these scenes will probably be more moderate this year, at least in live situations. But I do not doubt that online shopping won’t fall behind the previous seasons all that much.

After this bitter intro, with a sense of guilt due to hypocrisy, I must admit that I’m also “eagerly” awaiting Black Friday each year. Although quality music technology has never been as affordable and available as today, it is still a hefty financial burden. As a musician and composer trying to make ends meet, it’s only natural that I’m trying to take the advantage of every more significant discount that comes my way. But each medal has two sides. The discounts lurking about can easily lead to buying on impulse, mostly of things which are not really that important and necessary, or those we (wrongfully) feel could make our life and work easier or nicer. This happens to us with a relatively modest budget, let alone to those who don’t know what to do with all the money on their hands. These days, it is difficult to completely ignore the aggressive marketing which haunts and surrounds us each day.

Still, if it hasn’t been for various discounts I came across in the past years, I surely couldn’t afford many things that I’m happily using each day. This particularly concerns the musical software: from virtual instruments, effects, to notoriously expensive sound libraries. The fact that these intangible products frequently outshine the real ones price-wise, is giving even a bigger weight to the possible discounts. However, this often has a contra-effect: we’re sometimes ignoring some much more important things in the process. For example, I’ve recently purchased a new Ikea Jarvfjallet chair. According to a well-known music technology portal, MusicRadar, this is an optimal choice for working in the studio. Indeed, my troublesome spine has quickly recognized all of its advantages in comparison to countless no-name office chairs I was using for many years. Of course, one thing always leads to another... To achieve an ideal ergonomic effect, it would be preferable to change my current studio desk too. Also, the MIDI controller that faithfully served me for more than ten years but is clearly showing its age. See what I mean?

In any case, one should try to reach some kind of balance and use common sense when doing any kind of shopping. Ask yourself do you really need something new and are you using what you already have in full capacity. And finally, always have the strength to say no, even to the most tempting prices.