This is it, Black Friday is around the corner.
The day every dopamine receptor has been waiting for is approaching.
The day marketers will dress up as psychologists and whisper, “You’ve earned it.”
If you’ve been following #NoInNovember, you already know why this day matters.
It isn’t about the price tag, it’s about the pause.
Read the whole series in order before you open another sale tab.
It might just change how you handle every payday from here on.
Start here ➤ Part 1: How to Say No in November - the dopamine detox.
Because that tiny pause we practised with weekend coffee?
That was the muscle you were supposed to build for today- one week before the black Friday sales really hit peak.
You learnt how to say “Not yet.”
You opened the box on Schrödinger’s Money and saw how your salary can be both alive and dead at the same time.
You learnt to round up, round down, and walk the tightrope with a net.
And now the world is daring you to forget it all.
The dopamine trap (again)
Every notification, every “Only 24 Hours Left!” banner is a synthetic hit.
It makes you feel like missing out equals losing something real.
But the truth?
If it wasn’t in your five-week plan last night, it’s not a need today. Next week, you could be looking forward to another article- or you could be standing in a queue and throw your budget out the window.
The maths hasn’t changed.
Your salary is still finite.
Your bills still breathe down your neck the same way they did yesterday.
A discount doesn’t turn borrowed money into income, it just makes the illusion shinier.
The mirror moment
If you’ve stuck with me through this month, this is where you see the point of it all.
It was never about coffee or cats or complicated formulas.
It was about you learning to consider before you consume.
To stop seeing money as punishment and start seeing it as a mirror of your wellbeing.
Because every “no” you said this month wasn’t deprivation—it was direction.
If the noise gets too loud
If you’re staring at the flash-sale page right now, take one deep breath and ask:
“What am I actually buying? Relief or reward?”
If the answer is relief, close the tab.
If it’s reward, check your budget first—and if that still feels impossible, ask for help.
The real takeaway
Financial peace isn’t a personality trait.
It’s repetition.
It’s saying no until no starts to feel safe.
It is consistency in how you handle the noise the world throws at you- and saying “No thank you.”
The temptation of success
And then there’s the other side - the ones who did follow the plan.
You said no to the noise, rounded your numbers, skipped the impulse coffee, and somehow… you have more left than you thought you would.
Here’s the danger no one warns you about: success also triggers the dopamine rush.
That quiet voice says, “You earned it - go spend it.”
And you should - a little.
Buy the gift. Fill the gap. Celebrate progress.
Just don’t confuse balance with permission to undo it all.
Because the point was never deprivation - it was awareness.
The power isn’t in how much you saved.
It’s in how much you now understand about yourself.
Can you resist the urge to blow the whole salary now?
That’s the final test of November.
♥ So this Black Friday, remember what you practised all November.
Face your fears.
Face your finances.
And when the sale countdown ends, you’ll still have something far more valuable: clarity.
If the numbers have you spinning, you don’t have to face them alone.
Sandton Debt Counselling is a leading NCR-registered debt review company in South Africa, helping consumers regain control of their finances with dignity and precision.
When you’re ready to turn awareness into action, we’re here to help.
Nadia de Weerdt | NCRDC3360