Now don’t get me wrong but I like a bargain as much as the next person. Who wouldn’t?

I mean, if a television is reduced from £1000 to £500 then that’s a massive saving in anyone’s book.

But its only a bargain if you need it or have put off buying one and have struggled along with an old poor quality machine.

Have we, as people, become so obsessed with shopping and buying unwanted crap that we have to fight one another just so we can grab the things that will end up in the back of a cupboard or on eBay in a few weeks time?

Anyway what is “Black Friday and why do we have “Cyber Monday”?

It’s beyond me but the only answer I can come up with is that due to Globalisation, which I touched upon last week, we have adopted an American festival of greed that is linked to their Thanksgivings celebrations. Our version is possible Boxing Day and Bank Holiday Monday after Christmas.

Our commercialism driven by shop managers (the senior ones and owners) will stoop to any level to get their sticky hands on our money and will hoodwink us into thinking that the products that have not sold or are last seasons styles or gadgets are what we need. It’s a way of shifting, and shafting, second-rate goods to make room for the new.

This frenzied attack on the high street and online shops is out of control and fifty years ago these people would have been sectioned under the mental health act and taken off to hospital.

Some folk will buy and give gifts way above what they can afford whilst labouring under the impression they have bagged a bargain for cousin Josh or sister Tracy. The terrible consequences are that in a few weeks the credit card bill will come in and the sudden reality will show itself in the form of “unable to meet the minimum payment” and then the heady fall into debt will spiral out of control. All this and then they see their items in the local charity shop, on eBay or tucked away in a corner and the realisation is that they shouldn’t have bothered.

And don’t think buying for yourself is any better. If one can afford it then great but when debt comes a calling and the bailiffs want their money and goods to the value then it all seems a bit forlorn and stupid.

The only winners are the retail bosses and the very few who will snatch a bargain that is actually warranted and needed.

We have, however, been so conditioned into commercialism that this all comes across as normal but in my mind it just causes stress, depression, anger and hurt.

I went to see a friend last night for a chat and I can tell you that we have both come away with a feeling of warmth and happiness that no material gift could begin to replace. Okay the beer helped us along but we had genuine fun.

That’s what we should be endorsing and teaching our kids not showering them with gifts to compensate for guilty feelings and a lack of moral judgement.

So let’s try not to get sucked onto this commercial and materialistic merry-go-round and bear in mind that a bargain is only a bargain if it is genuinely needed.

The upshot is that where fools rush in there will be genuine bargains in weeks to come.