This time of year, end-of-year deals are everywhere — wrapped up as generosity, savings, and “doing something nice for yourself.”
And yet, every December, I see the same pattern repeat. Smart, thoughtful people make decisions they wouldn’t usually make, simply because the calendar flipped to December and the noise got louder.
That’s the irony.
The most common “gifts” being handed out right now aren’t really gifts at all. They’re pressure — packed nicely with a bow, a deadline, and a countdown timer.
When End-of-Year Deals Come With a Clock
Spend any time online in December, and you’ll see it immediately:
- “End of year special.”
- “Final offer”
- “Last chance before prices go up.”
The product didn’t suddenly improve.
Your situation didn’t suddenly change either.
What changed is urgency.
End-of-year deals work because they land at a moment when people are already reflective — thinking about unfinished goals, missed opportunities, and what they hope will be different next year.
Marketers know this. They plan for it.
The Hidden Cost of “Gifted” Deals
Here’s the part no one really talks about.
Pressure doesn’t show up as stress right away.
It shows up as optimism.
You picture a better version of yourself:
- more organized
- more consistent
- finally “on track.”
And suddenly, end-of-year deals stop being about value — and start being about relief.
Relief from feeling behind.
Checking relief from unfinished plans.
Relief from the thought that next year might look precisely like this one.
That’s not a gift. That’s urgency doing its job.
The Question Most People Forget to Ask
There’s one question I’ve learned to ask myself whenever end-of-year deals start piling up:
If this disappears tomorrow… does my problem disappear with it?
Real solutions don’t expire overnight.
Real progress doesn’t vanish because a timer hits zero.
Most regret doesn’t come from missing an end-of-year deal.
It comes from buying something in a rush — then realizing it didn’t actually fit where you were.
Why I Recorded This Video
I recorded a short explainer video about end-of-year deals and “special pricing” — not to call anyone out, and definitely not to tell anyone what not to buy.
Just to offer a pause.
In the video, I talk about:
- Why urgency hits harder this time of year
- How end-of-year deals affect decision-making
- and how to tell the difference between clarity and impulse
You can watch it here:
👉 Why “Special Prices” Make Smart People Make Bad Decisions
A Better Way to Think About End-of-Year Deals
The best gift you can give yourself this time of year isn’t another purchase.
It’s space.
Space to think before reacting to end-of-year deals.
To decide without a clock ticking in the background.
Space to choose what actually fits — not what’s shouting the loudest.
That kind of clarity doesn’t come with a discount code.
And it never expires.