There’s something uniquely Australian about the way we’ve embraced Black Friday while simultaneously clinging to our beloved Boxing Day sales tradition. It’s like we’ve hedged our bets on consumer capitalism – why have one massive sale period when you can have two?

I’ve been thinking about this lately after seeing a discussion online from someone furnishing a new place and trying to work out the optimal time to buy. It’s a question that hits close to home for anyone who loves a good bargain (guilty as charged), and it’s not as straightforward as you might think.