In a previous life, I worked with some of the most well-known brands in the world. My job? Help these brands sell more stuff. Specifically, my focus was on digital marketing—using a variety of tactics to create user experiences that would get people to buy in the first place, spend more when they did, and come back to do it again because the process was so seamless and delightful.

One of the most well-known marketing tactics is “The Sale.” The Sale is the carrot that tempts consumers into stores, ready to buy. Sales help retailers get rid of surplus volume and get a (relatively) predictable bump in revenue. Meanwhile, consumers get items they wanted (and a few they didn’t even know they wanted) at a discount.

The modern evolution of “The Sale” is Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s The Sale on steroids. In recent years, it hasn’t even been confined to those two days. Many retailers attribute revenue to their “holiday season” from October through the end of the year. Some even offer deals that span that entire timeframe.

This raises the question: Is there anything wrong with this?

On one hand, the answer is no. After all, businesses fail every day; their job is to sell products so they can stay in business, pay their employees, and maintain their buildings. When it works out well, consumers find great products at prices that are worth it to them.

On the other hand, retailers know a lot about consumer psychology and buying habits. They run tests with millions of users with the aim of learning how to price items, how to pair items, when to sell something at a loss, and when to sell something at a higher cost. The list goes on and on. They use this knowledge to get consumers to spend in ways—and amounts—they may not have intended.

This doesn’t necessarily mean these tactics are “wrong.” But it does mean that consumers and retailers are both engaged in a game of marketing shenanigans. Consumers know (at least to some extent) that retailers are trying to squeeze every last penny out of them, while retailers know that consumers are hunting for the best prices and convenience anywhere they can get it.

So, what does MoneySwell have to say about all these marketing shenanigans? “No thank you.”

Here’s the thing: Our brand and our values at MoneySwell are based on transparency and trust. We price our product in a way that works for our business and provides great value for our customers. Marketing shenanigans undermine both. Not only that, we hate waste. Too often, sales and similar marketing tactics result in people getting things they don’t want or need. In some small way, we’re all poorer for this because waste means that resources—and your hard-earned dollars—aren’t allocated to their best use.

Therefore, if you’re in the market for a personal finance tool and you think you’ll get a great return on your investment (by spending less, saving more, or gaining peace of mind), by all means, give MoneySwell a try starting with our 34-day free trial!

But we’ll leave the shenanigans to the others.

Happy Thanksgiving!  🦃