Blogging for Change

You don’t have to shop on Black Friday

by Kim McGrigg on
11/22/2010
in Budgeting and Building Savings
For many, shopping on Black Friday is as much of a tradition as having turkey on Thanksgiving.  In fact, according to the National Retail Federation, 138 million consumers are planning to head to the stores this Black Friday weekend. 

Being a bit crowd-adverse, I'm not a big fan of shopping on Black Friday, so I started asking people about their weekend shopping plans. I was surprised how many people said that shopping on the day after Thanksgiving is a tradition they are hesitant to give up even though they plan/hope to keep this year’s holiday spending to a minimum. I got the distinct feeling many of them had shopped on that day for so many years that they weren’t quite sure what else to do with the time. Therefore, I offer 33 alternatives to shopping on Black Friday.

  1. Take a hike
  2. String popcorn
  3. Hang holiday lights
  4. Address holiday cards
  5. Volunteer
  6. Watch movies
  7. Play board games
  8. Build a puzzle
  9. Go ice skating
  10. Visit a museum
  11. Read
  12. Build a snowman
  13. Take a nap
  14. Make turkey soup
  15. Make a turkey loaf
  16. Make turkey sandwiches
  17. Make turkey chili
  18. Play football
  19. Watch football
  20. Cross country ski
  21. Go sledding
  22. Visit with friends
  23. Visit with family
  24. Go to the park
  25. Go to an indoor swimming pool
  26. Walk a dog
  27. Do yoga
  28. Clean up
  29. Knit
  30. Go to the zoo
  31. Paint a picture
  32. Trim a tree
  33. Listen to holiday music

There are enough items on this list to safely get you through Sunday!  If you find yourself longing for the mall, try to remember that shopping should not be considered a hobby or recreational sport. 

If you have other ideas for alternative Black Friday activities, please share them!   And if you do choose to shop on Black Friday, it’s always smart to arm yourself with timely shopping tips.

Kim McGrigg is the former Manager of Community and Media Relations for MMI.

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