This week millions of Americans will shake off their tryptophan stupor and head toward their local malls in search of Black Friday doorbuster deals. While it’s true that some stores do offer a few great prices on select items as part of the retail holiday, Black Friday is severely overrated. Furthermore, there are plenty of better ways to spend your post-Thanksgiving hours than fighting off the hordes at the big box stores.
With that in mind, here are four alternative plans to consider this Black Friday.
Finish creating your holiday budget
Before setting foot in a department store, it’s important to have a detailed holiday budget in place. This includes a list of everyone you plan on shopping for, the target price for each item you need to pick up, and of course an overall amount you’re willing to part with in the name of gift giving. If you don’t have all of this mapped out already, Friday is a great time to get to work and help prevent yourself from overspending this year.
Make some extra cash
Often times when creating your budget, you may realize that you need a quick cash injection in order to buy for everyone you want to. Luckily there are still a few ways to earn some extra money before the big day comes around. For example, it may be worth looking through your closet for items you no longer want or need. With any luck, someone on eBay will be looking to nab just such an item for a loved one on their holiday shopping list.
Of course, there are plenty of other ways to try and make a buck as well. If snow is in the forecast for your neck of the woods, the idea of shoveling driveways for a few dollars isn’t just for kids. But, if you’d rather stay warm, you might spend the day doing online surveys instead.
Lastly, feel free to get creative with your money-making endeavors. Who knows — you might even stumble upon a new side hustle to carry on into the new year.
Plan for Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday
If you must shop, there are better days to do so than on Black Friday. For one, the very next day is Small Business Saturday. Although this “holiday” was indeed invented by a credit card company, it does have a stellar mission: supporting local business. This year promises to be the biggest Small Business Saturday ever, with millions of shops offering great deals, so get out there and support your entrepreneurial neighbors.
After that, there is, of course, Cyber Monday. In a way, this shopping day is similar to Black Friday, except that it doesn’t require you to put on pants. Like with Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday has also grown over the years, and now the vast majority of online retailers participate in some way. In my humble opinion, shopping online is the only way to shop during the Thanksgiving weekend, so skip Friday and wait for Monday.
Relax
With all of the traveling, family time, and, yes, shopping that comes with the holiday season, this time of year can be extremely stressful for some folks. On that front, why exacerbate things by making a mad dash to the mall? Instead, have a nice, relaxing day in. Grab a good book, some hot cocoa, curl up by the fire, and enjoy your long weekend — you’re going to need to it.
Sure, Black Friday sales might be tempting, but they’re likely not worth the hassle. Besides, who wants to wake up early or cut their Thanksgiving dinner short just to push and shove their way through overly crowded stores?
Trust me — there are better ways to spend your day off. By putting the finishing touches on your shopping budget, racking up some last minute cash, planning for other retail holidays ahead, or just taking a relaxing day for yourself, you’ll be the real winner this Black Friday.
Featured photo credit: Wikimedia Commons via commons.wikimedia.org
