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Loading...3 Sane Alternatives To Black Friday
- Beth Buczynski
- November 26, 2010
- 9:24 am
- 69 comments
For weeks retailers have been running commercials and shipping catalogs in hopes that you’ll join the frenzy of Black Friday shopping. This “holiday” turns nurturing moms into snarling shoppers, fathers into angry consumer-monsters, and convinces some people to stand in line outside stores before their turkey’s had a chance to digest.
If you’re not interested in being trampled while searching for holiday gifts, but still want to take advantage of the good deals that are available on Black Friday, here are a couple of alternatives that will save you time, money, and your sanity.
This year, November 27th is the first ever Small Business Saturday, a day to support the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday is a national movement endorsed by American Express OPEN and more than a dozen advocacy, public and private organizations to drive shoppers to local merchants across the U.S. Learn more here.
Holiday shopping days might give you the impression you’re getting good deals, but do you really need all that new stuff? There’s an effort in place to make Sunday the day we work towards reducing consumption by sharing and re-using some of the idle resources we own with others. Have a winter clothing swap, donate food or appliances that you’re not using, teach your kids how to make their own presents, or help a neighbor with their yard work. If Black Friday is the biggest shopping day in America, lets make “Sharing Sunday” the biggest Sharing day in America and around the world. Start by getting connected here.
In late November 2005, the New York Times reported that “The name Cyber Monday grew out of the observation that millions of otherwise productive working Americans, fresh off a Thanksgiving weekend of window shopping, were returning to high-speed Internet connections at work Monday and buying what they liked” without having to fight the crowds. Now, online retailers are catering to this demographic by offering free shipping, online-only deals, and complimentary gifts that encourage people to skip the malls and shop in their pajamas. Check out the official site here.
Also check out:
4 Ways To Reduce The Impact Of Your Holiday Travel
Fun, Eco-Friendly Holiday Projects
Slow Christmas Meets Black Friday
Image Credit: askmissa.com
Read more: Christmas, Conscious Consumer, Hanukkah, Smart Shopping, Thanksgiving, black friday, gifts, Holidays, sharing, shopping, small business
Beth Buczynski
Beth is a freelance writer and editor living in the Rocky Mountain West. So far, Beth has lived in or near three major U.S. mountain ranges, and is passionate about protecting the important ecosystems they represent. Follow Beth on Twitter as @ecosphericblog or check out her blog.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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good to know, although I still attended black friday :)
I make a point of getting my holiday shopping done BEFORE Black Friday just to avoid the mobs. The only thing I do on that particular Friday is help out at my firehouse's annual Black Friday Basket Bingo. It's one of our big fundraising events of the year, and it's a lot of fun besides! Even when we get interrupted by fire calls and half the gang bails to respond, it still manages to run smoothly, and the turnout is usually great. Best of all, the proceeds help the firehouse, which means the community benefits too!
Black Friday is consumer madness at its worst, imho. I intend to NEVER again participate in any sort of shopping on that day. Small business Saturday, however, sounds like something I could get behind! And I think Sharing Sunday sounds like a good idea!
We don't have Black Friday here in Ireland. It sounds like real madness and I'd never go to it. I do my Christmas shopping bit by bit, not all in one mad rush.
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