Call me a Scrooge, but I hate Black Friday. I’ve only ventured out once, to a mall that wasn’t attractive to the hoards, but I’ve seen the news coverage and the whole thing is horrifying. The holidays are supposed to be about family, not about trampling people while saving masses of money on consumer crap.
Unfortunately, this year I probably will be participating in the Black Friday madness – but from the confines of my computer. My printer has announced its impending death and I need the tax deduction, so I will probably jump on a pre-Black Friday deal tomorrow. After that, I’m sitting this one out. Here are five ways I plan to celebrate Anti-Black Friday. If you’d like to join me, post your Anti-Black Friday ideas in the comments.
Stay Away from Stores – Brick and Mortar and Online
Avoid any store offering specials. Don’t go near the mall or big box stores. Don’t let your mouse stray to the online sales. Set up an email filter to direct all the coupons and offers to a coupon folder and don’t open it. Just don’t shop.
Make Something Delicious
Pick up an extra bag of cranberries and make cranberry nut bread. Bake cookies as a family. Get creative with leftovers. While everyone else is scarfing McDonald’s between hitting sales, you’ll be cozy in the kitchen and enjoying the bounty of the season. In addition to the bread, I’ll be making black bean turkey soup and turkey chili. I plan to freeze half of each batch to enjoy sometime in December or January.
Declare a Movie Day
If you’ve got Netflix or Blockbuster by mail, then hunker down in front of the TV for a day-long movie marathon. Start a fire, cuddle under the blankets, and munch on popcorn, nachos, and other movie food. Choose movies that are fun for everyone.
Read
If it’s cold or wet outside, then nothing is better than curling up with a good book. If you’re reading something as a family, then read a few chapters aloud. If not, choose something thick and fun and then spend the rest of the day lying around with your book. I’ve got a stack of 20 still waiting to be read, so you can probably guess how part of my day will be spent.
Have Fun Outside
If it’s not wet out, then go enjoy the outdoors. Has the first snow fallen? Are the leaves changing? If you can sled or ice skate, by all means do it. If it’s not quite cold enough for that, take a walk or drive out to a nearby wilderness area to observe the outdoor wonderland. Many towns light their holiday trees the day after Thanksgiving, which is another great way to enjoy the day without shopping.
How do you plan to spend Black Friday? Will you be shopping or will you be enjoying a non-retail activity?