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.
- Take a hike
- String popcorn
- Hang holiday lights
- Address holiday cards
- Volunteer
- Watch movies
- Play board games
- Build a puzzle
- Go ice skating
- Visit a museum
- Read
- Build a snowman
- Take a nap
- Make turkey soup
- Make a turkey loaf
- Make turkey sandwiches
- Make turkey chili
- Play football
- Watch football
- Cross country ski
- Go sledding
- Visit with friends
- Visit with family
- Go to the park
- Go to an indoor swimming pool
- Walk a dog
- Do yoga
- Clean up
- Knit
- Go to the zoo
- Paint a picture
- Trim a tree
- 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.
