10 Things to Do on Black Friday Besides Shop
November 21, 2014
It’s one of the great American ironies: right after Thanksgiving and its celebration of family time and gratitude, we’ve got the shopping marathon of Black Friday. And while some big-box stores are opening even earlier this year and others are taking the lead on the flip-side (giving their employees the Friday off to enjoy their families and the outdoors instead)—we say there’s more reasons than ever to sit this one out. Instead of fleeing your house to join the crowds waiting in endless lines, here are 10 ways to slow down and enjoy your day off that are community-friendly, eco-friendly…and certainly wallet-friendly.
1. Deliver extras to the food pantry: Everyone knows that Thanksgiving is synonymous with a cornucopia of food, but that doesn't mean the smorgasbord all gets eaten. While prepared food is best saved for leftovers, those
extras cans of cranberry sauce, boxes of cornbread mix, and tins of pumpkin would do best feeding others instead of colonizing your cupboards for all eternity. Find your local food bank
here.
Photo courtesy of Sreedhar Yedlapati/Hemera/Thinkstock
2. Craft DIY presents: From hand-rolled chocolate truffles to bespoke infused olive oils, knit scarves to artistic masterworks, a handmade gift tells the recipient you really care – and cuts down on hours logged shopping. Turn the radio dial to Christmas songs (if you must) and settle in for
some crafting.
Photo courtesy of pojoslaw/iStock/Thinkstock
3. Whip up DIY wrapping: While you're feeling creative, use those DIY skills to make your own present packages, from hand-stamped wrapping paper to hand-labelled Mason jars. And since families increase
household waste by 25% and add an extra million tons of waste per week to landfills during the holiday season, make sure what you use can be
recycled later.
Photo courtesy of tanjichica7/iStock/Thinkstock
4. Babysit for brownie points: Want to really help your family out? If your job was more eater than cook during Thanksgiving, show your gratitude in a different way by offering your babysitting services the next day. Chill out with your nieces, nephews, or cousins, queue up a classic movie, and earn mega family brownie points.
Photo courtesy of Alexander Shalamov/iStock/Thinkstock
5. Bundle up: Spring cleaning's fine and all, but we prefer a good round of winter
organization. In preparation for the season ahead, dig out old coats, gloves, and other cozy clothes to clean, keep, or even donate. You'll find some old favorites, earn good karma – and may even find a few re-gifting potentials in the pile.
Photo courtesy of LuminaStock/iStock/Thinkstock
6. Reinvent your leftovers: Pound upon pound of leftover turkey now occupying the fridge? Skip the soggy sandwiches and this year, challenge yourself,
Iron Chef-style, to
dress them up special. Like in these
turkey enchiladas, spicy
turkey gumbo – even
turkey bahn mi.
Photo courtesy of sf_foodphoto/iStock/Thinkstock
7. Get started on holiday treats: If you've got a bad case of retail fever, there's more to do than whip out the ol' credit card. Since the day after Thanksgiving is historically considered the start of the festive season, use that as your excuse to don your most out-there sweater – and start testing out batches of your traditional cookies and most indulgent eggnog. Diet, shmiet.
Photo courtesy of Barbara DudziAska/iStock/Thinkstock
8. Escape the city: Got a touch of cabin fever? You can also use Black Friday as an opportunity to get out of city limits and explore. It's a great excuse to
go for a drive – whether it's to see what's left of the
foliage or simply get a whopping lungful of fresh mountain air. Mmm, fall.
Photo courtesy of OceanFishing/iStock/Thinkstock
9. Take in some culture: Black Friday is historically about consuming products, but what about consuming culture? Edify yourself and skip the stores with a trip to the local museum,
gallery, or
theatre. If anything, it can inspire your own crafting later on.
Photo courtesy of Jupiterimages/Digital Vision/Thinkstock
10. Shop small: After boycotting Black Friday, the antsy can get started on their shopping lists with
Small Business Saturday. If you're gonna get shoppy, go out and support the local independents that help give your
city its unique personality. Bonus points for
super-ethical purchases.
Photo courtesy of Michael Blann/Photodisc/Thinkstock
1. Deliver extras to the food pantry: Everyone knows that Thanksgiving is synonymous with a cornucopia of food, but that doesn't mean the smorgasbord all gets eaten. While prepared food is best saved for leftovers, those
extras cans of cranberry sauce, boxes of cornbread mix, and tins of pumpkin would do best feeding others instead of colonizing your cupboards for all eternity. Find your local food bank
here.
Photo courtesy of Sreedhar Yedlapati/Hemera/Thinkstock
2. Craft DIY presents: From hand-rolled chocolate truffles to bespoke infused olive oils, knit scarves to artistic masterworks, a handmade gift tells the recipient you really care – and cuts down on hours logged shopping. Turn the radio dial to Christmas songs (if you must) and settle in for
some crafting.
Photo courtesy of pojoslaw/iStock/Thinkstock
3. Whip up DIY wrapping: While you're feeling creative, use those DIY skills to make your own present packages, from hand-stamped wrapping paper to hand-labelled Mason jars. And since families increase
household waste by 25% and add an extra million tons of waste per week to landfills during the holiday season, make sure what you use can be
recycled later.
Photo courtesy of tanjichica7/iStock/Thinkstock
4. Babysit for brownie points: Want to really help your family out? If your job was more eater than cook during Thanksgiving, show your gratitude in a different way by offering your babysitting services the next day. Chill out with your nieces, nephews, or cousins, queue up a classic movie, and earn mega family brownie points.
Photo courtesy of Alexander Shalamov/iStock/Thinkstock
5. Bundle up: Spring cleaning's fine and all, but we prefer a good round of winter
organization. In preparation for the season ahead, dig out old coats, gloves, and other cozy clothes to clean, keep, or even donate. You'll find some old favorites, earn good karma – and may even find a few re-gifting potentials in the pile.
Photo courtesy of LuminaStock/iStock/Thinkstock
6. Reinvent your leftovers: Pound upon pound of leftover turkey now occupying the fridge? Skip the soggy sandwiches and this year, challenge yourself,
Iron Chef-style, to
dress them up special. Like in these
turkey enchiladas, spicy
turkey gumbo – even
turkey bahn mi.
Photo courtesy of sf_foodphoto/iStock/Thinkstock
7. Get started on holiday treats: If you've got a bad case of retail fever, there's more to do than whip out the ol' credit card. Since the day after Thanksgiving is historically considered the start of the festive season, use that as your excuse to don your most out-there sweater – and start testing out batches of your traditional cookies and most indulgent eggnog. Diet, shmiet.
Photo courtesy of Barbara DudziAska/iStock/Thinkstock
8. Escape the city: Got a touch of cabin fever? You can also use Black Friday as an opportunity to get out of city limits and explore. It's a great excuse to
go for a drive – whether it's to see what's left of the
foliage or simply get a whopping lungful of fresh mountain air. Mmm, fall.
Photo courtesy of OceanFishing/iStock/Thinkstock
9. Take in some culture: Black Friday is historically about consuming products, but what about consuming culture? Edify yourself and skip the stores with a trip to the local museum,
gallery, or
theatre. If anything, it can inspire your own crafting later on.
Photo courtesy of Jupiterimages/Digital Vision/Thinkstock
10. Shop small: After boycotting Black Friday, the antsy can get started on their shopping lists with
Small Business Saturday. If you're gonna get shoppy, go out and support the local independents that help give your
city its unique personality. Bonus points for
super-ethical purchases.
Photo courtesy of Michael Blann/Photodisc/Thinkstock
