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An Alternative to Black Friday Shopping

11/06/2017

By: Stacy Bush

Black Friday is just a few weeks away. How will you spend it? In a frenzy searching for sales and purchasing gifts? Or maybe this year, you will want to try something a little different with your long weekend.

  • Make a list – Grab a piece of paper and divide it in to three sections with these labels: Must Give Gifts To, Should Give Gifts To, and Would Like to Give Gifts To. Under each section, list the names of people who fall in to each category and set a maximum amount you can afford to spend on each person.
  • Clean out your closet(s) – It can sometimes be a scary and tedious task but for the sake of saving money and getting organized for the holidays, it will be worth it. Get the entire family involved! Make three stacks: possible re-gift items, donate, and trash.
  • Re-gift – Now grab your list and look over the possible gift items you have laid to the side as re-gift items. Who on your list would appreciate the spice rack you received as a wedding gift 5 years ago? Your new sister-in-law? Write spice rack beside her name. One gift down! Continue through your list and stacks to see if you can match up more items.
  • Donate – There are several local non-profit organizations in the area, such as Safe Place and Olympia Union Gospel Mission who accept donations. Organizations like the Salvation Army and United Way also accept donations of gently used clothing and resell it to support their programs to help others. Some organizations will pick items up from your home.

This year, instead of fighting the crowds, stay home where you can mark a few names off your gift list and have fun with the family. Spend this Black Friday saving money, repurposing items as gifts or donating them to a non-profit. There is always next year to fight the Black Friday crowds!

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