Thanksgiving is a time when families and friends gather around the dining room table to give thanks and share a hearty meal. It’s a holiday meant to celebrate what we have and to show our gratitude for the people in our lives, as well as the material items we possess. But in recent years we’ve seen Black Friday, the annual bonanza where shoppers eagerly trample one another for the best price on a Keurig, encroach into Thanksgiving territory. Thanksgiving, it would seem, is becoming a holiday during which families spend more time camping outside of department stores than waiting for the turkey to cook.
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That’s why it’s surprising to hear of some retailers, such as REI and the Mall of America, announce that they will be closing their doors on the year’s biggest day for shopping. It turns out that starting the shopping holiday on Thanksgiving negatively impacted sales on Black Friday and resulted in low morale among retail workers. If stores are rethinking the importance of Black Friday, perhaps it’s time for shoppers to rethink the annual shopping craze known for its crazy lines and hoards of aggressive customers.
Skipping Black Friday may offer health, mental and emotional benefits. Not only do you get to avoid crowds of people who will push and shove their way to the items of their choice, you get to kick back and relax at home. Sure, your family politics might be enough to drive you out of the house, but at least you won’t be fighting with thousands of people who will do whatever it takes to get the last small-sized sweater at Banana Republic. As a shopper, running through the aisles of a store on Black Friday might result in picking up extra things you have no need for. With adrenaline flowing through their veins, shoppers may be compelled to buy things just for the sake of getting a good deal, and the shopping holiday might not be saving them as much money as they think. Sitting out of Black Friday also gives you a chance to reclaim the holiday you’re supposed to be celebrating during this madness anyway: Thanksgiving.
Here is what you can do instead of shopping on Black Friday.
Donate to charities and reduce your tax burden. Donating to a charity costs money, yes, but you also have an opportunity to deduct those donations from your taxes. Certain donations to specific qualified organizations can actually help you ease your tax burden at the end of the year. There are rules to follow if you want to make your charitable donation count. You need to itemize your donations on your 1040 federal form and get a receipt for donations you make to qualified organizations. Charitable gifts to individuals and political figures don’t count, so choose your charities wisely. Plus, giving to charity is more fulfilling and less of a hassle than shopping on Black Friday. Do some good and save some cash at the same time.
[See: 7 Most-Missed Tax Deductions and Credits.]
Avoid traffic and shop in your pajamas. There’s always the question of how much shoppers are actually saving on Black Friday compared to Cyber Monday. When you shop in stores on Black Friday, how much time do you have to compare prices before buying an actual item? On the other hand, Cyber Monday provides a much easier method of shopping and generally more retailer-wide discounts than Black Friday. Cyber Monday is much faster, offers comparative price shopping and some serious steals if certain products aren’t selling out as fast as a retailer expected. It all depends on what you’re searching for. Black Friday typically offers deals on electronics and home goods, while Cyber Monday offers deals on clothing and computers. And if you don’t find what you want on sale during Black Friday, there is a chance that the same item will show up on Cyber Monday.
An actual Thanksgiving. If you choose to not participate in Black Friday, you have a chance of actually celebrating Thanksgiving and enjoying the holiday. Incredible, right? But in all seriousness, that’s what Thanksgiving should be about in the first place: spending time with your loved ones and giving thanks for the things you have. By opting out of Black Friday, you regain the actual holiday you’re supposed to be celebrating and avoid the headache that comes with fighting elbow-to-elbow with other shoppers flooding the malls. Sitting out of Black Friday gives shoppers an opportunity to capitalize on the holiday shopping that is bound to come right after November while reclaiming the actual Thanksgiving celebrations.
[See: 7 Ways to Avoid Financial Stress Over the Holidays.]
Material goods are just that: material. You don’t really need that home theater system on sale for 40 percent off or five of the same sweaters that were a part of a buy four get one free deal. Consider tapping out of Black Friday and take some time to really sit down with your family and enjoy the holidays. And if you really can’t avoid shopping for deals, don’t worry. That’s what Cyber Monday is for.
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What You Gain By Skipping Black Friday originally appeared on usnews.com
