What is Black Friday and How Does It Relate to Thanksgiving?
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Black Friday is a brand name for the day after Thanksgiving when many retailers offer discounts on their products to entice consumers to shop. Since retailers know that many people will be buying items for their homes, they put special emphasis on their home décor and decorating sales during this time of year. Black Friday has become an international phenomenon and some retailers have even started adopting the term to refer to any day that they offer discounts and deals on their products. If you’re looking for ways to celebrate Thanksgiving while saving money at the same time, check out these ideas!
Make Your Own Black Friday Deals
Black Friday deals are available online and in-store on Thanksgiving Day, but they are often available for better prices the day after Thanksgiving. Many retailers follow a “Cyber Monday” model where they offer great discounts for the rest of the month. Some stores, such as Target and Walmart, will even offer deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday! Black Friday is a great day to shop for gifts for loved ones or to get gifts for your family. Many retailers will offer discounts on Thanksgiving Day and then again on Black Friday. You can take advantage of these discounts to save money on gifts for loved ones and get gifts for your family too.
Go With a Group Shopping Trip
Whether you decide to head out to a mall on Black Friday or stay at home and invite your family members to shop with you, you’ll enjoy getting to spend time together and shop for gifts. If you haven’t done this in a while, it’s a great way to spend Thanksgiving Day with your loved ones. Depending on where you live, you may be able to drive to a nearby mall in the morning and then drive back home, saving on gas costs. If you can’t go to a mall, or you don’t have a car, head to a nearby park and invite some of your family members to join you. You can also invite your neighbors or some of your friends from school to join you too, since many stores are offering free shopping trips for groups of four or more.
Plan an After-Thanksgiving Meal Out
After you’ve spent Thanksgiving with your loved ones, you may want to head out to see your friends or family members again. If you don’t have the money for a big meal out or you want to take your loved ones out to celebrate, choose a more affordable option such as a pizza, sandwich, or even a meal at a diner. You can save on these options by heading to your local grocery store and buying some of your food items there. Grocery stores and other discount retailers often offer deals on Thanksgiving Day so you can save on your food. If you don’t have enough money to have a fancy meal out, this is a great way to show your loved ones that you care and celebrate the holiday with them!
Watch Holiday Movies and TV Shows
If you still have some stuffed into your stockings or under your tree, unwrap and dig into them. You can also watch holiday movies and TV shows that are released during the holiday season. Many of these will be free or low cost and some of them may even be free on Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, or other streaming services. If you don’t want to dig through your stockings, you can also find cheap or free movies and TV shows to watch online. Many of the best movies for the holiday season will be free to watch online, including Christmas movies and classics that you may have seen a million times but never tire of watching. You can also find cheap TV shows to watch online, especially those that are available for streaming on services like Amazon Instant Video or Netflix. Watching holiday movies and TV shows online is an inexpensive way to stay in the holiday spirit and stay on budget at the same time!
Set a Habit of Daily Giving
While Black Friday deals are great and Cyber Monday deals are awesome, the best ways to save money during the holiday season are to make a budget and shop during the rest of the week. Set a budget that allows you to shop during the week while sticking to it. If you make a habit of shopping on weekdays and sticking to your budget, you’ll be able to avoid Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and save money! While many people like to get presents for their loved ones on Black Friday, it’s important to keep in mind that Black Friday is not the best way to shop for gifts. Instead of shopping on Black Friday, make a habit of shopping at other times of the year, such as during the week or on weekends. You can also make a habit of daily giving by shopping for inexpensive gifts, such as snacks or accessories, instead of getting yourself a more expensive gift. Daily gifts help you stay on budget and show loved ones that you care without blowing your budget.
Stay Smart on Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday is the monday after Thanksgiving that many retailers like Amazon and Walmart start offering deals on their products. While Cyber Monday is now a global phenomenon, Black Friday is still one of the best days for shopping. If you want to make the best use of your money, keep in mind that Black Friday deals are only available for one day and that Cyber Monday deals are even less exciting than Black Friday deals because they are only available online. Instead of spending money on Black Friday, make a habit of shopping on other days of the week. You may be surprised at how much money you can save!
