Hey there!
Happy Thanksgiving week! (How is that possible already?!)
It’s been a whirlwind over here as we moved last week into our new house and IT IS AMAZING. All the anxiety I was having about moving melted away after a few days. The neighbors are friendly, the trails are awesome, we are close to everything and it’s SO NICE having more space for our family!
Unfortunately the offer on our old house fell through, which was a total bummer. It’s back on the market but we actually may have a short-term renter lined up for 4 months starting at the beginning of the year, which would be great. Then we could decide from there if a) we want to continue to keep it as a rental or b) we can throw it back on the market. In my last post I wrote about how we decided we didn’t want to be landlords, but I’m rewarming up to the idea (especially as I think we would hire a property manager to handle it!)
So anyway, that’s what’s new on the home front. We’ve been spending money like whoa between getting the old house ready to sell and moving into/furnishing this new home and I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been neglecting looking at our bank accounts. I did log in the other day and paid off all our credit cards, so at least I’m on top of that! I also recently setup a trial for YNAB (You Need a Budget) and am trying it out. Seems there is a bit of a learning curve so I’m just getting used to it. Mint was giving me some connection troubles and thus, I decided to check out my options. I’ll report back with how I like it soon!
OK on to today’s post. So obviously Black Friday is huge here in the U.S. (and I know it’s worldwide now too!) and most of us get sucked into the buying trap that starts tomorrow and goes through next week (I’ve been seeing all these early Black Friday deals too - what is the world coming to?! hah)
I’m not here to encourage you not to shop but I WILL encourage you to make a plan and stick to it. No buying crap just because it’s on sale and a “good deal” Doesn’t matter if it’s a good deal if it's something you don’t really want/need or takes away from your other financial priorities (like saving money for something you really want or paying down debt!) And if you want to have something to distract you other than spending money (or unplanned money on purchases!) check out these alternatives to Black Friday shopping:
6 Fun Alternatives to Black Friday Shopping:
1) Have your family or friends over for brunch
A lot of people have off work Black Friday so why not have a little celebration? You can turn those leftovers into a brunch (turkey and stuffing egg bake anyone?) and enjoy the extra vacation day together.
2) Opt outside
Obviously this was made popular by the retailer REI here in the U.S., but it’s a great idea and one I think everyone should consider. Spending time outdoors is not only FREE, it’s also good for the mind, body and soul. I encourage you to check out a State park (a lot of them are free on Friday!), bundle up the family and take a walk to a park, get a group together to play some outdoor touch football, or go hiking (or skiing if you have snow!)
3) Go to a movie
So obviously this is not a free activity, but it’s MUCH cheaper than browsing the internet or heading out to the stores and impulse buying a bunch of crap you don’t need. And if you have the day off, what a great excuse to see the matinee and save money!
4) Plan a staycation day
If you’re feeling lazy after eating all that turkey, plan a day to stay home with your family. You can play some good old fashioned games, watch movies, or even have a dance party in your living room. All of these things are free and sure to create memories that will last longer than whatever material possession that can be found in stores.
5) Head out to a tree farm
If you’re feeling in the holiday spirit, take your family to a tree farm to pick out your tree for the holidays. Yes of course this will cost money, but it will be a fun way to get outside, spend time with your family and create memories along the way. Then you can head home to trim the tree while playing some holiday music!
6) Volunteer
Before I had kids I would deliver hot chocolates and care packages (Costco is a great place to buy things in bulk for something like this!) to the homeless. I’d literally pack up my car and offer the hot beverage and Ziploc bag of toiletries and warm socks/mittens to those on the street corners or waiting in line outside the homeless shelter. It was by far the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, ever. There are lots of opportunities to use the money you would have spent shopping brightening someone else’s day or serving those who are in actual need.
Alright, so these are just a few things you can do instead of Black Friday shopping. There are obviously tons of other alternatives to consider but the point is to do SOMETHING other than go Black Friday shopping. Most of us really do not need to buy anything, and oftentimes what starts as innocent scrolling online or browsing in stores turns into full blown budget blowup.
I’d love to hear - what do you do on Black Friday other than go shopping? Let us know in the comments below!
And until next time…
Cheers to your abundance!
Katie
