The thought of hitting the malls a day after Thanksgiving is enough to make me want to crawl under a blanket and emerge at 12:01 a.m. the following Saturday. Me, plus throngs of people in a store, simply don’t go together. I’ll happily pay more for an item on a random Tuesday afternoon over the “thrill” of pushing through crowds to take home a Black Friday bargain.
Luckily, there are options. Here are five was to occupy yourself the day after Thanksgiving, if you’re an anti-Black Friday-er like me.
1. Catch a movie.
Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time to catch up on movies you’ve been too busy to watch. Lots of holiday movies get released around this time, so you and your friends can be among the first to see a hot new flick (rare for us moms!). As a bonus, you’ll be more in-the-know when the Oscars come around in February.
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2. Volunteer.
What better time is there to remember those less fortunate than the day after indulging in food extravagance? Your experience will be even more meaningful if you do something food-related—serve dinner at a homeless shelter, pack groceries at a food depository or make a meal for families staying at a local Ronald McDonald House.
3. Clean out your junk.
In preparation for items you’ll accumulate over the holidays, use the day to clean out some older used items. It’ll make you feel lighter physically and mentally, improve your feng shui and help you make room for the new stuff.
4. Catch up with friends.
You can only do this if your friends are looking for Black Friday alternatives like you. In the unfortunate case that they are all on a shopping spree without you, consider Skyping, Facetiming or catching up over the phone with your friends and relatives who live in countries where Black Friday doesn’t exist.
RELATED: 5 Conversation Starters for Holiday Parties
5. Plan a vacation.
It’s probably too late to book a vacation for the December holidays that won’t cost you a small fortune. However, it’s a great time to start dreaming about and planning where you want to go over spring break or next summer.
