Go green on Black Friday
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Thanksgiving is here. Who isn't thankful for a four-day weekend filled with good friends, caring family and scrumptious food?
Personally, I like to sleep as late as possible on Black Friday, then proceed to my post-Thanksgiving ritual of stretching out the leftovers for as many meals as I can. However, I know there are those of you out there who like to get up before the crack of dawn and set out to find the holiday shopping deals. Here are a few ideas for making your Black Friday a little greener.
Plan ahead to reduce your drive time. Before you set out on your trip, make a list of who you will be shopping for and which stores are likely to have the items you need. You can also plan your route to avoid unnecessary meandering back and forth.
Gather your friends and family to make the shopping trip an event. Carpooling is a fun, easy way to green up your outing. An added benefit is that sharing a vehicle can help reduce parking lot congestion. Splitting the cost of gas between three or four people really makes a difference, especially on out-of-town shopping trips.
Bring along your stash of canvas tote bags or reusable grocery bags to carry your purchases. My advice is not to keep them in the trunk of your car, though, or they might be forgotten. Instead, put them in a place where you are less likely to forget them, such as the passenger seat or floorboard. I enjoy taking along reusable bags because they are roomy and can hold so many items. You can carry them on your shoulder, leaving your hands free to sift through clothing racks or shelves of toys. Many stores sell reusable shopping bags, often for around $1.
Support your local businesses, especially those that carry locally-made goods. Buying locally-made items helps ensure that your money stays in your community. Also, since the items are made nearby, they don't have to be shipped from afar.
Lastly, an idea for those one or two people on your shopping list who are notoriously hard to buy for.
When you ask what they would like, they will usually claim not to need anything. If you find yourself racking your brain for gift ideas again this year, consider donating to a charity or to a cause they support.
Donating to a nonprofit organization in your recipient's name is incredibly thoughtful. Is the person an animal lover? Donate to a local animal shelter. A humanitarian at heart? You might give to a food bank or soup kitchen.
Nonprofits are always grateful to receive donations and many of them accept online payments, meaning you never have to leave the comfort of your pajamas. Best of all, it keeps you from having to fight the crowds at stores.
You can also sleep late and have turkey and dressing for breakfast at 10:30 a.m. I highly recommend it.
Meridith Byrd is a marine biologist and invites readers to contact her at meridith.byrd@gmail.com.
Comments
Wow JohnR, that was the most unreasoned piece of propaganda I've ever seen! The entire case against reusable bags in that video was that raw meat juices can contaminate your grapes or leak from the bag. Oh, and grandma's hair on your meat, which is a disturbingly desperate plea for help. Was this only supposed to appeal to those who've never gone grocery shopping before and/or are mentally incapable of doing so? Do meat packages not leak onto grapes when they're in the same paper/plastic bag? It sound to me like your grapes have already soured.
I have personally used reusable bags for over 3 years and have never had any problems. The benefits FAR outweigh any problems, which so far is just limited to them being (ably) loaded with 30lbs of liquids and being a pain to unload from the car. (You have to instruct the baggers to be reasonable with the loading.) If anything, I've avoided all the mishaps from torn plastics bags where glass jars end up busted on the driveway. You can carry heavy loads with confidence.
I know this wasn't your video, JohnR, but you're now the (proud?) owner of its half-brained "logic" for presenting it as a case against practicality & the conservation of petroleum (foreign oil). And for anyone who has succumbed to the fear of chicken juice on your reusable bags, they are made of plastic and would clean up just fine if soaked in a sink of warm water with bleach.
I don't use reusable bag because it's trendy. I use them because it makes sense in every way. Don't knock it until you've tried it. Please use your heads, folks.
November 24, 2009 at 12:22 p.m.Before makeing the mistake of using your reusable shopping bag for Christmas shopping you need to watch this youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok_FPI...
November 24, 2009 at 6:31 a.m.