“Green” Black Friday

Black Friday – Today.

Craziness begins.

I chose not to brave the crowds, but tried to steal a deal on Toys R Us.com at 10p.m. last night and missed out. Bummer.

In researching ways to go green this black Friday, I found some very insightful hints on how to be Green this Black Friday!

1. Decide if you REALLY need it.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the hype this time of year, especially for *the* toy of the year.  But is it really something your kids (or you) will use after the holidays?
2. Shop online – Reduce your footprint.
3. If you have to go out – Carpool – Save the gas!
4. Shop local.  Check with the small businesses near you to see if they can price match or give you a discount.  Look for deals on “Small Business Saturday”, the newest addition to the shopping focused days surrounding Thanksgiving.
5. Buy American made. Help our economy. These products also have not had to be shipped overseas, using valuable fossil fuels.
6. Do your research beforehand.  Know if a price really is a good price and read the fine print on the ad before you choose to go to a store.  Make sure the costs in gas to get there and time to wait for it are worth the savings.
7. It’s lunch time – Skip the Drive Thru!  -  Idling wastes gas and emits harmful toxins into the air.  Get out – Get the exercise – Hit the fast food store inside!
8. If you must buy, make environmentally friendly choices.  Research your products and buy eco-friendly cookware, energy efficient electronics, items made with recycled content, etc.
9. Take a reusable water bottle and snacks and don’t forget your reusable shopping bags.

Thanks Metro DC Mom and The Daily Green for the hints !