Black Friday is finally here! But don’t think this the only time you can save on #holiday #gifts — the day is only the start of Cyber Week and other retailer promotions. Good Housekeeping is tracking some of the week’s best deals, and CNET offers a shopping widget you can use with your internet browser to make sure you get the best price on millions of items. Don’t forget to shop local on Small Business Saturday and throughout the holiday season, either — shopping local businesses is typically more sustainable and ecofriendly than shipping a gift thousands of miles to your door. #BlackFriday2023
Tag: thrift shops
Shop the Thrifts on Black Friday
Happy Thanksgiving! If you plan to go out shopping on Black Friday, don’t forget to check out the local #thrift stores, many of which are supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org. If you have qualms about #giving #secondhand goods, remember that most thrift stores are stocked with lots of clean, lightly used and one-of-a-kind clothing items and housewares, as well as hard-to-find books, games, furniture and other goods. Taking a cue from the big retailers, many thrift stores have their own Black Friday promotions, so you can get even better discounts on used goods and pay up to 90% less on #gifts. #BlackFriday2023
Do Your Seasonal Shopping Sustainably
Part of living a #clutter-free lifestyle is to keep only the things you use, wear and otherwise enjoy. But you can eliminate #clutter on the front end, too, by shopping more sustainably — and this is especially important to remember when giving #gifts during the #holiday season.
The supply chain demands huge amounts of resources to get those special somethings delivered to your door. Make an effort to shop smaller local businesses for gifts, a practice that reduces the carbon footprint of whatever you buy. Or exercise your creativity to make some of your gifts rather than buying mass-marketed products.
Gifts don’t have to take a physical form at all, says Sustainability Victoria. You can give an experience such as a massage or facial, a cooking class, a yoga session or a dinner out rather than a product. Or you can make a charitable #donation in a person’s name; whatever you choose, chances are good that someone on your gift list doesn’t need more #stuff.
You can also shop the local #thrift stores — many of which supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org. “Upcycling” gifts can save money and keep more quality goods out of landfills.
“Buying secondhand clothing helps preserve the earth’s natural resources and prevents the additional pollution created by producing new garments,” Maryville University says. “Thrift stores provide shoppers with excellent bargains [and] often sell nearly new clothing alongside unique vintage pieces.”
Gift wrapping is one of the most wasteful aspects of holiday giving. Substitute newspaper and reusable packaging such as bags, baskets and tins for single-use wrapping paper, California Environmental Voters suggests. And try to buy gifts that are packaged in sustainable materials such as bamboo, recycled plastic and biodegradable paperboard rather than plastic clamshells.
Finally, be intentional about gifting and perform your due diligence, Bloom & Spark says. Figure out which businesses follow sustainable practices and how far your purchases need to travel to get a spot under the tree. Consider your giftees’ priorities, too; nobody wants another gewgaw that they don’t know what to do with. With a little forethought, you can reduce the environmental impact of giving — and make your home environment more clutter-free, too!
Shop the Thrift for Back-to-School Items
One way to save on back-to-school #clothing and supplies is to shop the #thrift and #secondhand stores supplied by your generous donations to ClothingDonations.org. When readers decide to #declutter and take advantage of a #free #clothing #donation #pickup, they often #donate lightly used but stylish garments that can have second lives outfitting the entire family. Thrifts are also a great place to look for inexpensive craft supplies, knickknacks and books, so if your student has a diorama to build or a costume to create for the school play, check the local thrifts first. #BackToSchool
Keep Your Cookout Sustainable
Make a casual #cookout more #sustainable by using accessories such as compostable paper plates and bamboo cutlery and reusable linen or cotton napkins, Martha Stewart suggests. Another idea to make the event more #ecofriendly is to serve low-impact foodstuffs such as chicken, fish and vegetables rather than beef, says Move for Hunger, and use a gas grill to reduce carbon emissions. Save leftovers to avoid food waste, make recycling easy for guests by labeling waste bins and compost food scraps to enrich your soil at a later date. #CasualCookout