Shop Until You Drop on Giving Tuesday

            One of my fondest memories of Thanksgiving revolves around Black Friday.  My brother and I used to get up early and go to the stores for the entertainment value.  Sure we bought one or two things, but it was much more enjoyable to watch the people.  Of course at the time, people were more inclined to laugh at themselves then they are now. 

            One year, we took our places in the back of the line to get into Best Buy.  The people in front of us asked what we were getting and we asked,  “What do they have?”

            The man looked at us incredulously, “You’re kidding.”

            We shook our heads and my brother said, “We saw the line and thought, ‘Hey there’s got to be something good here.’”  We all chuckled at the insanity of Black Friday.  Then we saw a guy bring a huge T.V. out to his car. 

            “He is not going to get that in there,” my brother commented. 

            We all watched with anticipation as the guy tried to get the T.V. in his little Cavalier.  He tried this way and that.  Finally, he ripped open the box and put it in au natural.  When he successfully closed the trunk everyone in line clapped.  He stopped, took a bow and went on his merry way.  Where else can you get entertainment like that for free?

            The reason I bring up the story is to offer another suggestion for “Giving Tuesday.”  Shop until you drop.  You don’t have to fight the crowds or stand in line hoping that someone will do something to entertain you.  There are websites that give a percentage of their proceeds to charity when you shop with them.  One such site is www.thehungersite.com.  Everything you buy from their store funds food for the hungry. 

            If you have someone in your life that adores jewelry, www.ahalife.com/altruette/  has charms for you.  Each charm is made for a specific charity and half of the net profits go to that charity. 

            These are just a few examples of how you can shop online and help others.  If you type “shopping for charities” in your search engine, you can find much more.  There are six days left until “Giving Tuesday,” so find your site and get ready to shop.