I love to shop. A frequent time-wasting hobby of mine is going online to my favorite websites and scrolling through the different clothes or shoes that I might want to buy, but never actually do (which really makes online shopping even more of a waste of time). Sometimes, I'll go shopping by myself because I like looking at new clothing. Other times, I'll go to the mall with my friends because who doesn't like to go to the mall with their friends?

You would think that given my love of shopping, Black Friday would give me an all-my-favorite-holidays-rolled-into-one level of excitement, and it used to. My family normally travels on Black Friday, so on the rare occasion when I was home to shop I would always get excited about the prospect of shopping and getting lots of deals.

But now, the deals in stores aren't really even deals. The Tuesday before Black Friday, I went to the mall, and Lucky Brand was having the same deal it was going to have on Friday. The deal was actually running until the day after Black Friday! With online shopping, many of the deals offered in stores are available online or at other times, which is yet another reason Black Friday does not really live up to its hype. Unidays, the app that provides discounts to college students, often offers similar discounts year-round.

So, if you love Black Friday shopping, you might still believe the hype. If you're looking for another way to participate in the spending frenzy, though, try out Small Business Saturday and support local businesses instead of the mall where you can get deals year-round. If you don't buy into the hype at all, then donate to organizations on Giving Tuesday to make the greatest impact with your money truly. Black Friday doesn't only need to be about shopping!