BLACKOUT FRIDAY and THRIFTY HOLIDAYS is a statewide push to starve the mega-corps and feed our communities instead. Black Friday is supposed to be the day we “save money,” but let’s be real: the only ones winning are the corporations buying our government with the profits they pull from towns like ours. Walmart, Target, Amazon, Disney… they’ll be fine without our dollars. New Hampshire’s small businesses, on the other hand, thrive when we spend intentionally.

 

So this season, NH 50501 is inviting Granite Staters to take part in BLACKOUT FRIDAY and THRIFTY HOLIDAYS. It’s not a one-day event. It’s a mindset shift from Black Friday through January 1. The goal is simple: zero dollars to the mega-corporations on Black Friday weekend, and as little as possible for the rest of the holiday season. Instead, we put our money where it actually matters: in the hands of local shops, makers, growers, and creators who keep dollars circulating in New Hampshire communities.​​

 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

• Skip Walmart, Target, Disney, Amazon, and the other corporate giants, especially all Black Friday weekend

• Go handmade: bake, craft, paint, knit, write — gifts don’t have to come in Prime packaging

• Choose experiences over stuff (less clutter, more memories)

• Donate in someone’s honor instead of buying plastic junk

• Thrift and buy second-hand (it’s cheaper and cooler anyway)

• When you need to buy something, check a local option first

• Shop small gift stores, craft fairs, artist markets, bookstores, toy shops

• Share the event, bring your friends into it, and keep those dollars in NH​!

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WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

Because local businesses keep our communities alive; because small towns thrive when we support our neighbors; because we’re tired of corporations using our dollars to buy political power; AND because New Hampshire has always had a streak of “we’ll do it our own way” independence.​ This holiday season, let’s prove it.