Making Black Friday a Little Less Bleak

We mentioned Buy Nothing Day earlier this week, but we understand that some folks just can't keep their wallets closed on the day after Thanksgiving. If you simply must buy something tomorrow, we have a few ideas to help you out:

• Various suburban malls (North Shore Mall in Peabody, South Shore Mall in Braintree and Burlington Mall in Burlington) will host Smart Labs on Black Friday and beyond. The labs offer free trial access to online Consumer Reports that will aid you in making smart shopping choices. The Smart Labs are open 8am-6pm on Black Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday and Sunday, with additional hours December 4-7. Consumer Reports also offers additional tips for shopping on Black Friday.
• Local publisher Black Ocean Books is hosting a BOGO extravaganza on Black Friday. From 12:01am to 11:59pm on November 28, buy any book (excluding issues of Handsome) priced $11.95 or more and get a second title of your choice for free. When paying, write the title of the free book you'd like on your order page. Shop the Black Ocean Catalog online (we recommend The Man Suit).
• The Globe recommends several stores to shop at on Black Friday, all conveniently located within a few hundred miles of one another, in six different states. Save on items, spend on fuel!
• A Chicagoist commenter suggests buying groceries and donating them to a local food bank. Given rising demand, this isn't a bad idea.