In years past, Black Friday meant rushing to your favorite stores right after Thanksgiving dinner in order to get the best deals. Bundled up in puffy winter jackets, snow boots and wool gloves, shoppers would form a line that stretched across the parking lot, hoping they’d find the item they needed before it sold out. 

Everything changed in 2020. Due to COVID-19, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention created strict guidelines for employers to follow, including wearing masks, social distancing and shortening operating hours in order to properly clean and sanitize the building.

Faced with shorter hours and having to allow fewer people into the store, Black Friday shopping no longer looks like crowded aisles and hours-long shopping sprees. 

While retailers in Illinois have now reopened, some restrictions and guidelines still apply, and customers are encouraged to wear masks and stay distanced. 

Regardless of COVID-19, Cyber Monday is a better option than Black Friday shopping. 

November is cold. According to the National Weather Service, the temperature on Thanksgiving and going into Black Friday ranges between 30 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Personally, that’s too cold for me to want to stand in line, especially after the sun goes down. 

Participating in Cyber Monday allows me to sit on my couch wrapped up in a warm blanket while I search for deals. That’s definitely more my speed.

Depending on what you’re looking for, Cyber Monday might also have better deals, particularly on technology, clothes, smaller appliances and items that are more likely to be gifted.

While Black Friday might yield better deals on bigger home appliances, the whole holiday is less convenient than Cyber Monday. 

Instead of standing in the cold and pushing a heavy shopping cart full of impulsive purchases, Cyber Monday allows me to buy nearly anything I want with a few clicks of my mouse. And I can get free shipping!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are nearly the same; I’m not denying that. But on Thanksgiving night, I’d rather be sitting with my family enjoying an extra slice of pumpkin pie, not in a cold parking lot waiting to spend money.