The turkey — at least what’s left of it — is in the refrigerator and Thanksgiving is officially over, at least for another year.

Now, it’s officially Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. Millions of people will flock to stores or websites in hopes of finding a great bargain or a Christmas gift for that special someone and the shopping will continue all weekend long.

Next week starts with Cyber Monday, another big day for shopping that seems to grow every year.

The temptation locally will be to take off for Columbus or Opelika in order to get the best deals, but we urge shoppers to look locally first. There are some big box stores in Troup County, but several others require a drive out of town. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t deals to be found.

Often forgotten in the craziness of Thanksgiving week is Small Business Saturday, which is an opportunity for smaller companies to show off the products they have as well. We hope locals will consider shopping at some of the local boutiques and stores before deciding to leave town.

Shopping local means tax dollars stay local, which means there’s more cash to better Troup County as a whole.

Small businesses often have items that can’t be found elsewhere, which adds to the uniqueness of a gift.

Big box retail stores serve a purpose — an important one — and there are a ton of deals to be had at some of those stores this week. However, we encourage readers to look local first. You might just be surprised at what you find.