When you have shopping on the brain, it helps to have a song in your heart. Presented with the challenge of crafting a ditty about that crucial day after Thanksgiving--the busiest shopping day of the year--WalletPop columnist and award-winning songwriter Lou Carlozo set to work. The result is The Black Friday (Can't Get No Zhu Zhu Pet) Blues.

WalletPop Wire

Single women are hit hard by the recession

Francine Huff Nov 20th 2009 @ 5:00PM EST Filed Under: Career, Wealth, Recession

There have been a lot of reports about which group of people have been hit hardest by the recession. Men have definitely been hit disproportionately hard by job losses. In fact, men held 71.9% of the jobs lost since the recession began, hurt by mass layoffs in construction and manufacturing, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

I've even written about how more households are relying on female breadwinners after husbands were laid off.

But single women -- many of whom are mothers or caregivers -- who get laid off don't have a second income to rely on while they hunt for a new job.

Continue reading Single women are hit hard by the recession

Will working a low wage job kill your career? No!

Zac Bissonnette Nov 20th 2009 @ 4:30PM EST Filed Under: Career

In a fairly idiotic bit of tabloid-style hysteria, CNNMoney asks the question "Are you committing career suicide?" by taking a low-paying job because you can't find anything better.

According to staff writer Jessica Dickler, many laid-off workers are taking steep paycuts to make ends meet, often working at entry-level or menial jobs to put food on the table: "But a smaller paycheck could push you back a rung in the in salary ladder, and make it that much harder to get back to where you were."

Continue reading Will working a low wage job kill your career? No!

Detroit's Silverdome almost sold for 1% of original cost

Aaron Crowe Nov 20th 2009 @ 4:00PM EST Filed Under: Extracurriculars

What a difference a year makes. Or 34 years. Take your pick. Either way, it's a loss for Detroit and the surrounding area.

The Pontiac Silverdome was sold this week at auction for $583,000, or about 1% of the $55.7 million it took to build it in 1975, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

The sale was halted Wednesday when a judge ordered an injunction to stop it after a complaint was filed by developer H. Wallace Parker, who claims he had an agreement with the city to buy it, according to Crain's Detroit Business.

Continue reading Detroit's Silverdome almost sold for 1% of original cost

To have and to hold (Title, that is): Advice for the unmarried

Amy Pyle Nov 20th 2009 @ 3:30PM EST Filed Under: Borrowing, Budgets, Debt, Real Estate, Saving Money, Wealth, Investing, Personal loans, Mortgages

Who doesn't have an unmarried friend who lost the house, or at least their investment in the condo, when the relationship went sour?

The key question when buying property together, according to a new book -- "Living Together: A Legal Guide for Unmarried Couples" -- seems pretty simple: Does your legal relationship match your private agreement?

But who wants to have that conversation when you are newly in love, or at least new to nesting?

No one, the book's author admitted to WalletPop.

Continue reading To have and to hold (Title, that is): Advice for the unmarried

Friday freebies: magazines, photos, tote bag, and moisturizer

Julia Scott Nov 20th 2009 @ 3:00PM EST Filed Under: Bargain Babe

Time for Friday Freebies - my top five free things I've come across this week!

Snag a free issue of Get Married magazine, a new monthly for savvy brides. Expect tips on wedding trends, planning tools, and giveaways.

Get 50 free photos when you join CVS Photo, which is separate from its normal retail site. Signing up requires you to share your name, email and create a password for the site.

Black Friday freebie! Pick up a free reusable tote bag at Target starting a 4 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 27, 2009. Each store will only have 500 bags so they will run out quickly. You can also get a $10 gift card if you spend $100 or more on Black Friday, the mega shopping day that follows Thanksgiving and marks the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.

Download a free 24-page road trip activity booklet from RadRoadTrips.com to keep the kids entertained while you drive to Thanksgiving. Especially useful if your minivan does not have a DVD player the kids can zone out in front of.

Lastly, head over to Nordstrom and get a free sample of Lancome's Absolue Precious Cells SPF 15, courtesy of Vogue. Yes, please!

Podcast: How to spot fake job board postings

Aaron Crowe Nov 20th 2009 @ 2:30PM EST Filed Under: Career

In this "Your Job Will Come" podcast, WalletPop's Aaron Crowe talks with Francis Larkin, a senior product manager at SimplyHIred.com, a job board Web site that helps people search for jobs, about how to spot fake job postings.

I wrote about the site in October, and was impressed by its various filters to help narrow job searches.

Among the tips that Larkin suggests for spotting fake postings on job boards are to not apply for jobs that require you to move money from one bank account to another, which is essentially money laundering, and looking for misspellings in a job post.

IRS still not done with Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis

Zac Bissonnette Nov 20th 2009 @ 2:00PM EST Filed Under: Sex Sells, Tax, Celebs & Money

Earlier this month, Girls Gone Wild promoter Joe Francis plea-bargained his way out of a possible prison sentence for charges related to filing false tax returns. By pleading guilty to filing false tax returns and bribing Nevada jail workers, Mr. Francis was sentenced to time served and one year of probation, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Initially accused of taking $20 million in fraudulent tax deductions, Francis ended up pleading guilty to a misdemeanor, the newspaper reported.

"It took us seven months, but in the end we demonstrated that the felony tax charges never should have been brought in the first place," Brad Brian, Francis' lead trial attorney, said in a statement.

But now the IRS is back for more.

Continue reading IRS still not done with Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis

Rite Aid $3 off $15 coupon; expires Nov. 28

Julia Scott Nov 20th 2009 @ 1:45PM EST Filed Under: Bargain Babe

Wahoo! Here are two great coupons from Rite Aid. The first gets you $3 off a purchase of $15 or more. The second coupon gets you $2 off any Rite Aid brand skin care or beauty product that costs more than $2. In store only.

After the $2 off coupon these products cost:

A 300 pack of cotton swabs are 19 cents.
A pack of 32 make up wedges are 39 cents.
A pack of 25 antibacterial wipes, grape scents, are 49 cents.
A pack of 80 Cotton rounds are 59 cents.
Advanced healing lotion 10 ounces is 79 cents.
Baby Lotion Sunscreen 50 SPF 3 oz. is $1.

Final prices may vary. Print both coupons here. Both expire Saturday, Nov. 28. Neither can be combined with other discounts.

Caveats: Does not apply to prescriptions, co-pays, lottery tickets, tobacco, alcohol products, money orders, gift cards, stamps, licenses, other mailing series, online purchases or any other items excluded by law. Not valid online, sales tax not included.

Debtors diet, week 2: Curb your enthusiasm at grocery store

Gina Roberts-Grey Nov 20th 2009 @ 1:30PM EST Filed Under: Budgets, Debt, Food, Shopping, Economizer

The thrill of the hunt is compelling, especially when your grocer's ads tout "BIG SAVINGS" on favorite holiday meal fixins.

But even if you're just shopping for your weekly groceries this weekend instead of the trimmings and trappings for turkey day, it's still tough to say no to a good sale. And with most of us on strict, self-imposed budgets because of the current recession, shopping on the weekend becomes an even bigger temptation, a time to say, "But I've been so good all week, I deserve a little splurge!"

Tossing sale items in your cart can blow your budget if you're not careful. "I find it hard to resist great sales, so I'll buy far more than we need or than I can fit in my freezer," says frequent sale-shopper, Barbara Nelson.

Continue reading Debtors diet, week 2: Curb your enthusiasm at grocery store

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