Do you hate crowds? Does anyone love them? Then you may want to try something a friend and I discovered a few years ago: while the rest of the country is watching some sports event you care nothing about, you can shop in peace.

I am, of course, speaking more to the ladies here. And to anyone who doesn't like football. My friend Chris and I discovered this treat a few years ago. We wanted to go to Ikea and picked some day when there was a huge local basketball game. Don't ask me what championship because I don't know or care. All I know is, the stores were noticeably less crowded. I'm surprised some retailer hasn't hit on the idea and offered special sales to bring people in on this otherwise moribund retail day.

We did our Super Bowl shopping with Ikea, which is never going to be uncrowded. I think they could put up three times as many stores as they have. But the same obviously applies to other shopping ordeals like Trader Joe's.
I used this strategy a few times back when I was single. Now I'm married and am actually going to a fun gathering on Sunday. (Though it's Chinese New Year counter-programming.) Empty stores, along with the Puppy Bowl, can make Super Bowl Sunday fun for every one.

Where's your favorite place to shop Super Bowl Sunday?

If somehow you aren't weary of shopping yet, boy, have we got a deal for you. Or, that is, have America's retailers got a deal for you. Lots and lots and lots of deals.

U.S. News & World Report has an amazingly in-depth article, explaining where to find the best post-Christmas sales. USA Today also chimes in on where to get the best deals on the day after Christmas. And the AP has a piece on where to shop in the middle of the night on the last legs of the holiday season. But if you're too busy mapping out your December 26 Christmas shopping plan to read these, here are the highlights.

• Select Macy's locations will be open for extended marathons of over 100 hours leading up to Christmas Eve.
• L.L. Bean's store in South Barrington was open 24 hours a day for nearly two weeks leading up to Christmas.
• J.C. Penney's is opening at 5:30 a.m., December 26, and offering 100 door-buster specials. Private-label clothes will be 50-60 percent off, and Christmas decorations--always something good to buy after the holiday--will be on sale, up to 75% off. But wait, there's more. I've read at Diamonds.net that J.C. Penney's diamond's will be on sale -- fifty percent off. The entire stock.
• Sears will be having Black Friday-like doorbusters on Dec. 26 from 7am to noon. The store will also offer 75% off Craftsman tool storage chests
• Kmart is offering 40% off all clearance items, which were already marked down 30%.
• Target's offering deals up to 75% off on some items of clothes, furniture, electronics, holiday decorations and the like. Bath and bedding will up to 70 percent off.
• Wal-Mart doesn't want to be left out of the action, so it will be marking down items again, although there were few specifics on which items.
• Crate and Barrel is offering 70% off selected items.
• Toys "R" Us will be holding sales from December 26 to January 3, 2009.
• Home Depot -- 50 percent off holiday decorations.
• Barnes & Noble -- thousands of books, DVDs, toys, video games, calendars and the like from 50 to 90 percent off.
• IKEA has an after-Christmas sale of 20% to 60% off says the Dallas Morning News.
• Bath & Body Works will mark down merchandise by 75% starting on Monday.

Black Friday has officially come to a close and numbers are already rolling in from various retail sources that show sales up as much as 7.2%. Retailers were correct in their assumption that many consumers would scale back holiday purchases, with many stores trending below last year's sales numbers. Despite the decline, many retailers did exceed their lowered expectations, several coming within a few hundred dollars of last year's sales.

Broken down by category; sales of electronics were down across the board, in fact 50% below last year at several large stores. Many other retail categories also came in lower than in previous years. Speaking anonymously, one manager voiced concerns that consumers did all of their holiday shopping on Black Friday, and that stores would see bleak December sales. Despite the lower sales overall, one area which did perform well according to our source was clothing; in fact, if clothing sales continue on their current trend, they will likely be higher than last year.

The movement away from electronics towards clothing may signal an early shift in the mindset of consumers as they do holiday shopping. A dress shirt given as a gift this year may be better received than a new mp3 player by many rational consumers. The shift towards clothing isn't new, retailers have already seen more consumers purchasing clothing on sale rather than purchasing a gift card in recent months.

With tow of the top three shopping days already behind us and many retailers still coming up short it may spell good news for consumers in the form of increased CyberMonday promotions on December 1. Still the overall lag in sales is troubling from an economic standpoint, as it may spell an end to many retail stores; costing jobs and tax revenue that many cities depend on.

When frantic shoppers crushed into a Long Island Wal-Mart on Black Friday, they killed a temporary worker, 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour of Queens. Let's hope this ugly, horrific incident also marks the end of these marketing-induced frenzies.

When we hear about a story like this, we think that the people there must have been savages. But that's just mob psychology. They started showing up at 9pm the night before. Police were called in during the night. Then when clerks were minutes late opening the doors, they broke them down and pushed Damour, a pregnant woman and others to the floor. The extent of the damage was a shock, but the fact there was mayhem was not news. One worker told the New York Post that "last year they only bent the door."

So, if you ran an event where the crowd was crushing up against glass doors with the force to bend metal, what would you do? Would you change it? Or would you hire a temp worker to step into it? The unions, of course, blame Wal-Mart and say the incident could have been prevented.

The Monday following Thanksgiving and Black Friday has been known for a while as "Cyber Monday." That's the day when people who are sick of the story crowds, or, like my friend Tom Barlow, never ventured into them, go shopping online. But now that so many of us have high-speed internet at home, will the trend materialize?

The term, coined in 2005 by shop.org, has always been somewhat dubious. It is really busy, but not the busiest day. Last year, according to comScore, online shoppers spent $700 million on Cyber Monday; that's about as much spent on Thanksgiving and Black Friday combined. So there is a definite bump.

The premise of Cyber Monday is that people go shopping online once they get back to their fancy work computer with high-speed internet access. But are we really the technologically behind that we need to go into an office to have a fast computer? The Pew Internet and American Life Project says more than half--55%--of Americans now have high speed internet at home.

Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping declared victory over greedy consumerism this Black Friday. For years this self-styled street preacher has been trying to get would-be shoppers to celebrate "Buy Nothing Day" the day after Thanksgiving instead of marching to the malls. This year, he says, the idea seems to be catching on.

Rev. Billy reported to a crowed gathered in Manhattan's Union Square that he turned up at Macy's flagship store on 34th Street early this morning and found far fewer eager shoppers than in years past. Every year he and the Stop Shopping Choir sing at Americans to "Start to Stop Shopping." That's an acknowledgment that we all shop too much and face a perpetual battle against greed and materialism. Rev. Billy dresses like a preacher and treats shopping as just one more sin that is tempting but to be avoided.


Rev. Billy is no fool and knows it's the recession and not his ragtag choir that is persuading us to stop shopping. But it is the end of an era--an era of being told shopping is patriotic, an era of false prosperity and an era of ignoring overwhelming personal and government debt. All to buy things we want, but don't really need.

High school students are always looking for college scholarships to apply for, but a $1,000 scholarship sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Charles Schwab Foundation looks like it should be required math for anyone wondering how the economy works.

It's kind of like the TV show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-grader?" but with more of a scholarly aspect to it. Students have to be a lot smarter for the fall National Financial Literacy Challenge; they have to get a perfect score in order to win a $1,000 scholarship. Up to 100 students can win.

Here's a sample question: If you deposit $1,000 in a savings account with a fixed annual interest rate of 5%, how much will you have in your account after two years if you make no additional deposits or withdrawals?

A. Exactly $100; B. Exactly $1,100; C. Les than $1,100; D. More than $1,100.

The other sample questions have to deal with net worth, diversified investments, fixed-rate mortgages vs. variable-rate mortgages, and a question about how to get a large mutual fund balance in 20 years, a question I suspect the Schwab co-sponsors had a lot to do with being asked. Still, some unique questions to ask I high school kid. I guarantee you I didn't know about variable-rate mortgages when I was 17; I barely understand them now that I own a house.

The deadline for taking the 35-question online test is Dec. 12. Teachers can sign up their students at the U.S. Treasury's Web site.

Aaron Crowe is an unemployed journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read about his job search at www.talesofanunemployeddad.blogspot.com

WalletPop's far-flung bloggers will be reporting in from all over the country on Black Friday, starting at midnight on Nov. 28 and going all through the day. Want to find out what happens at midnight madness sales? Want to see Richard Simmons working up the crowds at Macy's in Manhattan? Want to find out if there are any hot toys flying off the shelves, or if there's any sad news to report (unfortunately, there is...). Check back here for minute-by-minute updates of all the latest news, and don't forget to also keep track on our Black Friday 2008 Deals Scorecard.

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Don't miss our Liveblog, all day November 28!

Black Friday is widely known for low prices on everything from electronics to toys and kitchenware but if you ask the average consumer what they will be purchasing on this, the day of massive sales; they're likely to respond, "HDTV!" For low and mid-range HDTVs there's no time like Friday to buy and this year the prices are reaching record lows even without the help of rebates.

In fact, USA Today took a look at HDTV sales this holiday season and found that most retailers will be selling them, "at near cost." on Black Friday. Additionally, due to an oversupply of HDTVs in the marketplace retailers are likely to cut prices 10-25% over the weekend according to one analyst.

Since everyone's HDTV needs are different, 3deals.com has assembled a chart of the HDTV sales across retailers that will be on sale come Friday. The list is an amazingly useful tool for anyone in the market for a new TV. It not only breaks the offerings down by size and price but also by store. Additionally, you can easily see if the TV is LCD or Plasma and what is the maximum resolution.

3deals also has a price history for many of the TVs; making it easy to see just how good the deal actually is. Price checking a Black Friday deal is especially important; since as USA Today notes, some TV sale prices are simply everyday prices dressed up with a starburst "SALE!" sign.

By using this tool I was able to help a coworker find what TV he wanted to get in just a few minutes; rather than the hours he could have spent comparing ad after ad. If you are having trouble figuring out how big you should go or how small you can survive with, be sure to check out the TV size guide which will suggest sizes based on how far away from the TV you sit.

After you've found your perfect TV, be sure to hit up WalletPop's guide to store openings and online sale times to plan your shopping assault. The list combines store opening times as well as the times of online sales for over 15 of the biggest Black Friday contenders. We'll be covering Black Friday Deals even as we gobble up our turkey, so hit us up before you head out Friday morning to be the most informed shopper in line!

Don't miss our Liveblog, all day November 28!

This year, retailers have opened up shopping earlier than ever, with several stores offering Pre-Black Friday deals online as early as Monday. The local mall is also opening at an unprecedented time, unbolting the doors at 4 AM to get customers in! With every retailer opening at a different time and offering online deals at all hours of the night you almost need an air traffic controller to keep it straight. Thankfully, WalletPop bunkered down and found out when you need to battle off your tryptophan-induced daze to score your Black Friday Deals!



Without further ado, your Black Friday store and online sale times! All times are EST.

In Store and Online:

• Sears - In Store: 5 AM; Online: 12:01 AM Thursday
• KB Toys - In Store: 12:01 AM at 270 locations; Online: 1 AM*
• Best Buy - In Store: 5 AM; Online: 2 AM
  
• WalMart - In Store: 5 AM; Online: 4:30 AM*
• Toys R Us - In Store: 5 AM; Online: 5 AM
• Circuit City - In Store: 5 AM; Online: 7 AM*
• Office Depot - In Store: 6 AM; Online: 7 AM*
• Kmart - In Store: 6 AM; Online: 8 AM*
• Kohls - In Store: 4 AM; Online: 1 AM
• Meijer - In Store: 5 AM; Online: None
  
• Target - In Store: 6 AM; Online: Not yet known
  
• Staples - In Store: 6 AM; Online: Not yet known
• Costco - In Store: 9 AM; Online Not Yet Known
• Sam's Club - In Store: 5 AM; Online Not Yet Known
• Old Navy - In Store: 5 AM; Online Not Yet Known

Online Only:

• Newegg.com - 11:30 PM Wednesday*
• Overstock.com - 9 PM Wednesday*
  
• TigerDirect.com - 2 AM Thursday*
  
• Amazon.com - Ongoing all week

Times designated with an * indicate the time that online sales started for Black Friday 2007, courtesy Dan de Grandpre of Dealnews.com, who suggests ordering online before you go to bed, or as soon as you wake up in the morning for the best chance of scoring a good deal.

This year we have seen retailers breaking many of the traditional Black Friday rules, so be sure to check back as retailers may move up their online offerings in an attempt to beat other stores offering Pre-Black Friday deals. Also stay tuned for updates later this week for Black Friday and Cyber Monday; the day retailers go all out for online sales!

The turkey hasn't even been cooked, but retailers are already lowering prices for Black Friday online. BlackFriday.info tracked down 16 stores that are already offering deals of Black Friday proportion. The tracker will be constantly updated as we move through the rest of the week and should prove to be an excellent resource for those of us who loath waiting in lines.

So far the following stores are offering up online deals:

• Amazon.com
• BestBuy
• Buckle.com
• Dell Home
• Home Depot
• J&R
• KB Toys
• Kmart Thanksgiving
• Kohls
• Lowe's
• OfficeMax
• Pacific Sunwear
• Radio Shack
• Sears
• Staples
• Walmart

To see the deals each store has to offer and get direct links to the items, visit the BlackFriday.info online deal tracker.

The following may not be a shocker, but in the world of shopping, it's news.

Reuters, The Wall Street Journal and other media outlets are reporting that Kohl's has announced that it's offering steep discounts -- much more than usual -- for the day after Thanksgiving, which, of course, is the day that traditionally the holiday shopping season begins. It also plans to announce that it will be promoting one item a day from December 1 through Christmas, with discounts of as much as 75%.

Now, granted, of course, everyone slashes prices on Black Friday, but The Wall Street Journal says that last year Kohl's didn't drop prices on its most expensive, fashionable labels, like Simply Vera and Elle. This year, however, it will be discounting its high-end labels, along with all of its women's brands, and discounting heavily -- as much as 40-50%.

It will also have some 300 early-bird deals on Friday, which is a 20% bump from last year.

According to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, customers can go to the Kohl's web site and sign up for email alerts for its daily deal, or have them arrive via a widget on their desk top or through their web site.

Oprah's "Favorite Things" episode is one of the best tickets in town every year. The lucky members of the studio audience usually walk away with some very expensive gifts as the host talks up things to buy on the show. Last year it was a $3,800 HDTV refrigerator. This year? Coal. Or maybe, hugs?

Well, not exactly. A leak about the highly secretive show, which airs next Wednesday on the day before Thanksgiving, has made it to Perez Hilton, who reports that one audience member was sorely disappointed by the price tag of her swag. The Oprah Blog confirms that the gift list will be toned down this year, and that some of the gifts will even be free.

Is it because Oprah can't afford huge things this year? Hardly. Even though one of her spin-off magazines, O at Home, has folded, she's still doing quite well, thank you very much. And if there was room in Obama's new cabinet for a talk show host, she'd surely have a position in the new government. Her profile has probably never been higher.

But the people in Oprah's audience, and the core of the people who make her so popular all over the country, can't afford things like a $3,800 refrigerator. They never really could. Who buys such things? The key is, us regular folks can't even afford to aspire to buy those kinds of things right now. That's why luxury retailers are going down the tubes. They can't even get people in the door to browse anymore, and therefore aren't making money even on casual purchases or accessories.

Want some Black Friday deals you can afford? Check out all our latest deal information.

As you prepare for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, take a moment to consider how you will pay for your gifts. Consumers Union reminds us that:

• When you buy with a debit, rather than credit, card, you won't have as much limited-liability protection, the right to dispute a charge, to hold up payment, or withhold payment while in dispute.
• If you use PayPal and it is linked to your checking account/ debit card, the same lesser protections apply. It suggests changing your PayPal account to draw from a credit card, to get this extra level of protection. The same goes with Google Checkout. Some WalletPop readers have had poor results from PayPal's Buyer Protection feature, so if you depend on this program to backstop your purchases, I'd suggest reading the fine print carefully.
• Before you select a "Bill Me Later" option, consider that you're opening a new credit account, which will result in a "hard inquiry' to the credit bureau. A number of hard inquiries can drop your credit score and raise the interest rate when you finance a large purchase such as a car or house.
• Also, those "90 days same as cash" offers often carry a hefty interest rate penalty if the minimum payment is late.

Hopefully, you've been saving up your pennies all year and have money in hand for your holiday shopping. I'd suggest depositing it to your credit card account on the way to the mall. You can then use your credit card without worrying about running up debt, as long as you keep a running total of what you've spent. If you don't have a pocket calculator, put that at the top of your list!