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.

I am a self-professed recreational shopper. Always have been. Some people play sports competitively. Me, I shop competitively.

The thrill is in the bargain. Hunting it down, getting it in my sights and then moving in for the kill. I sharpened my elbows as a child in Daffy Dan's in New Jersey (mob aside, a reasonable state with no sales tax on clothing; are you listening California?) but have since refined my methods.

My current weapon of choice: coupons I find online. My trophy purchase mounted on the wall of my closet: a 100% cashmere sweater with the Sak's label still in it that I got for $5 at a thrift store in Malibu.

It was only a matter of time before my prowess reached the TV networks. I was asked by CNBC to take a camera crew along while I shopped. My terms: They don't get in my way.

Move over AA, NA and other 12-step programs, now there is Debtors Anonymous for those addicted to overspending. Patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous, DA is a 12-step program to help spenders recover from chronic debt and compulsive spending.

In DA, the first step for recovery is accurately tracking every dime, nickel and penny of spending for 90 days. The new DA member is then paired up with two or more veteran members who assist in formulating a new plan for spending and budgeting. The weekly meetings offer support and encouragement to members, particularly if there is a spending relapse.

Holidays are all about food, family and receiving gifts that you know you will never use -- with a smile. Of the $437.6 billion consumers plan to spend this holiday season, $42.7 billion worth of items are likely to be returned to stores, according to retail trade association, the National Retail Federation.

But this year, the annual pilgrimage to the return counter may prove a little less satisfying. Last year, the bad economy and gloomy sales forecasts led retailers to loosen up return policies, but 2009 is shaping up to be quite different -- 15.9% of retailers say they are tightening the rules, according to the NRF.

That makes reading the fine print on return policies even more important. Here's our roundup of retailers' return policies and our assessment of which ones are naughty or nice.

When financial experts are recommending canceling vacations, cutting cable and staying far away from restaurants to save money in the recession, it's easy to guess what they'd think of frivolous expenses like, say, holiday trinkets and decor.

But before you let a budget-minded humbug talk you out of decking your halls this holiday season, you might want to check out fredflare.com. The site peddles inexpensive, quirky holiday tchotchkes and treats guaranteed to charm hipsters and homemakers alike.

Travel may be down in this economy, but there's one area where business is booming: discount booking sites. With travel providers desperate to unload unused rooms and tickets, it seems like the only sectors of the travel industry that are exploding are the ones previously seen as a last resort by the industry.

Priceline.com reported that bookings through its site, which offers steep discounts on hotel rooms and other travel products, are at their best levels in nine years. Hotwire.com, which is owned by Expedia, reports a similar boost in revenue. The Hotwire Group's sales over 12 months have exceeded $250 million for the first time, and reps told WalletPop that compared to last year, hotel bookings in the biggest markets (meaning the most popular travelers' cities) are up between 20% and 30%.

To give, or not to give a gift card? No matter how impersonal it may seem, this holiday season it's a proposition that will be hard to resist. Retailers are stepping up offers that include gift cards as bonuses or dangling free cards with purchases.

They're doing so for good reason: Gift cards will be the most requested gift during this year's holiday season, according to a recent report by the National Retail Federation. According to the NRF's survey, 55% of adults in the United States want a gift card this year. Retailers have definitely taken note. Research firm First Data expects retailers to use cards as promotional tools this season more than ever before.

After months of anticipation, Jimmy Choo will touch down at H&M on Saturday, and the store's expecting that the masses will start amassing while it's still dark.

According to the shopping guide on the company's Web site, lines of people are expected at all participating stores, and shoppers will be let in 160 at a time for limited shopping periods.

Sounds complicated, right? Well, you only have to worry about it if you live near H&M's outposts in Manhattan, Los Angeles, San Francisco, West Hollywood or Costa Mesa, CA. Those are the only stores carrying the line of tailored frocks, hardware-bedecked bags and, of course, reptilian stilettos.

The Jimmy Choo for H&M designs cost up to $300 at H&M, compared with $400 to more than $1,000 for regular Choos at other retailers.

So what to do if you live in one of the other 48 states and you're dying to get your hands on the goods? Here are a few out-of-the-shoebox options.

Budgets are like diets. Both are tough to define. And neither one is easy to stick to -- especially when you're tempted over the holidays.

Experts say just like diets, budgets tend to be blown more often on the weekends than during the week. The theory: You've deprived yourself all week, so when the weekend hits, your will-power splits.

"It's easier to stick to a budget during the week than on the weekends," says certified financial planner Julie Murphy Casserly, founder of JMC Wealth Management in Chicago and author of The Emotion Behind Money: Building Wealth From the Inside Out.

Here's my weekly round up of the best freebies on the web from the past week. You're in for free money, Wifi, turkey-day recipes from top chefs, Kotex samples, and movie rentals. Enjoy!

1. Get $10 from Coinstar when you cash in $40 in coins. Just remember to get your change as a gift card, not cash.

2. You can cross off free Wifi on your Christmas list. Google is footing the bill for free Wifi in 47 airports across the country during the holidays. Participating airports include Miami, Boston and Las Vegas. Plus, Google is working with Virgin America to offer free Wifi on flights over the holidays.

Even though the most recent consumer credit reports show credit card debt is declining, consumer's debit cards are getting quite a workout. Debit card transactions recently surpassed credit card transactions for the first time ever.

Consumers are notoriously fickle in their allegiances and interests -- remember those food-assembly kitchens that were all the rage a few years ago? But the recession has sobered buying habits, and increasingly, more companies are viewing Americans' recent conversion to thrift as a long-term trend, not simply flash-in-the-pan fascination.

In an attempt to cash-in on this new sensibility, businesses are keen on promoting their products as a good deal. That's why, for example, Clorox Co. isn't raising prices on its improved trash can liners and Campbell Soup Co. has reduced the promotional price of its V8 brand vegetable juice by 17%, according to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

UPDATE: This deal has been extended by one day - so it is good Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009.

PREVIOUSLY: Get 20% off everything in the store and online at the Body Shop today only when you become a member of their Love Your Body loyalty program.

It costs $10 to join but is worth it if you like their make up and skin care items. I'm a fan, can you tell?

The Body Shop is not as cheap as the drugstore, but I don't mind paying a few extra bucks for the higher quality, non-animal tested products. My latest favorite product is the seaweed mattifying moisturizer with SPF 15. It smells really good and does not make my skin breakout, unlike most sunscreens.

If you join today you can get a free spa treatment in store, a complimentary makeover, and a 30 ml bottle of their Love, Etc. perfume for $15 (normally $24). Plus there's the 20% off discount.

After today you get 10% off every purchase. The membership lasts for one year, though sometimes they will renew you for free.

Other perks to the program: free gift up to $10 when you come in during your birthday month (note, they do not remind you), special customer appreciation days, free product up to $15 when you earn four points and a free product up to $25 when you earn eight points. For ever $20 you spend, you get one point.

So, $15 off when you spend $80 (19% off), and $25 off when you spend $160 (16% off).

Black Friday can certainly net shoppers some great holiday gift deals. But if you're not careful, experts say those "deals" could wind up costing you big in the long run by damaging your credit score.

Steve Schwartz, executive vice president of consumer services at Intersections, Inc., in Chantilly, Virginia, told WalletPop that it's easy to get caught up in the adrenaline-filled rush of Black Friday shopping. "But without a plan," Schwartz says, "consumers frequently end up with buyer's remorse." And a plunging credit score, too.