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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!

Picking up something used isn't just good for your wallet, it's good for the environment too (since you've likely kept another gadget out of landfills). While the decision to purchase used electronics is laudable from an environmental standpoint, there are many factors to consider before you head out to get a used laptop from someone you found on Craigslist.

Sustainablog.org took a hard look at what's important when buying a used laptop and came up with a, "10 Step Guide to Buying a Used Laptop That Works".

This is a really handy resource that covers many details that you likely wouldn't think about if you are used to buying your laptops new. A few highlights include:

• Where to buy it.
• Is the screen in good condition?
• Check all the ports.
• Test the hard drive for errors.
• Check the battery life.

I'm a bit of a geek but if I would have purchased a used laptop last week I can guarantee I wouldn't have taken all of these precautions and I'm sure at least one of them would have come back to haunt me. If you're looking to pick up a used laptop you'd be a fool not to use these steps as a checklist.

The only thing the list left off was to make sure you check the price of a new machine before you buy since in my experience many sellers overestimate the value of their old computers. When you couple this tendency with the sinking price of laptops these days it may make more sense to buy new, especially if you pick up one of the super cheap laptops on Black Friday.

The good folks behind the other white meat want to make sure that you know exactly how to prepare a pork chop for any occasion. So they've thoughtfully compiled a free booklet called, "Pork Chops Pocket Guide to Pork" to help you out. this handy guide will help you please and feed a hungry family, with several selections to whet any appetite, in addition to giving some great primers for cooking pork.

Even those of us who spend a good deal of time in the kitchen should be able to pick up a new method of preparing pork in this free booklet. I already checked out the numerous cooking methods for prepping a porky delight and I can't wait to try braising a pork chop rather than grilling them which is my go to method!

Unlike most freebies you don't need to wait around to enjoy your spoils, in this case you don't even have to hand over an email address (if you are fine with a PDF), something many of you will enjoy! If you prefer a hard copy, just fill out the form and the Pork Board will ship you off an excellent guide to cooking pork chops for the low low price of free!

Nowadays, some students are easily spending $500 or more on textbooks each semester, prompting some professors to provide their new books online for students anywhere to use for free.

Since this is unfortunately not yet the norm in many institutions around the nation, in a few weeks most parents and students will need to crack open the wallet to get ready for a new semester.

Most returning students will already be familiar with the best ways to get the books they need on the cheap, but for incoming freshmen and their parents, this guide will provide a great toolkit for getting the best deal on textbooks.

As the summer of the staycation draws to a close, you may be looking for something, anything fun to do around home that doesn't cost a lot of money. My big hobby is going places to see wild animals. And I'm certainly not alone.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2006 recreation survey says 87 million Americans now actively watch wildlife, many going on long trips. That's more than hunt (12.5 million), though lots of hunters are wildlife watchers, too. As a hobby I'm trying to map them out on a website animaltourism.com.

The most satisfying way to see animals is in the wild, which is also the toughest, requiring knowledge, patience and luck. If you're thinking of a trip with kids, you probably don't want to have to try to keep them quietly waiting for hours with a good chance of disappointment. So, the next best thing are wildlife rehabilitation facilities and sanctuaries for exotic animals. For the little kids, even farm animals are a big thrill.

Wells Fargo is offering up a guide for first time homebuyer's, which comes chock full of information and explanations of the many terms associated with getting your first mortgage. The guide is free but does require that you hand over your email address to Wells Fargo. It covers the rent or buy question, real costs of ownership, mortgage and loan types as well as help on choosing a real estate agent. Just like the rent or own calculator we shared last week, this is a great tool to add to your arsenal before you head out to buy a home.

The guide is definitely geared towards the benefits of owning a home, but I am impressed that it points out that in certain cases, renting makes more sense. I don't care for the guider's description of home ownership as "Owning your own home is like having a savings account that you can live in." as that seems to be part of the problem individuals are currently experiencing with the current lending crisis. The guide even offers up a selection of the ways to find money to use for your down-payment, including using a forced savings account or selling unused items, to name a few. The guide also details interesting places you can find funds such as down-payment assistance programs or borrowing against your 401k. The latter being something I wouldn't recommend doing.

As a current renter looking to purchase in the near future I have found this guide to be a very good primer. While i still have some questions about becoming a first time homeowner, I have a few more ideas about what to ask friends and family regarding our first mortgage.The information about choosing a home and a real estate agent are also really useful for me as the right agent can make a huge difference.