After hearing the news that a Wal-Mart employee was brutally trampled to death by discount-hungry shoppers on Black Friday, you might think eager shoppers everywhere turned out for after-Thanksgiving sales. While other retailers avoided such tragedy on the biggest shopping day of the year, they didn't draw in the same crowds and are now apprehensively facing the bad news that 2008 could end in the red.
The prospect of getting something for less might have caused some aggressive crowds, but the number of shoppers out this Black Friday didn't compare to those in recent years.
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Usually it's tough to bounce back after a long weekend, but today is not your average Monday — it's Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year. For those of you that steered clear of Black Friday, now is your chance to scoop up some gifts at a discount, without leaving your desk. The brains behind Cyber Monday are no dummies and know that you'll be sitting in front of your computer all day, but you need to make sure shopping doesn't get in the way of completing your work. 
Black Friday has come and gone faster than your turkey hangover went away. I wasn't able to make it out to any of the sales myself (good thing there's still Cyber Monday), but being a bargain hunter at heart, I'm dying to hear about the on-sale loot you scored.
What deals did you get your hands on this Black Friday?
By now you've had time to review the discounted loot you brought home as Black Friday bounty and should have a good feel for how closely you're sticking to your holiday shopping budget. If you've already surpassed your limit for some people on your list, it may be time to readjust the rest of your holiday spending plan.
You might have heard somewhere, make that everywhere, that it's Black Friday. It wasn't given a special name just because it's the day after Thanksgiving, and retailers have traditionally counted on the shopping holiday to push their sales into profitable territory.
It's still a relevant day, but some stores have been advertising Black Friday-type-can't-miss-sales since the beginning of November as retailers began to get increasingly nervous about consumers spending less this holiday season. 
It is a brave shopper who charges through Black Friday on a holiday shopping mission, and not everyone has the patience for tolerating pushy crowds. Hopefully, those determined shoppers are rewarded with heavy discounts that cause them to brush off any annoyances the day may bring. Are you hitting the sales today? 
We've procrastinated shopping long enough, and the major holidays are now four weeks away and counting. It's about time we start taking a crack at our lists, but first we need to decide how to pay for all the presents. Consider the easiest way to track all of your gift expenses combined with the most practical method for preventing overspending. 
Black Friday is the ultimate test of the time-is-money theory — after all, blowout bargains and crowds of shoppers typically characterize the biggest shopping day of the year. How long are you willing to wait for your turn at the register?
Going out of business sales usually make shoppers' ears perk up, yet a recent sort of 
Usually it's a sign of a long week ahead when it's only Monday and you're already thinking about Friday, but here's the good news: It's a short week! Thanksgiving is the big Thursday show and Black Friday is like the chaotic after-party that begins as early as midnight on Thursday in some stores.
This Friday is more important than any other for struggling retailers that are relying on the day of deals to put something positive in their books. 
