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'Black Friday' Not Worth Losing Sleep Over Some say pre-dawn race not worth it

Updated 2:30 PM CST, Fri, Nov 28, 2008

B2M Productions

You may want to skip the early Black Friday wake up call this year.

You may have been better off succumbing to the tryptophan and catching up on sleep today.

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The City of Chicago warns consumers to be wary of store policies on returns, gift cards and layaway programs.

City Offers Consumer Warning Heading to Shopping Season

"This year, every day will be a Black Friday," Guy King, co-founder of coupon Web site RetailMeNot and price comparison site BeatMyPrice.com, was quoted by the Chicago Sun-Times as saying. "With retailers struggling to stay afloat and capture the limited consumer shopping budget, we'll see deep discounts on par with Black Friday deals throughout the entire holiday season."

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're aware that the U.S. economy is feeling a little ill right now, and the National Retail Federation is predicting a downturn in holiday-related spending.

But that's not stopping retailers -- brick and mortar and online alike -- from enticing consumers during the season of giving, and many of them slashed prices early.

Wal-Mart started the slashing in October - even earlier than last year - and many retailers have joined in the early discounting. CVS' Black Friday promotions started Sunday, and Toys R Us' started more than a week earlier, the Sun-Times reported.

But even with the deals out now, procrastination might be key this year. The best time to shop for high-end, brand-name TVs is typically two weeks before Christmas, when retailers "really start to slash prices," Dan de Grandpre, founder of dealnews.com said. Toys get cheapest three weeks before Christmas, as Wal-Mart, Amazon, KBtoys, and others "try to get rid of inventory while people still want them."

New York Daily News: Top 100 Budget-Friendly Web Sites

For price comparisons, try: DealNews.com | CheapUncle.com

If you must venture out, be smart and safe about your holiday shopping.

Of course, there are those asking the question if it's better to buy nothing at all.

Readers, feel free to leave your feedback, suggestions, tips and tricks in the comments.

Video: Searching for Chicago's 'It' Gifts
Video: Gift Cards Not Always Perfect Gifts

First Published: Nov 26, 2008 2:19 PM CST

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FresnoJoe Saturday, Nov 29 at 3:13 AM FLAG COMMENT Amen!Amen!
Bold Ruler '57 Friday, Nov 28 at 9:33 AM FLAG COMMENT 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]? ... MORE >