shopping

In 2011, shoppers were hot -- sometimes too hot -- for bargains, and a little too sensitive to the day's financial news. Savings gurus Jean Chatzky and JB Orecchia weigh in on the year's major spending pitfalls, and how to dodge them in 2012.

Switch on the TV or open the newspaper today, and you'd think there was only one day a year to get bargains: Black Friday. But if you're not careful, the year's most-hyped shopping day can be filled with traps. Here's how not to get bamboozled.

For many of the millions of Americans still out of work, shopping on Black Friday has become a luxury they can no longer afford. But some entrepreneurial consumers are refusing to be left with empty bags. They're going shopping for those doorbusters -- but for you, and for a fee.

Shopping at Walmart is your guilty pleasure, but would you share with your Facebook friends which store in the chain is your very favorite? The world's biggest retailer hopes you will, and it's launching more than 3,500 store-specific Facebook pages to connect shoppers with what's happening in their local aisles.

From piping in the smell of fresh-baked bread to making you wait in artificially long lines, your local supermarket works hard to get you to spend. Here's how to rise above the temptations.

Style Scavenger, our new column, is about finding good stuff in unexpected places. Our first challenge: Helping a recent college grad evolve his look from funky-grunge to interview- and office-ready. But before we get to the clothes, we'll have to figure out what to do with the tie-dyed hair...

If August is all about scoring deals on backpacks and other back-to-school items, then what should you buy in September? The editors at DealNews took a look at historical data and came up with the best and worst things to buy this month.

Even before Hurricane Irene interrupted back-to-school shopping, the nation was cautious about spending for the new semester. A teetering economy is affecting the purchasing choices of 75% of families with school-age children, and 70% say they plan to spend the same or less as last year.

Abercrombie & Fitch has offered to pay Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, a cast member on MTV's "Jersey Shore," money to stop wearing its clothes. But does the brand really hate Sorrentino, or is the move simply a way to score a free affiliation with the star?

The back-to-school countdown is nearing its end, but there's still time for parents to find good deals. Here are four tips on how you can save money while helping your child get ready to hit the books.