Giving thanks and gifts

With the Internet Black Friday is no longer the busiest shopping day of the year. The distinction goes to the Saturday before Christmas - and to Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving.

If you're in an office with Internet access, chances are better than half - 54.5% - that you'll be shopping at work today. With good reason of course: 72.2% of retailers plan a Cyber Monday promotion.

Some say higher gas prices may put a damper on gift giving this year. In a Consumer Federation of America survey, 38 percent of respondents said the cost of gasoline and home heating fuel would cause them to either somewhat or greatly decrease their holiday spending, up from 32 percent in 2006.

But with all the hot air retailers provide to promote their specials, and consumers' fingers doing the shopping online, gas may not be in such great demand anyway.