Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
Everyone's gotta change with the times, including religious faiths, and we're not talking about same-sex marriage here. We're talking about plastic. Cash has been on the outs with the American public for a while now. Some Americans don't even bother to carry any at this point, and churches are trying to keep pace. Many now accept credit cards or automatic bank transfers for donations. 
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Michael said 2:41PM on 8-07-2007
The churches are now promoting the moneychangers as the Jews did in the temples of old. What did Christ think of that back then? I would go into any of those churches for fear they would cave in.
So contributions are up, huh? Way to go Pastor, you have fully integrated into a society of greed and money.
Sad
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Karl said 11:53AM on 8-08-2007
Sorry folks the church is a moneymaking operation. Worked one summer in one and it was all about money and the minister was also a lawyer. His wife got $20,000 for playing a few tunes on Sunday, They lived in a mansion and it was all tax free! The thermometer never got to it's goal for the "African missions" and the minister sat in his office looking at porn.
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Gumby said 4:01PM on 8-07-2007
Heavens? We still drive to churches? My gosh! I thought we are all doing it online by now?? Why waste gasoline to drive to churches?? Ever wonder how many millions of barrels of oil we burn just to drive to churches!!! We can contribute online and listen to preachers online. We can tear down the churches and temples and free up the lands for better uses.
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Ed said 4:33PM on 8-07-2007
I think that having access to money at the church is a good idea. I am on our church's council and money to cover our budget is always tight. If spontaneous contributions were increased by having access to cash near the sanctuary (basement or other inconspicuous location) all the better. I don't have a check book, so might well give more if I had access to cash on Sunday morning.
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pll said 4:13PM on 8-07-2007
LOL...some of the churches already have it set up to where they can take monthly withdrawals from checking orsaving from whatI heard......oh well..spend your money and get tax deductions anyway you want or can....
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P.A. Dav. said 5:00PM on 8-07-2007
The church is God's symbolic house and should be kept holy. If members cannot take the time and get cash before going to church, then they should not give offerings. God rewards CHEERFUL givers. Gumby: your comments are satanic. God's house is not secular and should stay that way. Any Christian seeking tax relief for offerings is not practicing accordingly and isn't there supposed to be a separation between church and state. In America, people act like religion is a Sunday only thing. This is life, so (off the subject) I don't see how your legislators can separate politics from religion. Makes no sense at all, you either are a Christian or your not. You can't be a christian at home, but not work.
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K Collier said 12:28PM on 8-08-2007
This is sooo sad, Already throwing stones are we "Ed & P. A. Dav" you don't even know when someone is being sarcastic, NOT Satanic, you twits. I am a very spiritual person and what you are being is judgemental and some what cultish if you really want to know my opinion. When someone goes and puts a ATM in a church now that is just wrong, I thought going to church meant getting a lesson in religion not finances, looks to me it is just another way for the ministers to get a little richer, so they have more money for their Volvo's amd Mercedes, what I was always taught is that a speaker of God's word was supposed to live by feeble means, not be able to purchase wordly idle trinkets...
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Neonie said 6:53PM on 8-07-2007
What? Chruches dont have Podcasts? Im outraged!
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Jen Hoffman said 7:33PM on 8-07-2007
I agree with Michael, Christ would be outraged at these moneylenders. For crying out loud, folks are in trouble with their credit debt anyways, and now the church is going to help folks go into debt? What if the person decides to tithe a huge sum, and then claims bankruptcy? The church must want something like this to keep the "sticky finger" people honest. I would never frequet a church that looks at the almighty dollar, rather than the REAL Almighty.
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shark_bait752000 said 8:17PM on 8-07-2007
money better spent on 12 headed jellyfish research for sure
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KEITH said 8:17PM on 8-07-2007
You hit the nail on the head Michael. There's more to say than I can post here. People need to learn, the real meaning and spirit is in them, not in the atms, the churches, the preacher, or the almighty dollar. Sad. I'm sure the kiosk is located in the most convenient location, coming in or going out where you have to walk by it and feel guilty about not sliding your credit card .
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James said 9:31PM on 8-07-2007
Why don't we just put the Golden Arches on our churches and get it over with? Hi, welcome to McJohn's Catholic Church.
One large Blood of Christ, please.
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Amy said 2:03AM on 8-08-2007
God loves a cheerful giver and if technology works with the younger generation, why not?
Who am I to put God in a box?
God is the one who gives witty inventions.
I think others are jealous because they did not think of this sooner. Jealousy is so ugly. Christians don't wear it well.
I do believe that we should still have the offering during the service, however, if someone is passing by a church and feels led to contribute, why not make it easier for them to be anonymous? why not make it easier for the bookkeepers?
God receives our offerings. He does not "take" an offering because He certainly does not need my money. I give back to Him to acknowledge that He is my source. I can do more with 90% than I ever could with the whole 100%. Besides, it all belongs to Him anyway.
We are blessed to be a blessing. J.C.Penney gave away 90% and lived off of 10%. That is my goal, to be a reverse tither before turning 45.
Sure, Giving Kiosks may be controversial, but so was Christ Jesus.
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robert seaton said 2:48PM on 8-08-2007
My brother turned his gas station
into a church."Holy mother of exxon"
just like other churches they worship
the dollar sign.
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Gokool said 11:47AM on 8-08-2007
Churches= belief+faith (no thinking, no logical reasoning, no nothing---just read one outdated book and believe in it---otherwise you're in trouble) plus everything creationist
Science= Thinking+innovation+logic+math plus everything evolutionist
I wonder if the Pastor ever sits down and appreciate the science and engineering that is allowing him to go to church on wheels, allowing him to have microphones and loudspeakers so that every child of god can hear his wonderful speech about how God loves them. And now---an automated teller machine for people to be able to use plastic money for donation. Oh, how science can be useful for the same people who sent Galileo Galilei to hell and same people who thought and still think Derwin's theory is/was full of crap.
And the mama who wants to listen to the priest online to save gasoline, interesting idea. I'm glad that the hard worked science is helping our religious folks and aiding on their believes that god created or somewhat involved in creating everything including electricity, computers, internet, cellphones, microwaves, and refrigerators.
Lady, would you please hit me on the head? Because I didn't get it when you said "god gives witty invention."
Oh, talk about taking things for granted.
I already know I am going to get a lot of hate speech for posting this so save yourself some breath. Tell me something unpredictable.
Have a good day.
---
It is easier to believe than it is to argue.
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Terri said 9:58PM on 8-09-2007
Amy,
God Bless you always!!!
I agree with you 100%. So much so I'm quoting you here.
Amy said,
"God loves a cheerful giver and if technology works with the younger generation, why not?
Who am I to put God in a box?
God is the one who gives witty inventions.
I think others are jealous because they did not think of this sooner. Jealousy is so ugly. Christians don't wear it well.
I do believe that we should still have the offering during the service, however, if someone is passing by a church and feels led to contribute, why not make it easier for them to be anonymous? why not make it easier for the bookkeepers?
God receives our offerings. He does not "take" an offering because He certainly does not need my money. I give back to Him to acknowledge that He is my source. I can do more with 90% than I ever could with the whole 100%. Besides, it all belongs to Him anyway.
We are blessed to be a blessing. J.C.Penney gave away 90% and lived off of 10%. That is my goal, to be a reverse tither before turning 45.
Sure, Giving Kiosks may be controversial, but so was Christ Jesus."
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Susan said 10:07PM on 8-14-2007
Gokool wrote: "same people who thought and still think Derwin's theory is/was full of crap"
Who the heck is Derwin????
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Mike said 6:53PM on 8-20-2007
The ATM is merely another symptom of a major disease. The real question to ask is, "Why do we even have temples (churches) and professional priests/pastors anyway?" Under the New Covenant, Believers are the temple and the priest. The church met house to house the first 300 years before Constantine paganised it and started building edifices and hiring professional clergy. Bottom line, we are to care for the poor, the widow, the fatherless, and the stranger with our "gifts" to God, which is true ministry. Instead, we build buildings and pay staff to indoctrinate us with man made doctrines. Is anybody asking how much of their "tithe" goes to real ministry? That's the real question here.
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E L said 3:14AM on 10-05-2007
"Everyone's gotta change with the times, including religious faiths"---And that is found where in Gods word?
- Describe "Pastor" in Gods word?
- And why all the fuss over what - so called-religious folks say. Possibally they are not serving the Lord at all - just their own bellies.
- Look for Christs church to find the truith being taught - he says his church will remain forever - And a good way to reconogize it is (clue)---"only a few are going to be saved"
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Eswirl said 7:45PM on 9-22-2007
I've seen enough overtly materialistic things in church to not suffer an aneuyrism because of this...
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