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.
Just as those of us in the States have (hopefully) done this month, the citizens of Sweden will file their income taxes in May. Unlike us, though, many of them will do so with a few simple clacks on their cell phones' keypads.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pelle said 3:12PM on 4-15-2009
Hey,
I happen to be Swedish and just wanted to add to this article:
Text message is one of the ways to simply confirm what the "Swedish IRS" has suggested being your tax situation. If you need to make deductions, alterations or have a more complicated tax situation (you are running a business, freelance, etc) you need to fill out some more forms (online or paper) and can't take advantage of these shortcuts (text message, online). But this definitely saves a lot of time and money for both the IRS and probably 80% of the population with straight forward work situations.
It's pretty nice to submit your taxes when you're hung over by just firing off a text msg btw.
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Michael Ians said 4:14PM on 4-15-2009
I happen to be American as well as Swedish, and have filed tax in both USA and Sweden. I can not tell you how easy it is to file in Sweden.
You receive your tax form, all filled in by the Tax Office (Skatteverket), and all you need to do is check your own records with the form. If everything is correct, you can file by paper, electronically by the internet, or text message.
I am receiving a refund, and it took me less than 30 minutes to check the figures, double check the figures and file online.
The only drawback, is that it can take up to 3 months to receive the refund.
In the states, you have both State and Federal, and it takes hours upon hours, to fill in those forms!
Heja Sverige!
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