Consumer Confidential: Shopping, spending, driving

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Here’s your foolishly Friday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--Black Friday’s already looking pretty dark, and that’s a good thing for shoppers. As more details of Black Friday sales leak out from major retailers, Wal-Mart has confirmed that it will be offering deep discounts on toys and games, and selling much-wanted electronic goodies, such as high-def TVs, for way under usual prices. Scout around online for the best deals before getting up at the crack of dawn the day after Thanksgiving. Chances are, you’ll be able to come up with a serious action plan for your shopping.

--And bring your cash, because it looks like fewer of us want to run up debt on our plastic this holiday season. The National Retail Federation says most of us will be favoring cash or debit cards this year, rather than splurging with credit cards and spending the rest of the year trying to pay down our balances. Let’s call this one of the better lessons learned from the never-ending recession.

--And if you’re in the mood to spend some money, Chrysler wants your business -- really. The formerly bankrupt carmaker is offering zero-percent financing or up to $4,000 in cash back for almost all its 2010 models. But don’t dawdle: The sweeteners last only until Jan. 4.

-- David Lazarus