My need to save a buck is so fierce that I almost wish something in my apartment would break so that I can buy a spiffy, new model Friday for 40% off retail. If you're not sure that actually makes sense, understand you're reading a guy who pays an obscene garage fee to park a car he drives every two weeks, yet doesn't purchase a book online without cross-checking at least five retailers to save $1.25. Sometimes it's all about the chase.

Following are some resources to keep handy if you're a cheap bastard like me. (And god help you if you bought an HDTV last week.)

• BFads.net — Bills itself as the "official" site for this unofficial event. Um, OK. But still, a lot of informational blog posts to go along with a database of sales, sorted by such retailers as Best Buy, Circuit City and a host of other stores with salespeople who know nothing about what they sell.

• CNET Photos: Black Friday Deals — Nine selected products, with images, commentary and links to CNET's prior, related reviews.

• CyberMonday.com — A site named after the day that online retailers expect the largest amount of business. Though I don't think there's any advantage to waiting until Monday to purchase from them. Clicking links to stores through this site raises money for the Ray M. Greenly Scholarship Fund, established in the name of a cancer victim to provide financial support to students pursuing careers in the e-commerce industry.

• MSN's 2006 Holiday Tech Guide — Tips on how to buy certain products, top-five picks for various categories and advice on how to avoid web shopping annoyances.

• TIME: Web Shopping Guide 2006 — Selected products for various personalities, with a little more originality than some general guides that can be a little tech-heavy.

• DealNews.com — Continuously updated news about what's going down, price-wise, online. Solid descriptions, photos and links.

• Is Black Friday The Biggest Shopping Day of the Year in the U.S.? — Snopes' data indicates not usually, but that's starting to change as people take advantage of excellent online deals in the comfort of their homes, without dealing with the crowds at brick-and-mortar stores.

• Wikipedia: Black Friday — Explains the origin of the shopping day, as well as backlash and controversy over online posting of ads in advance of their intended release.