If you missed the Cyber Monday deals, never fear. You can get one of the smallest HD camcorders on the market for under $100.

Flip Video's 3.3-ounce HD camcorder can fit in your back pocket and typically would set you back about $180.

Avon, the company best known for its line of skin care products, is offering the MinoHD camcorder for $89, plus $6 for ground shipping. And P.C. Richards & Sons is selling the same device for $99, but they offer free shipping or store pickup. The 4GB version has room for one hour of video.

The camcorder allows you to upload videos directly to the Web. It may be the best way to stealthily film your crazy eggnog-drinking relatives this holiday season and then post it on Facebook or YouTube.

If your kids dragged you to see Disney's twist on the story of Rapunzel during the Thanksgiving holiday, there's a good chance a tower is now on their Santa list.

Disney's "Tangled" movie prominently features Rapunzel's tower, and of course there's already a toy version. Alas, the price tag is no fairytale. Most retailers are selling the tower from Mattel for $100 and up.

But Walmart offers the tower, including hair extensions, for $88.

If you want to let Rapunzel's hair down, however, you'll have to cough up another $12 for the Rapunzel doll.

If you hosted Thanksgiving dinner and had to wash all the dishes by hand, you may be hoping Santa brings you a dishwasher this year.

What about a brand name dishwasher for under $200?

Home Depot is selling an Amana tall-tub dishwasher for $198 starting Saturday through Monday. The appliance is regularly priced at $300, and the closest deal I could find was at Sears for $212.49.

If you want to be trendy and get the stainless steel version it will cost you more, $228. But that's down from $329.

It may be time to say goodbye to dishpan hands.

Wouldn't it be nice to curl up with a warm down comforter after a hard day of Black Friday shopping?

JCPenney is offering a doorbuster deal on reversible comforters of any size for $32.99 from 4 am to 1 pm Friday, and Kohl's is offering similar down comforters for $39.99 from 3 am to 1 pm. The comforters' regular retail prices range from $130 to $200 depending on the size.

If you want to cybershop after turkey dinner tonight, the same comforters are on sale right now on JCPenney's site for between $80 to $100; and for under $80 at Kohl's.

Stay warm tomorrow, power shoppers.

I know many of you Black Friday shoppers will be in too much of a rush to eat breakfast before you head out on your shopping sojourn.

That's why you may want to think about making a stop at IKEA. The Swedish furniture chain is offering free breakfast and coffee starting Friday through Sunday. The deal, which is valued at about $2, includes scrambled eggs, potatoes and bacon.

There's only one problem with the offer, it may not appeal to many of you Black Friday early-risers. Most IKEA restuarants will open at 9:30 a.m., a half-hour before the stores begin business on the big shopping day. That's too late for most Black Friday zealots and may end up being more of a free lunch.

If you think a sit-down breakfast will just slow your spending down, you can always pick up a free Slurpee from a 7-Eleven convenience store. But you'll have to go to the Slurpee fan page on Friday to print a coupon and get your free small drink.

Remember shoppers, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So eat or drink something!

Laura T. Coffey writes: For years now -- decades, even -- a Thanksgiving tradition for die-hard bargain hounds has been to nab a big, fat copy of the local Thanksgiving Day newspaper and pore over all the Black Friday ads. That’s still an important thing to do if you’ve been bitten by the Black Friday bug -- but, of course, the times they are a-changin’.

These days, you’re bound to lose out if you don’t supplement your newspaper-based strategizing with at least some cyber research. Plenty of websites out there are scouring for screaming deals and posting leaked copies of one-time offers. Doing at least some Internet research can put you far ahead of the masses roaming malls and discount retailers in Friday’s wee hours -- so far, in fact, that you may decide to place all your Black Friday orders online and stay home.

At the very least, take a moment on Thursday afternoon or evening to visit the sites of your favorite retailers. Many are sneak-peeking their Black Friday offers and sharing valuable online coupons that can be used in-store on the big day.

In addition to visiting retailers’ sites, it’s also worth checking out some other sites that have been focusing on Black Friday in a big way. Here are five websites that are worth your time after you’ve devoured your turkey dinner:

1. If you have even the slightest inkling that you may want to buy a computer, cell phone, digital camera, appliance, gaming console or other piece of home electronics equipment on Black Friday, Gizmodo’s Ultimate Black Friday 2010 Cheat Sheet is simply amazing. Be sure to check it out before you shop!

2. TheDealmap is a great site to know about year-round because it allows you to search for deals, coupons and discounts by geographic area. It’s stepped its efforts for Black Friday by allowing you to search specifically for Black Friday deals near you, and also by offering a way-cool app that’s free for iPhone and Android phones. Armed with that app on Friday morning, you’ll be able to find deals closest to you thanks to your phone’s GPS.

3. BlackFriday2010.com is just plain cool. It features leaked Black Friday ads and hand-picked deals that are absolutely worth checking out, and it also offers e-mail alerts and a helpful iPhone app.

4. Remember that you can access Twitter in a customized way to find Black Friday deals and promotions from many retailers. If you use TweetDeck, you can create a search that will alert you about tweets you’re likely to care about. For instance, you can search for “Sony Blu-Ray” and “deal” or “Garmin” and “Black Friday.”

5. ConsumerWorld.org is another site that’s worth visiting year-round, and its Black Friday tips page is definitely worth a gander at this time of year. The site points out how to be a Black Friday early-early bird: Toys R Us opens at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, for crying out loud, and Walmart opens at 12:01 a.m. Friday (although electronics won’t go on sale until 5 a.m.). This same Black Friday page also highlights “doorbuster” deals and coupons for 2010.

Again, your Turkey Day surfing may inspire you to order online and stay home -- or it may motivate you more than ever to set your alarm clock for 3 a.m. If you do decide to brave the crowds at the stores on Friday, be sure to bone up on the best Black Friday apps for your phone here, and also read this “10 Tips for Keeping Your Money in Your Wallet” column before you go. I wrote it a few years back, but the overall tips still apply!

Related links:

• Black Friday strategy: Shop, or sleep
• Black Friday has lost its luster ... or has it?
• Feds to retailers: Have a safe Black Friday, or else
• Video: Best Black Friday deals revealed

If you're like most Americans, the financial meltdown of 2008 took a big bite out of your retirement savings. But don't give up on that 401(k) account just yet.

It turns out that people who stuck with their company-sponsored retirement savings plan last year saw average gains of 32 percent, according to a study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and the Investment Company Institute.

Some 4 million so-called "consistent participants" tracked by the study closed out last year with an average account balance of $109,723 – up from $83,161 a year earlier. Since most retirement savers still keep the bulk of their money in stocks, the survey found, the 23 percent gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index for 2009 helped make up for the 38 percent drop in stock prices in 2008. So far this year, the S&P 500 index is up 6 percent. (The 32 percent gain for 2009 included worker and employer contributions as well as investment gains.)

About 60 percent of working-age Americans have access to a 401(k) savings plan at work; of those, some 88 percent participate in these plans, which typically match employee savings and allow investments to grow tax-free.

But despite the high participation rates, the current level of savings still falls far short of providing for a decent retirement. Though the average 401(k) account posted an annual growth rate of 14.7 percent between 2003 and 2009, the median balance was just under $60,000 at the end of last year.

That means tens of millions of American workers will be woefully unprepared to pay for even the most basic expenses when they retire, according to Jack VenDerhei, research director at the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

"I'm not talking about luxury items," he said."I'm not talking about maintaining your standard of living. I'm talking about just basic expenses plus uninsured medical costs. About 50 percent of households are falling short."

The recession hasn't helped. Tough times have forced more savers to tap into that nest egg. Some 21 percent of those whose plan offered loan options had dipped into savings as of the end of 2009 – up from 18 percent the year before.

If you want to find your way to Grandma's house on Thanksgiving, you might want to finally buy a car nagivation system.

One GPS device that has been popular this season is the TomTom XL GPS system with touch screen, but the price has hovered at $130 for a while now. I found it today for $119.99 from Staples.

If you already know how to get to Grandma's house and don't want to pony up more than $100 for a GPS, wait until Black Friday, because one of the big bargains this year will be the TomTom system for $79 from both Target and Walmart. An early sneak peak at these mega retailers' fliers, thanks to BFads.net, reveals a host of electronics deals, including the TomTom.

But before you snap up a GPS, you should be aware of the debate over whether such systems make us dumber because. So even if you decide to go digital, don't throw out the tattered map in the glove compartment.

If you've been feeling like you're the only one out there without a Droid Web-surfing phone, today is your lucky day.

Amazon is offering an HTC Droid Incredible for one cent, from a list price of $599.99, when you sign up for a two-year contract with Verizon. It includes 1 GHz processor, 8-megapixel camera, and Google navigation. The offer expires at the end of day today.

The closest deal to Amazon is going to cost you quite a few more pennies. Walmart is offering the phone for $199.99.

The Amazon bargain is one of those deals you know can't be undercut in a pre or post Black Market sale frenzy. Well, zero cents would be a bit better.

She's cute. She's adorable. She's nowhere to be found.

She's Mittens Fluff 'N' Stuff, one of MGA Entertainment's eight Lalaloopsy "Sew magical -- Sew cute" dolls, and she's flying off store shelves, according to the New York Post Monday.

A spot check on Monday of retailers' websites shows how scarce the doll is: Out of stock at Wal-Mart and Target; unavailable for online shipping from Toys R Us; and one left in stock at Amazon.com at almost double the $25 suggested price.

So why is the blue-haired, rosy-cheeked Mittens more popular than her seven sisters such as Crumbs Sugar Cookie or Spot Splatter Splash, each of which comes with a back story about its origins?

CEO Isaac Larian told the New York Post that he thinks the doll may have broader appeal. "It's not yet another blond doll with a white face," he said.

It's bad enough you might be pat down and X-rayed when you travel to family next week for Thanksgiving. The last thing you want is Uncle Joe making fun of the tattered luggage you've been carting around since the 1980s.

What about a new 7-piece set of luggage for under $60?

The deal websites were lighting up this morning with a Sears bargain offering an American Tourister set for $59.99. It retails for $239.99, and the cheapest comparable offer I could find was for $109.99 at Overstock.com. It includes everything from a tote, to a 27-inch upright, to a wheeled duffle.

And Click2Money.com says if you put in coupon code "SNOW" you'll get another $5 off.

Happy travels.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. Nothing quite says, “I’m in relaxation mode!” like a pair of pajama bottoms. And if you look around carefully -- or even hastily -- you’ll notice that growing numbers of your fellow countrymen and women are broadcasting their relaxed vibe all day long.

People are wearing pajama bottoms to the grocery store. To the movies. On flights. Even on the red carpet. Our infatuation with elastic waistbands and stretchy, forgiving fabrics is fast becoming a full-blown love affair -- and it’s being attributed, in part, to our recession-induced “cocooning” habits.

We’re staying home more often in the evenings, eating in more, watching movies at home, playing video games at home. More of us are even working from home. With that much at-home time on the agenda, why not be comfortable?

OK, that makes sense. But should we stay comfortable no matter where we roam? Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst for the market research firm NPD Group, describes what’s happening as “the casualization of America.”

“This has reached epidemic proportions,” said Cohen, who studies clothing and apparel trends. “You used to see someone wearing pajamas in the grocery store and you’d feel bad for them because you’d think they’ve been sick for two weeks and are just now getting out of the house. But no, that’s not true.”

Cohen teaches classes at three universities, and he said it’s common for students on all three campuses to show up for class wearing pajama bottoms with short- or long-sleeved T-shirts or hoodie sweatshirts.

Cohen noted that pajama sales are definitely on the rise in the United States, but the numbers can be tricky to track because of the way PJs are being bought and sold.

Forget stuffy, striped, formal-looking sets. These days, pajama bottoms are sold separately for both men and women and are often paired with T-shirts. (Do the T-shirts have to be bought at the same time, or do they even have to match? Heck, no.)

As for the pants themselves, they get described in all sorts of ways by consumers (and retailers): casual pants; dorm pants; lounge pants; loungers; track pants; pajama pants. Some have patterns; some don’t. Most have this in common: They have drawstrings, they’re soft and comfortable enough to sleep in, and they’re selling like crazy.

“Before this, pajamas were really a Christmas item,” said Joseph Goldstein, chief executive officer of the retail inventory evaluation firm R.I.D. Corp. “They sold for six weeks before Christmas as a gift, but any other time of the year it was basically a dead item. Now you have an item that people buy for themselves ... and nightwear is a more thriving business. It’s a 12-month business that used to be a six-week business.”

Well, comfort seekers, if you want to pretend, at least, that you’re not wearing pajamas to the grocery store, you can always give these Pajama Jeans a try.

Starting Thursday, you can get two fancy-schmancy coffee drinks at Starbucks for the price of one, which could mean a savings of $4 or more, depending on the drink and location.

If you're hoping for a serious morning pick-me-up, forget it. The deal, which lasts through Sunday, is only available from 2 to 5 p.m.

Coffee purists looking for a basic cup a Joe also need not apply. The only drinks offered in the deal are: Caramel Brulee Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Gingerbread Latte, Eggnog Latte, Caramel Brulee Frappuccino blended beverage and Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino blended beverage.

In any case, you'll probably want to bring at least one friend to share your coffee drinks. The Caramel Brulee Latte, in the grande size, is 420 calories, more than double the calories of a regular latte.

Near the top of the to-do list for the lame-duck Congress is whether to extend jobless benefits for two million Americans who are relying on the payments to get them through until they find a job.

Recent talk is that lawmakers would be willing to extend benefits for the fifth time this year before they expire Nov. 30. Advocates for extended benefits include groups representing the so-called 99ers, who run out of benefits after 99 weeks.

But Republicans, who trounced the Democrats in midterm elections partly on the idea that America has been spending too much, say that the deficit is already too large and that even jobless benefits should be on the table for discussion.

Into the debate drops a number from CNNMoney.com, which reported Wednesday that Americans have collected jobless benefits totaling $319 billion over the past three years. CNNMoney’s article says the federal government has already paid $109 billion of that.

Businesses are likely to end up paying for much of the remainder, including whatever gets added if Congress agrees to extend the benefits, CNNMoney says.

High unemployment, currently at 9.6 percent officially, has forced states, which typically fund jobless benefits, to ask the federal government for help. States are in dire straits: 31 of them now have $41 billion in loans outstanding, according to CNNMoney.

With employers on the hook for replenishing the money that funds jobless benefits, taxes on businesses are expected to rise to $64 billion in 2015 from $38 billion last year, according to the Labor Department.

With that kind of money on the line, businesses small and large will likely prove to be strong allies for lawmakers who either want to stop extending benefits or to find cost cuts elsewhere to make up the difference.