What do adults want for the holidays?

 

If they’re travelers, free wireless Internet access in the airport is always a welcome gift. Bing, Google and eBay are all offering free wi-fi at airports and a few other locations -– including in the air -- this holiday season.

• Bing: Best free wi-fi spots

Here are the deals:

 

Retailers are making it easier than ever to trade in your outdated electronics for cash, rebates or gift cards. This post at Kiplinger lists several ways you can ditch your clunkers:

• Got an old appliance your want to replace? Buy an energy-efficient model and receive rebates ranging from $50 to $250. This federally sponsored program, similar to the Cash for Clunkers program, varies by state. More details can be found here.
  
• Trade in old video games at Amazon.com and Toys 'R' Us in exchange for gift cards.
• Old electronic devices can be traded in to Radio Shack, Hewlett-Packard, Amazon and Costco.
  

These programs are convenient, but it's not likely you'll earn top dollar for your junk. One example: A U2 special edition iPod will fetch $26 through the Costco program. A quick search shows bidding reaching the $55 mark on eBay.  

Looks like Black Friday shoppers can “expect more, pay less” at Target’s post-Turkey Day sale.

 

Target's leaked ad shows some great deals on $20 DVDs, such as Pixar’s Up for $13; Transformers and Madagascar 2 for $5.99; and The Dark Knight and Sex in the City for $3.99.

 

On Friday, while supplies last, you can get

 

This post comes from Nora Dunn at partner blog Wise Bread.

 

Saving money is made all the sweeter when you also rest assured that you did your part to save power and energy. And although using the oven is not nearly as efficient as sticking to the stove-top, sometimes you just have to bake that casserole or cake.

So take a look at these 19 tips to help you maximize your oven's energy-efficiency, as well as to cut your cooking costs.

 

Retailers don't like it when Black Friday leads to mayhem, fisticuffs and dead employees. Kinda puts a damper on things, no?

And this year, shoppers' desperation to get in on a good deal might be ratcheted up a notch. Blame the economy. Blame the pressure we put on ourselves to still shower friends and family with gifts even if we can't afford it.

• Bing: Shopping strategies for Black Friday

So now retailers, worried about potential calamity in their future (not to mention lawsuits), are taking steps to make Black Friday less chaotic.  

If you're one of the millions of Americans stuck on the unemployment treadmill, unable to find a job, you're left with three choices:

• Continue to look for a work, competing with hundreds of folks in similar situations for each opening.
• Go back to school and find a new career with the hope you'll find a gig after you're retrained.
• Relocate to a part of the country where jobs aren't scarce.
  

For most people, the third option is the hardest and scariest choice, but it may be the only option. If your job prospects look slim and are considering moving, blogger Frugal Dad has listed 10 things you should consider before you pack up your U-Haul. 

Celebrity gossip is not a regular feature of this blog, but an US Magazine story about Nicolas Cage's spendthrift ways was too juicy to pass up.

The actor, whose films have grossed more than $3.9 billion worldwide, is in financial ruin. He owes $6 million in back taxes, is suing his former money manager for $20 million, his mansions are in foreclosure and many of his belongings are on the auction block (anyone want to buy a shrunken head?).

What lessons can be gleaned from Cage's free-spending ways? How about:

 

This guest post comes from J. Money at Budgets Are Sexy.

Are you my friend? Family? Are we helping each other out with our finances? If not, you're probably just making me angry. Unfortunately, I can't even say that with a straight face because I'm naturally happy.

Seriously though, I'm all for open discussions on money, but you can't be a jerk and ask someone how much they make just because you feel like it.