This chart from BigResearch shows that less people are totally panicked about the economy (good) for this Black Friday, however the individuals are spending less (bad for the economy, good for the individuals). Overall, this is actually a good sign. This generally goes along with the idea that people are saving more than they ever have in the past (or perhaps, the lack of consumer credit is forcing them to spend less?). Now if we can only get our government to have the same fiscal discipline..
