On Thanksgiving, many of us give thanks. On Black Friday, retailers give thanks. Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year; and many stores open before dawn and remain open late into the night to capitalize on the holiday. For the past two years, the economic downturn has hurt Black Friday sales. We're checking in with a few of our listeners to see whether they're super shoppers or shopping cynics.

With only two days until Christmas, holiday shopping has reached a fever pitch. New York Times business and finance reporter Louise Story says a new trend is sweeping holiday giving this year: customized gifts. Whether itss designing the shoes you buy for your daughter or having your old family recipes printed as a cookbook, retailers are betting that consumers will pay extra for that personalized touch. But Joel Waldfogel isn't sure. Waldfogel is the Ehrenkranz Family Professor in the Department of Business and Public Policy at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He's also the author of "Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays." Waldfogel says we should put an end to buying gifts for certain kinds of friends and family: those we don't see often or know very well. His research shows that far-flung friends and family often won't enjoy your gift as much as things they simply buy for themselves.

Wall Street's free fall is hitting Main Street hard. And the credit crunch's vice-like grip could spell disaster for small companies. For a look at how businesses are getting by, and which ones are flourishing, The Takeaway turns to Alex Vantarakis. He arranges finances for those who want to buy and sell small businesses.

Wall Street's latest free fall is hitting Main Street hard. The credit crunch, compounded by high unemployment rates and low consumer confidence, is making it hard for small business to stay afloat. And Congress' failure to pass the $700 billion bailout bill has only made these problems more urgent.

For a look at how the turmoil on Wall Street is hitting Main Street, The Takeaway talks to Jim Svets, whose small coffee house franchise "Muddy Cup" has several shops on Main Streets throughout upstate New York. From rising food prices to his own credit line, he's experiencing the economy's downward spiral first-hand. Also, David Kotok adds perspective. He's a chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors.

In the world of fashion, you get what you pay for, and that’s exactly the point Britain’s House of Lords has taken issue with. Clothing chains like H and M, or Forever 21 epitomize this trend of “Fast Fashion”- where it’s in one day and out the next. Does this simply foster a culture of irresponsible waste- or is this what being “fashion forward” means in the year 2008. The Takeaway talks to their own personal shopper of sorts, The Takeaway contributor Mary Elizabeth Williams.

Are you a brand-loyal consumer? Are you a cookie-eater? If so, you may have noticed a void at the supermarket these past five years. The crème-filled Hydrox cookie disappeared from shelves in 2003, but, with a huge marketing push, is being revived by the Kellogg Company at stores this week—sans trans fat. Which brands would you bring back?

Guest: Mark Bittman, The New York Times

The downturn in the economy is changing the music business. New bands can't afford to tour, and the ones that do spend more on gas than they do on hotel rooms. The Takeaway's resident musician, Jack “The Martini Cowboy” Grace, sings the blues about the highs and lows of touring when times are tough.

Happy Birthday, Big Mac. The McDonald’s signature burger turns 40 this year and the company has asked MySpace users for their own take on the iconic song. The Takeaway talks about the different ways you can sing two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun. Also online, view video of classic food jingles.

McDonald's is asking MySpace users to create a new jingle for its signature Big Mac sandwich. Will the new tune find a place among these classics?

And why is there still a quarter-mile line zigzagging around the mall? A telephone? Right, right... GPS... music... really fast Internet. Sexy. But plans don't come with a great mortgage rate. They don’t come with free gas either. So maybe my homeboy Phil Gramm was on to something with his "mental recession" assessment.

Is there such a thing as recession-proof stuff? If we’re all being tight with our wallets, then why, in this time of economic turmoil, are certain industries thriving? The Takeaway turns to Columbia business professor Cheryl Einhorn then goes to Stockton, Calif., (dubbed “the foreclosure capital” by 60 Minutes), where sometimes a bad turn can mean good business — for pawn shops.

Friday marks the fifth anniversary of a law responsible for recovering some peace and quiet in your life: The National Do Not Call Registry. The Takeaway listens to what we've been missing.