It’s the day after Thanksgiving in the US, and that means one thing, shopping! The Friday after Thanksgiving has been dubbed Black Friday. The day marks the official opening of Christmas season shopping for many customers. This is mainly due to a large portion of the population having the day off for shopping and relaxing after the large Thanksgiving meal. Many stores offer incentives for customers to come to their stores. These doorbusters offer low prices on many of the perfect Christmas gifts, like flat screen TVs, camcorders, toys, and clothing.

To save money, many people like to venture out on the morning after Thanksgiving and wait in line to pick up an amazing deal. The flyers and ads have been bombarding the neighborhoods days before Black Friday. Those consumers are not alone. The Christmas holiday definitely beats out other holidays when it comes to going off budget and spending more than we earn. Going on huge deal days like Black Friday can definitely help keep money in your pocket, but be sure to go with at least some sense of purpose; make a list of stores with the items you want to buy. If the store doesn’t have it in stock, then go to the next one on the list. This way you won’t be making impulsive purchases.

Black Friday got its name in 1960s Philadelphia, where store owners referred to the increase in traffic. Most know the name as a euphemism for retailers going into the black for the first time in the fiscal year. Although Black Friday is not the biggest shopping day of the year, it is definitely in the top five. Many choose to stay home rather than fare the crowds and crazy deals.

Black Friday has also moved online in recent years. Many may have noticed that their favorite online retailers offer amazing deals all through their online storefront. This makes it possible for those without the desire to brave the crowds to do a little bargain hunting from the comforts of their home. Why not save a little money from your desktop PC, if you haven’t gone out for the day?

Most of the time we venture off budget not at home but in stores. What better way to stay on budget while on the go than with a mobile application. You don’t have to own an iPhone to enjoy on-the-go budgeting too, but just a regular cell phone or handheld device.

Do you own a Pocket PC running Windows Mobile? You could download the Budget Diary freeware to keep track of your expenditures. To stay on budget you could also look at the Shop Man or Due Man projects as well. They’re freeware, so don’t expect a whole lot of support, but if they do what you need…

If you have a cell phone and an internet connection at home, then you’ve got enough tools to use the free financial software from Mint.com. The software gives you accessible budgeting tools that can help you keep pace with an active lifestyle. Not only that but they offer a SMS balance checking service. Users simply text Bal or Balance to MyMint (696468) and they’ll receive an automated reply with their checking or savings balance. How cool is that?

The innovations from free services like Mint.com make it so easy to start up a budget and stick to it. Like most financial software, you can see where your money has gone for the month and set goals for future spending. Those new to budgeting may try to do too much at once. The Mint.com budget helps set realistic goals based on where others traditionally overspend, and on your own patterns.

The iPhone should have some good options from these online developers soon. The Mint.coms, ChaChings, and other web developers will likely make the iPhone their next target. With SMS, Pocket PC, and mobile phone uses, the budget software of tomorrow just made it that much easier to keep track of finances.