Before I go into the Chart of the Day let me just say that even I have decided to cut my own spending. From spending ungodly amounts of money for breakfast sandwiches at Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds every morning, now I only spend a quarter as much at the Supermarket instead.

Best Buy Names New CEO; IBM to Post Strong 2008 Earnings; BHP Cuts 6,000 Jobs; GM Loses Sales Crown to Toyota; Investors Retreat From Hedge Funds; Housing Market Index Hits New Low; Satyam Seeks Funding; Crude Futures Climb

Circuit City was the latest bankruptcy domino to fall last week. Andrew Snyder says more big-name retailers could soon follow. But this is just the economy working as it should. The weak fail and the strong just get stronger. Andrew says the fall of Circuit City is great news for Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), who will become clear market leader once this crisis is over.

Alcoa Cuts 13% of Workforce; Best Buy to Sell Used iPhones; Jobs’ Statement Earns Apple Upgrade; India Exports Slowing Dramatically; Europe Inflation at 2-Year Low; U.S. Still Innovation Leader; Belarus to Secure IMF Aid

Best Buy Profit Falls 77%; Goldman Sachs Posts $2.12 Billion Loss; New Permits and Starts at Record Low; Brazil Retail Rises 10.1%; Berkshire Buys NC Real Estate Brokerage; Crude Slides in Spite of OPEC

Tech stocks are certainly not immune to the global downturn, but when Apple’s (Nasdaq:AAPL) sales decline the sector could be in for a dragged-out recession. Coupled with a surprisingly aggressive downturn in semiconductor sales for next year, it could be 2010-2011 before we see any significant opportunities for investors in anything digital.

Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) is thriving as recession grips the economy. As a cost leader in the retail sector, the company is benefiting from an increase in thrift. And it continues to expand its operations overseas. Horacio Marquez says Wal-Mart should emerge stronger than ever from this crisis, making it an essential part of any stock portfolio.

Dragged down by plunging gasoline prices and an auto industry struggling for survival, retail sales fell by 1.8% in November for a record fifth straight month, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

Cyber Monday was better for online retailers than most expected. But consumers were only interested in heavily-discounted goods. That’s why Andrew Snyder thinks eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) is well placed to turn a profit this Christmas. It not only attracts bargain hunters, but also sellers desperate to raise cash. And better still, it has a balance sheet that most companies dream of these days.

Investors spend so much time thinking about risk and return they often forget to tax-manage their portfolio, says Alexander Green. But it’s easy to control how much you surrender to the IRS… without breaking the law. Alex gives five basic tips for maximizing your total investment returns after taxes.