More signs popped up this week that consumers are spending and feeling better about their finances.

Retail sales popped an unexpected 1.3% in November meaning consumers did their part on Black Friday and over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. And unlike a similar bump October, this spending increase held up even when factoring out auto sales. Then, with spirits rising after an unexpected drop in the unemployment rate, the University of Michigan s preliminary reading on consumer sentiment increased by more than expected, to 73.4 in December up from 67.4 in November.

That s all good. But just because you re feeling more confident about the economy doesn t mean you re ready to throw caution (or discretion) to the wind. So this week, we ve put together a list of ways for you to spend smarter. We ll show you how to choose the right online retailers and get monster deals even those that you thought only came with store credit cards. And we ll point you toward venues to track down some of the hottest toys for less.

We ve done most of the legwork. The egg nog and reindeer sweater are up to you.

Ready, Set, Shop: Online Retailers Tested
SmartMoney columnist James B. Stewart pits Amazon (AMZN), eBay (EBAY) and Wal-Mart (WMT) against one another in a fast-paced, online shopping competition to assess pricing and availability. The results might surprise you.

Holiday Gifts: Worth It/Not Worth It
SmartMoney did the research to help you navigate your holiday spending decisions. Use these head-to-head comparisons between popular products to guide good spending habits.

Store Credit-Card Deals -- Strings Attached
Store-cardholder deals can help you save money, but read the fine print and consider other discounts with similar savings.

Hot Toys for Less
Browse through some of the season s most popular toys here

Coupon Clipper: Beware of Sale Mail
You re email box is probably overflowing with coupons and shopping invitations, but choosing the right deals requires judicious skimming. Here s an assortment of valuable coupons and sales to help you spend smarter.

The New Essentials
Luxury gift-giving has become stigmatized in the recession. (Whether you can afford it or not, you might not want to give someone a Faberg egg this year.) Minimize the flak by giving upscale gifts with some legitimate functionality. Check out SmartMoney s take on netbooks, men s satchels, women s watches, cuff links and folding bicycles. And watch how we came up with our picks in our his and hers video gift guides.

VIDEO: Holiday Countdown: What Are Shoppers Spending?
SmartMoney takes a first-hand look at how the recession is affecting consumers.