South Florida shoppers came out to spend on Black Friday, but most stuck to a list and a budget as the struggling economy left people hunting for deals this holiday season.

From Wal-Mart in North Miami Beach to Kohl's in Hollywood and Toys R Us in West Miami-Dade, the crowds were steady but not overwhelming.

''The mortgage has to come first -- so the kids are getting less,'' said Debbie Collins, a former North Miami resident visiting from Jacksonville for the holidays and shopping with her mom at KB Toys in Aventura Mall.

In South Florida, the biggest action was at Sawgrass Mills, where well over 30,000 shoppers jammed the mall for the midnight sale, filling every parking spot within a half-hour after the opening.

''That's the reason we're here tonight -- because there's not enough money to go shopping this year,'' said Pedro Franco, 21, a Pembroke Pines resident who came with his dad, Luiz Franco, hoping to get a laptop computer for his sister.

Instead of buying gifts for every member of the extended family, this year the Francos all drew names and are buying for one person.

''My business is down more than 50 percent,'' said Luiz Franco, who owns a home inspection company. ``We have to cut back.''

Similar scenes played out across the country Friday: Nationwide, retailers said they were encouraged by Friday's turnouts even as they braced for what could be one the worst holiday seasons in more than a decade.

OPTIMISTIC START

Preliminary reports on Friday from major retailers including Macy's, KB Toys, Best Buy, Toys R Us and mall operators such as Taubman Centers said the crowds were at least as large as last year's. Meanwhile, Wall Street climbed again Friday, wrapping up its biggest five-day rally in more than 75 years. Some retail stocks rose Friday -- Macy's added 5.6 percent -- though some discounters, like Wal-Mart, slipped.

It's too early, however, to draw any conclusions about what that means for the season, said Scott Krugman, National Retail Federation spokesman.

''You want to see things start out strong out of the gate,'' Krugman said. ``Now it's about how do you sustain the momentum.''

Just before 5 a.m. Friday, hundreds queued up outside the Wal-Mart on Northeast 163rd Street. Once inside, as many people gathered around sales for items like kids' pajamas as the traditional electronics doorbusters.

Winter Ramos got in line at 4 a.m. and was still able to buy a 32-inch TV on sale for $388.

At Kohl's department store in Kendall, where doors opened at 4 a.m., Liliam Hurtado was hunting for just one item: a piano keyboard for her friend's 9-year-old daughter, Leilanis Rondon.

''I love to buy, so I have to be careful this year,'' said Hurtado, a Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department employee, who set herself a $200 budget. She's also concerned because her husband José lost his overtime hours as a truck driver for Everglades Lumber.

'He's the one who's telling me, `Don't spend the money,' '' she said.

Catherine Lopez was sticking to a budget at Aventura Mall because she's worried she could lose her job in upcoming layoffs at Washington Mutual. Her mother Madeline Roman, visiting from Puerto Rico, is also for the first time keeping track of how much she spends.

''You just can't go and buy things without thinking,'' Roman said.

For shoppers in a spending mood Friday, there were no shortage of deals. Kohl's, marking its first holiday season in South Florida, offered 300 early bird specials with discounts of between 50 percent and 70 percent off.

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