Making the most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping deals might not always be an easy task, It’s the biggest shopping season of them all, and you really need to do your homework so you can score some great deals that you might not find the rest of the year. Firstly, you obviously need to do the shopping list for each special day. Also know exactly how much you want to spend for each item you want to buy. Here some tips to prepare for the best money-saving feats you may accomplish all year.
Creating list of items you want to buy along with the budget to set up a dollar amount you are willing to spend, are basically two general must-tips for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, a successful weekend of shopping is all about planning. Learn “Black Friday 2014 : Five Super Easy Key Tips Before Shopping” for easy shopping tips and tricks on Black Friday. And see more shopping guide below to get the most out of Cyber Monday.
1. What is Cyber Monday?
Before the internet, there was only Black Friday. Generally speaking, Black Friday is held up as the ultimate shopping day, but Thanksgiving actually offers more awesome deals. Of course, there are great sales to be found throughout the Black Friday season, with Cyber Monday deals adding their fair share of savings to the mix. And unlike Black Friday, these discounts on Cyber Monday can only be found online, and has quickly become a holiday shopper’s favorite time of year, especially for those who don’t want to brave the crowds or cold on Friday.
2. Which best to get the most of shopping deals, Friday or Monday?
Basically, Black Friday usually offers interesting discounts, but some items will easily sell out, while Cyber Monday could give deeper discounts than Friday. So, if you have your heart set on something on your shopping list and it goes on crazy sale at Black Friday, go for it and buy quickly. But if you don’t have particular item to buy and your shopping list in general are flexible, but wish for the deepest discounts, wait until Monday.
3. How to compare Friday and Monday deals
Make sure you have your shopping list. Use the internet for the comparison between those two. Take a look at “Thanksgiving vs. Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday: What to Buy Each Day” by DealNews to see which days are the best for each product category.
Find the Best Cyber Monday Deals
Much easier and more convenient, you’ll always be ready to fire up your computer for the Cyber Monday. Here are a few things you need to know before your fingers shop until they drop.
1. Shop early
Like Black Friday, the early bird gets the worm for Cyber Monday too. While the majority of the deals pop-up on Monday, numerous web sites start posting specials at midnight. So if you are awake at midnight, grab your shopping list, a cup of coffee, and start shopping!
2. Do comparisons between merchants and prices
Unlike Black Friday sales, when retailers may take a loss on some products to lure shoppers into stores, Cyber Monday prices aren’t likely to be rock-bottom. Make sure you’re getting best bargain. Not only should you do a quick price comparison at least a week before Cyber Monday – you could search the product into a shopping search engine such as PriceGrabber.com to compare prices – you should also know each site’s shipping policy.
Obviously, free shipping is the goal. To get a handle on which sites don’t charge, see freeshipping.org. Another money saver is finding stores that have “ship-to-store” service – here you can have your order, specify which store you want it sent to, and pick it up at your convenience, without a shipping fee. However, avoid getting caught up with any offer with “free shipping” service for item you don’t really want to buy.
3. Don’t skip promotional codes
Check coupon deals or search for promotional codes you can use at checkout. Whether you participate in Groupon or receive special offers from your favorite retailers gather your coupons the night before Cyber Monday. Or you can check out CyberMonday.com or CyberMonday2014.com for coupons, free shipping, and free gifts for more than 800 online retailers.
Or you can also try RetailMeNot.com and Currentcodes.com Or, do a Google search for the name of the site you’re buying from and the words “promotion code.” Be sure you read the fine print, as some merchants may exclude use on certain days like Cyber Monday.
4. Know what’s worth buying on Cyber Monday
Because some product is typically a better deal than others, find the best items to shop for on Cyber Monday, for example electronics, appliances, toys, travel, or some fashion and beauty products. But also pay attention to “hidden” additional costs such as taxes and handling expenses.
5. Don’t test drive a new vendor with no track record
The holidays are prime time for identity theft. Since you will be transmitting your personal financial information to the vendor through the site, watch out for scammers that might send you an e-mail and take you to a site where you’re asked to enter personal information such as your social security number or a credit card number. Look for seals like the yellow padlock symbol or “Verified by Visa.” Also, examine the URL address in the browser bar. A secure URL starts with https (s for secure) and not simply http. Avoid weird, unfamiliar or gimmicky sites. Stick to the merchants you know so you can trust that your item will arrive on time.
6. Keep all receipts from purchases
Just like Black Friday, having a receipt is also very important, because no receipt often means no return. It’s even more important for Cyber Monday if in case anything goes wrong, such as the item not turning up, the item turning up damaged, the item not being what you ordered or it just isn’t what you want. Take a screenshot copy and keep the email copy. You’ll need these receipts as proof of purchase. It is also a good idea to check out the return terms and conditions, as well as shipping coverage for returned items.