If you’re like me, and not able to get into the crazed-crack- of-dawn-shopping of Black Friday, you may be interested in Black Friday’s far more attractive sister, Cyber Monday. There are obvious pros and cons to shopping for holiday sales on Cyber Monday, but for me, sitting at a computer placing orders beats a line in the dark at Best Buy anyday.
Tips for Cyber Monday Deals
Have your shopping list ready. It’s easier to take advantage of great deals if you have an idea what you’re actually looking for.
Visit Cyber Monday sites in advance to find out where the best deals are on what you’re looking for. www.cybermonday.com has every category of shopping from Baby Gear to Apparel to Auto.
Make sure everything is plugged in and charged up. You don’t want to worry about losing your internet connection or your computer shutting down in the middle of the the deal of the century.
Have your debit/credit card ready. You’ll waste precious shopping time if you have to dig through your purse for half an hour to find your card. Make sure everything is current and on hand.
Shop from a location with a printer. It’s a good idea to print out any statements or information regarding any online purchases. Sometimes there is warranty information as well that you may need, so have a fully operating printer with ink available. Sometimes your only receipt will be that page the page that details what you have purchased from the site. It’s also a good idea to note on the slip any company information such as customer service phone number and address, just to have it all together.
Shop with friends. Just because it’s online it doesn’t mean it has to be a lonely ordeal. If you can, gather family and friends and place orders together. A lot of sites will be offering free shipping, but if they aren’t, you can always split the cost of shipping with someone else. If you are a part of the 59% of Cyber Monday shoppers that are using your work computer, ask around the office and see if someone else is ordering anything from the same site.
Take advantage of the “ship to” space. There isn’t anything more convenient than shopping online if you’re shopping for people in other places. It not only saves the trip to the post office, it saves time packaging and sometimes wrapping as well. Speaking of wrapping, this is another perk to look for when shopping on Cyber Monday. Many sites will offer wrapped gifts as well as to and from tags. This is actaully a life saver as well as a time saver for someone like myself that isn’t great at wrapping in the first place.
The best deals on Cyber Monday are in jewelry, consumer electronics, books, movies, video games and home decor. Shopping for things like clothing and shoes can be a pain in the neck and potentially more work if returns and exchanges are factored in. Unless you’re shopping for clothing for your own children, I would save the clothes and shoes shopping for actual trips to the store. There will also be great deals on gourmet foods, coffees and teas and gift baskets, which are all great gifts if you need to ship something.
Whatever you do, never send personal information via email. If you receive a request for your Social Security Number, credit card information or any other personal information contact the store directly via the telephone.
What are your tips for Cyber Monday? Have a good time, and good luck on great deals! (Let me know what you find…)