Manilla’s 10 Cyber Monday Shopping Tips
Open your wallets, shoppers — Cyber Monday is here.
Cyber Monday is the Monday after Black Friday, which is the Friday after Thanksgiving. Since its debut in 2005, Cyber Monday has become one of the biggest online shopping days of the year, and most online retailers prepare by offering a wide range of deals and sales.
This year, Cyber Monday is on Monday, Dec. 2. Check out Manilla’s top 10 tips for making the most of your Cyber Monday shopping.
1. Do your research. Before you wake up for the big day, do online research and make a list of the online retailers that are having sales. Then, compare it to your holiday shopping list to see if you’ll be able to cross off important gifts. For example, if a new electronic is on your shopping list for a friend or family member, you won’t want to miss Best Buy’s Cyber Monday deals this year.
2. Sign up for newsletters. If you already know you want to shop on a particular site, sign up for the retailer’s newsletter so you can stay up to date on its Cyber Monday deals.
3. Use Manilla to stick to your spending budget. We’ve already mentioned how you can use Manilla to create your budget. Now use Manilla to stick to it when you’re doing your Cyber Monday shopping. Track your spending, check your balances, and save money by avoiding late fees — all with Manilla.com or the 4+ star customer-rated mobile apps for the iPhone and Android.
4. Utilize your social networks. If you’re not following your favorite brands and retailers on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, start now. They’ll often list their latest deals and discounts on those social platforms.
5. Find promo codes. There are tons of third-party sites that list all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Start by checking out currentcodes.com and retailmenot.com, two great sites that are dedicated to providing coupon codes for consumers.
6. Do an easy price comparison. Use a site like pricegrabber.com to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible. Only when you know you’re getting the best deal should you make the purchase.
7. Wake up early. When it comes to Cyber Monday, the early bird gets the worm. Set your alarm so you can take advantage of the best deals before the merchandise sells out. (Some sales start as early as midnight on Sunday night, so follow tip No. 1 and do your research before Monday rolls around.)
8. Make secure purchases. Only use sites that you know you can trust. To make sure you’re using a secure website, check to see that the URL for the page begins with “https://” instead of “http://,” according to the Better Business Bureau.
9. Pay with credit cards. Use credit cards, as opposed to a wire transfer or non-credit-card payment method, to make your purchases. It’s the easiest way to pay and it allows you to dispute any fraudulent charges, should they arise.
10. Find free shipping. There are tons of Cyber Monday free shipping deals out there. And, sites like Amazon.com offer free shipping all the time. Avoid shelling out extra cash for shipping by checking to see which sites are offering it for free.
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