Cyber Monday 2017 Drawing Tablet

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Bargain hunters still eagerly anticipate Black Friday—the day after Thanksgiving—to score holiday shopping deals. But recently Cyber Monday—the Monday after Thanksgiving—has become its own shopping haven. Last year consumers spent $846 million online on Cyber Monday, according to comScore.com. If you want to avoid the crowds (and sleep off your turkey hangover) shopping on the Web is the way to go. Read on to maximize your online deals.

1. Know what you're looking for. Before you do anything, make your gift list and decide what you're going to buy. That way when you go online you have an idea of what you're looking for, instead of haphazardly searching the Web.

2. Sign up for deals ahead of time. "Before Cyber Monday, go to your favorite e-retailers and sign up to be on their e-mail list, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page," says Michelle Madhok, founder of the fashion blog SheFinds.com. "Stores often send alerts with coupon codes and special deals, which can give you a serious leg up on Cyber Monday," she says.

3. Shop at midnight. "I advise shoppers to be online at midnight on Cyber Monday (Black Friday, too) to get the best selection, since many retailers set up their sales to begin then. This is especially important if you've set your sights on a certain item," says Madhok. You can also call the store's customer service number in advance and ask when their sale will start. Remember, just like in stores, online sale items can run out. If you really want something and it's a hot item, act fast.

4. Search for the best deal. Go to your favorite search engine, whether it's Google, Yahoo, or one of the shopping sites like bizrate.com or ProntoStyle.com. Put in as much information about the item you're looking for (brand, color, etc.), then compare the places and prices that come up. "Oftentimes you can comparison-shop and find the best deal right from your search," says Hillary Mendelsohn, author of Thepurplebook: The Definitive Guide to Exceptional Online Shopping. "You can also go onto CyberMonday.com, the National Retail Federation's online site that announces all of their members' Cyber Monday deals, or go to the Cyber Monday page at Dealworker.com or FlamingoWorld.com."

5. Add in a coupon. After you find the best price, visit a coupon site like RetailMeNot.com, Dealio.com or Bargainist.com to see if any of the retailers are offering coupons on the items you want to buy. If you can't find a coupon, Mendelsohn suggests calling the store's customer service number to ask if there are any extra holiday discounts you don't know about. "About 50% of the time they'll give you a coupon code," she says.

6. Look for incentives. Before you buy, see if the item is being offered with any additional accessories or discounts toward other items. "Often electronics will be sold online with added value, like a game console with bonus games," says Mendelsohn. Adds Madhok, "sites like Sephora.com and FragranceNet.com are great about giving goodies with purchases, like trial-size products that you won't get in-store."

7. Get free shipping. Check the retailer's site to see if they're offering free shipping, or go to FreeShipping.org. If the store isn't offering free shipping, e-mail the customer service department and tell them you want to buy from them but don't want to pay the shipping cost. "A lot of times all you have to do is ask," says Mendelsohn.

8. Shop though a site that gives cash back. Some retail sites now reward customers with cash back or points toward merchandise when you buy items through their site. Three to try: MyPoints.com, FatWallet.com and BankofAmerica.com/AddItUp. You may as well make money while you shop.

9. Consider layaway for your purchases. You know you can use layaway in-store, but did you know you can use it online too? eLayaway.com offers layaway for shoppers who agree to pay a fee of 1.9 percent of their purchases. "They automatically deduct your payments from your bank account on the dates you set on the payment calculator. As soon as all of your payments are made in full, the merchant will ship your order to your door," says WD Your Money columnist Mary Hunt. Check the site to see a list of the 1,000 participating online merchants.

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Cyber Monday 2017 Drawing Tablet

Source: https://www.womansday.com/life/work-money/tips/a4324/score-the-best-deals-on-cyber-monday-100661/

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