The Best Tips for Finding Cyber Monday Deals Online
Cyber Monday is one of the biggest online shopping days of the year, with both the shops on the high street and digital storefront offering some of their deepest discounts and best deals. If you want to score big on Cyber Monday, you need a plan to find the top deals and steals. Follow these tips to make the most of your Cyber Monday shopping.
Start Early
While Cyber Monday is officially the last Monday of November, many retailers actually roll out Cyber Monday deals earlier. Begin checking for Cyber Monday sales up to a week ahead of time. Sign up for email newsletters from your favourite stores so you get notified as soon as savings go live. Follow deal sites, check retailer websites and download apps on your mobile to get the jump on early access shopping.
Make a List
Before you start clicking and adding items to your cart, take time to make a list of what you want to buy on Cyber Monday. List out specific items like a iPhone 15 or Galaxy Z Fold 5. Also include general categories like toys, clothing or kitchen appliances where you’re flexible. Having a list will keep you focused amidst all the deals popping up and prevent overspending on impulse buys.
Set Up Alerts
Savvy Cyber Monday shoppers leverage technology to automate deal hunting. On your favourite retailer sites, look for options to set up alert notifications for sales, promo codes and price drops on specific items. Browser add-on tools like Honey can also auto-apply coupon codes at checkout. And apps like ShopSavvy and Shopular scan for discounts and can alert you to price changes.
Bookmark Key Product Pages
To save time once the Cyber Monday frenzy starts, go ahead and bookmark links to the specific product pages you want to buy. Pull up the item pages and save them to a Cyber Monday bookmark folder or directly in your browser bookmarks bar for easy access later. When you’re ready to shop, you’ll have one-click access to those hot deals.
Follow Your Favourite Retailers on Social Media
Turn following your go-to stores on social media from a leisure activity to a strategic step for finding deals. Retailers often post their best Cyber Monday promotions and flash sales on social channels first to build buzz. So check Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest feeds in the days leading up to and during Cyber Monday for exclusive coupon codes and time-sensitive alerts you’ll want to jump on ASAP.
Check Deal Aggregator Sites
Sites like Slickdeals, DealNews and BlackFriday.com aggregate deals across many retailers in one spot so you don’t have to scour the internet yourself. Users also share first-hand tips and intel in forums about the best deals they’ve scored. Check these sites to discover deals and discounts you may not find otherwise. Consider setting up deal alerts on Slickdeals and DealNews too.
Shop with a Cash Back Site
To maximise your Cyber Monday savings, shop via a cash back site like Rakuten, TopCashback, CouponCabin or BeFrugal. These sites partner with retailers to give you a percentage of your purchase amount back when you click through their links to shop. Cashback rates can be up to 20% or more during Cyber Monday. The cash you earn can offset the cost of your purchases or you can request a check or PayPal deposit.
Use Credit Card Rewards
In addition to website cash back, you can get additional savings by using a rewards credit card with bonus categories that align with Cyber Monday purchases. A card that earns extra points at department stores, online shopping portals, wholesale clubs, electronics stores or for online advertising spending would be ideal to use. Check your November or December credit card statements from prior years to identify where you tend to make the most Cyber Monday purchases when deciding which card to use.
Leverage Loyalty Programme Perks
If you belong to any loyalty or rewards programmes with stores that offer Cyber Monday deals, be sure to sign in to reap the benefits. You may have access to special VIP early access promotions. And any points or incremental discounts you earn from the programme will stack on top of Cyber Monday sale prices and online shopping portal cashback making for killer savings.
Look for Coupon Code Stacks
Savvy Cyber Monday shoppers know that discreetly applied coupon codes can slash prices even further. Before checking out, Google search “[retailer] coupon code” and check websites like RetailMeNot to find active codes you can stack with sale prices. Common codes like free shipping or 10% off can deliver huge savings over multiple items. Pro tip: Open your browser in incognito mode so the site doesn’t recognise you already and withhold coupon codes after initial use.
Shop Early Morning or Late Night
It’s no secret that the early bird gets the worm during Cyber Monday. With limited inventory on the hottest deals, items have the chance of selling out later in the day. Set your alarm and be ready to shop your bookmarked links as soon as you wake up. Staying up late to shop can also pay off when retailers refresh promos or restock overnight. Consider making Cyber Monday a late night to maximise the time-sensitive deals.
Always Compare Prices
Before pouncing on a Cyber Monday special that looks good, take a minute to investigate if you can find the product cheaper elsewhere. Copy the item details and paste them into a price comparison site like Google Shopping to quickly scan other retailer offerings. Also check Amazon prices. And if it’s a really hot item, search eBay, Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace because you just may luck upon brand new unopened items discounted by regular folks looking to cash in.
Use Free Store Pickup
To get your Cyber Monday items faster, select free in-store pickup rather than waiting days or even weeks for shipping. Curbside or locker pickup can work well too. Just don’t forget to bring your confirmation email showing the barcode for when you arrive to retrieve your online order. This option also avoids paying shipping costs which is an added perk so long as there is a local store or locker site convenient for you.
Focus on Known Deal Categories
While virtually every category of product gets Cyber Monday deals, some see better discounts than others consistently. Prime suspects include apparel, shoes, beauty, toys, laptops, gaming goods, kitchen appliances, headphones and smart home tech. Maintain a particular focus on these categories in your deal hunting search efforts for higher success rates.
Leverage CashBack & Coupons on Top Sites
To maximise savings on go-to sites, deploy cashback and coupons in tandem with Cyber Monday deals. Cash back through Rakuten compensates you atop any existing discounts. And for coupon codes, try these top ten Cyber Monday coupon code aggregators: Honey, CouponCabin, Wikibuy, Slickdeals, Groupon, RetailMeNot, DealNews, Brad’s Deals, DealCatcher and Coupons.com. Testing codes from multiple sites guards against dead codes and nets maximum coupon clout.
Weigh Future Use Scenarios
With ultra cheap prices causing impulse shopping overload on Cyber Monday, consider how often you’ll realistically use an item in the upcoming months before buying. Will bargain basement fitness gear actually get worn weekly or sit collecting dust? Objectively assess whether that cheap drone you’ll fly a few times justifies the cost versus investing the money. And ponder what items you might need in the future before obsolete technology gets replaced by upgraded versions.
Set a Budget & Payment Plan
Before surfing deals, decide what your overall Cyber Monday budget will be. Break it down across categories like electronics, clothing, home goods, etc. Consider setting even more granular caps on individual marquee items like a smartwatch or appliance. Prepare to make disciplined decisions when choosing between multiple deals fighting for the same budget pounds. Also factor taxes, shipping and payment plan options like PayPal Credit or Affirm where interest accrues if balances aren’t fully paid quickly.
Test Return Policies
While Cyber Monday deals dazzle, don’t assume every purchase will be a winning one once the product actually shows up. Carefully check return policies before buying since standard return windows can be much shorter for Cyber Monday specials - sometimes only 14 days. Confirm whether returns need to be made in-store or can be handled by post. And print return labels in advance in case you need to ship an unsatisfying purchase back quickly to get your money back.
Use Cash Back Sites Again After Cyber Monday
If you don’t exhaust your entire shopping budget, revisit cash back sites after Cyber Monday when retailers expand discounts to more inventory for Cyber Week. Sometimes deeper discounts materialise after the initial Monday frenzy. With cash back doubling down on these post-Monday sales and fewer shoppers competing for inventory, you can land satisfying deals with less hustle.
Stay Safe When Shopping
As with any online shopping experience, stay vigilant about protecting your personal and payment information while deal hunting. Only provide sensitive data at secure checkout points verified by a lock icon in the URL bar and where the web address begins with “HTTPS”. Avoid using public Wi-Fi to shop. Check your credit card app or online account frequently throughout Cyber Monday to confirm you recognise all charges from retailers. Report any unfamiliar charges promptly to your card issuer.
Happy Savings!
Use this comprehensive set of Cyber Monday tips to shape your game plan for scoring the very best online deals. With a strategy around timing, tools, retailer tactics and safe purchasing habits, you can land truly epic savings and get a big head start on holiday shopping. Stay focused and disciplined throughout your deal hunting journeys to lock in tremendous value without regret or overspending. Happy Cyber Monday, and may you snag some crazy impressive bargains!