7 Tips to Get You Through Cyber Monday

It’s almost that time again folks. That special time of year when people forget their moral upbringing and turn into rabid beasts that would sooner mow down a small child than miss out on that instant pot at the local Target.

If you are one of the brave people that would be willing to risk life and limb in pursuit of that perfect Black Friday unicorn find then more power to you. As for me, I prefer to do my monetary damage in the comfort of my own home, away from judgmental eyes.

Having said that, shopping online during one of the busiest times of the year can be rather overwhelming if you don’t have a plan. These 7 tips will be your guide to getting through Cyber Monday without an anxiety attack.

HAVE A BUDGET 

I cannot stress this enough. Trust me, I know what it’s like to fall down the black hole that is online shopping. And sales seem to bring out the generosity in everyone. I mean can we really pass up that buy-one-get-one-free rolling pin set for Aunt Susan? No we haven’t seen her in 3 years but she may come down for Christmas this time. And before you know it, you’ve spent all your money and your bills aren’t paid yet. Having a set budget keeps you in line and prevents any off the rails spending.

MAKE A LIST

Always prepare a list of all the people you will be shopping for and what you plan to get them. This list can change over time which is why it’s so important to start it early on. Keep the list handy and always keep a few backup choices just in case something goes out of stock.

SAVE UPDATE/PAYMENT & SHIPPING INFO

Chances are you already have this info saved in your trusted shopping sites but you still should check to make sure everything is updated and saved. Sites can get overloaded and things can sell out quickly. You don’t want to miss out because you were busy digging for your credit card or adding the new shipping address for your freight forwarder. 

ADD TO CART / FAVOURITES

Save time by adding all of your items to your carts in advance so you’re not scrambling to find them all on the day of. Some sites have carts that can expire after a while, in those instances just save the items to your favourites or wish list. That way all you have to do is move everything to your cart when the times comes.

PRE-SALE / POST-SALE DISCOUNTS

Sites are now offering sales before and after Black Friday/Cyber Monday. This is a good time to take advantage of the discounts without having to worry about getting caught up in the day of sales. Be sure to subscribe to your favourite stores’ email lists because the subscribers are usually the first to be notified for the good stuff. 

EBATES

Ok so this is probably one of my fave things about shopping online because Ebates basically PAYS you to shop. For every order you place, you get a certain percentage back on select sites. It’s so easy to use too. Just sign up for a free Ebates account and then all you have to do is click on the Ebates button that appears on select sites and it will trigger your cash back. It’s a good idea to also download the Ebates extension button for Google Chrome, that way Ebates will notify you if the site you are visiting is eligible for cash back. Very efficient. You can also get cash back for friend referrals. And for all the money you’re spending, a little cash back is pretty sweet. 

HONEY

Honey is a new feature I’ve been using and so far it’s been really great. It’s essentially a free browser extension much like Ebates. It automatically finds and applies coupon codes at checkout for over 30,000 shopping sites, which saves you the trouble of searching for coupon codes yourself. Talk about a time saver! No more combing through Retail Me Not or Groupon hoping to find a code that still works so you can get the most out of your dollar. Honey can also notify you when an item you’re watching drops in price. 

So there you have it, all the goods you need to crush this Cyber Monday. Do you have some sweet shopping tips? If so, share please! I’m always looking for ways to amp up my online game!

XO Kris