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Internet Deals: The Ultimate How-To Guide for Shopping on Cyber Monday

Another year has passed, and Cyber Monday is once again upon us. Are you ready to latch on to some last-minute deals that will be the difference maker for a successful holiday season? Well here is a guide to get you started. 

How do you go about shopping on Cyber Monday and avoiding the traps and woes of the internet. Not everything that looks like a great deal really is one. You will have to weave through endless websites full of junk and off brand items to find that one true diamond in the rough. Cyber Monday is the first Monday after the Thanksgiving weekend, and is the second biggest shopping day of the year.

Here is the ultimate how-to guide to make Cyber Monday your bitch and come out looking like a shopping God!

1. Don't Buy Things You Don't Need and DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!

There are items out there that aren't really marked down at all, on the contrary, they are actually marked up so that they can be marked down for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Do you believe that? It doesn't matter what you believe, cause it is true. A lot of the sale items are low quality gizmos and junk inventory that shops are just trying to clear out, but to the keen eye, there are some steals out there. Don't be afraid to say no and walk away, because the goal to shopping on these holidays is to finish with a lot of money still in your pockets.

Amazon is one of the few stores trying to be proactive about these shopping days and offering a weeks worth of deals. One thing to note though, not all of these deals are that great. shop around. The best thing about the internet is that you have time. Their complete Black Friday page can be found here

Amazon is not the only store doing this. Best Buy and Newegg, and many others are following this trend. The savings might not be as great as waiting in line on Black Friday, but at least you don't have to wait in line.

Avoid Lines by Avoiding Stores

This is the best thing about Cyber Monday, you are not waiting in line. Why fight crowds, bad attitudes, and hours of camping out in line to get one item? Shopping on Cyber Monday allows you to avoid all of that. Lines can be brutal, and I was out on Black Friday the past few years, and it appears that Cyber Monday is quickly becoming the day of the year to shop on. Crowds are getting smaller, and with dwindling lines come dwindling deals. 

The second reason to not go to stores, is to avoid overspending. You will not be tempted to grab-and-go too many items, getting home and then going through buyers remorse. Remember, stores are full of items that aren't great deals, and just being there puts you within range of getting ripped off. This may come as a surprise to you, but most stores have the same deals available on-line that they are offering in the store. They sometimes offer free shipping as well.

Don't Go In Cold!!

Make a list for the items that you are scoping out, so that way as you find better deals you can narrow down your searches. I'm not just talking about in the run up to the Holiday, but all year long. A list will keep the items fresh in your mind and will help you sort out big ticket items that you may be reluctant to pay full price for. It has been proven that if you make a list you are more likely to buy what you sought out to get, unwilling to buckle from your first choice. Case in point, nobody would be happy going out to get an XBOX One, only to come home with a Nintendo Wii.

Compare, Compare, Compare!

Shop around, it's ok. Nobody will judge you for being safe. If someone is telling you that they have the best deal in town, don't take their word for it. Shop around! Compare prices to make sure that you really are getting the best deal available. There are some on-line apps that will assist you in your shopping endeavor.

Invisible Hand is a browser add-on that seeks out better deals on-line for items that you are shopping for. They even have an iOS app.

Amazon has a price scan option that will let you know when items go on sale better than the price that you are currently getting. 

Red Laser is one of my go-to iOS apps for shopping. This is a must-have for serious shoppers.

Google Shopping is a great well-rounded option for those that don't want to download anything. It will give you multiple real-time prices for the item that you are searching for.

Drifting Prices

Earlier, I talked about drifting prices. This is a tendency of stores to raise prices of items come Holiday season so that the sales they will be offering will look bigger. The previously mentioned apps and sites only search current prices, but if you use a tool like CamelCamelCamel, then you will find out which items are having this price swings. This may be something that only serious shoppers will look at, but it can be an effective tool to thwart ripoffs.

Another way that you can compare prices and get ahead of the deal game is to sign up for store and sites emails. I know that these tend to be a burden to ones inbox, but you can send them to your spam folder after you are done shopping. Coupons received through emails are handing out some of the best deals this season.

I hope that this guide will help you tackle Cyber Monday like a pro and will yield you amazing savings. Happy Holidays, and good luck with all of your shopping! Now get out there and get searching!

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