How To Get Great Deals On Cyber Monday And Still Stay Within Your Budget

November 27, 2017

Do you have a computer, smart phone or gaming system on your shopping list for this holiday season? If so, you are definitely not alone in the search for deals. Electronics purchases are expensive, and planning can help you get the best deals without busting your budget.

Decide how much you’ll spend

Don’t browse online or in the store to see what looks like a good deal. Make a plan in advance for what you intend to buy and the maximum you plan to spend. Write this on a sticky note and post on your computer, or carry it in your wallet.

Read and compare in advance

Do your research on what you want to buy before you start surfing the deals. Read product reviews in advance, preferably from independent sources like Consumer Reports, Wirecutter and PC Magazine.

Hunt for great deals

Are you looking for an electronic gift for your gadget-loving spouse? Every major media outlet and web portal is running articles about Cyber Monday deals. Check out these articles from Good Housekeeping and CNN for suggestions on saving big bucks. Try retail coupon aggregators like RetailMeNot and search your favorite sites like Amazon, Target and Best Buy.

Shop safely

Consumers made 2016 Cyber Monday the biggest online shopping day in history, a trend which is expected to continue in 2017. Inevitably, that kind of sales volume also comes with fraud and identity theft. Here’s how to protect yourself:

  • Shop online on reputable sites. Don’t shop from a site you reach by clicking on a link. Search for it independently, and make sure it’s a name you recognize.  Shop from home or the office – never on public wifi. Only enter your credit card info on websites that are secure — look for the lock icon in the address bar of your browser. If it’s not there, it’s not secure and your information could be at risk.
  • Pay with a credit card. For an expensive electronics purchase, it’s generally better to pay with a credit card, in case you have to challenge a vendor charge where the goods weren’t delivered. Debit cards don’t usually have the same fraud protection – and you’ll be out the cash immediately while you try and resolve the problem. Some cards also offer limited purchase protection. We used that one year when my son tripped and cracked his Nintendo 3 DS within minutes of opening his present.
  • Think before you download that app. Read this MarketWatch article about how to protect yourself from phony or malicious apps. Research from Risk IQ found that 1 in 25 shopping apps for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend were unsafe to use. Consider bypassing the app and shopping from your laptop or browser on your phone.

Visit a real store

Call me crazy, but there’s still something to be said for actually going to the store. It may be crowded – but it might be less crowded than you think given how much everyone is shopping online these days. I’ve found that most physical locations will match any online deals, and you won’t have to wait (or pay) for shipping. Now that’s a good deal!

 

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