If you’ve ever braved the crowds on Black Friday, you’re a true consumer warrior! Lucky for all of us shoppers out there, businesses have adopted a habit of offering Cyber Monday deals online on Black Friday too, often preventing the requirement of entering any brick and mortar on this epic shopping weekend.
Keep in mind, it’s not unusual for businesses to move their Black Friday sales to their online website in recent years. Some have even extended Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts to last longer than just the singular days! You might be surprised at how stress-free shopping will be without the chaos that comes with going to an in-person store. Shop from the comfort of your own home this year!
If you’re looking for tips and tricks to get the most out of Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, read on for some of our top suggestions!
Set Up Price Alerts
If you’re in the market for a big-ticket item like a television or a laptop, set up price alerts on your computer with a service like Honey to let you know when prices increase or decrease. That way, you won’t have to spend your entire day monitoring different sites and trying to find the lowest price amongst them all.
Sign Up For Emails
Retailers love to send out promotional emails announcing their best deals, so to make sure you don’t miss any of them, sign up to receive emails from all your favorite stores and businesses before Black Friday comes around!
Pro tip: This is the best time of year to shop on Zazzle. Find the best deals on our coupons page or our Black Friday & Cyber Monday page.
Use Cash-Back Apps
What’s even better than getting a great deal? Getting some extra cashback on that great deal! Sign up for a service like Rakuten (formerly Ebates) before Black Friday and be sure to see if any of the stores you are shopping at will offer you extra cashback when you purchase. It might not be much, but if you continue to use services like Rakuten all year long, you’ll have a little extra in your pocket for next holiday season!
Be Cautious Where You Use Your Credit Card
Most of us are shopping at big box stores for gifts, but if you’re shopping at a lesser-known online store, it might be in your best interest to use PayPal for your purchase. PayPal enables you to store your credit or debit card information on their secure site, rather than processing your payment through the questionable payment processor that an online business might have in place. If you’re shopping at a small business in person, you could also consider using Venmo to pay the retailer, rather than using a credit or debit card. Venmo is actually owned by PayPal but is a bit easier to use with its super convenient app. Nothing will ruin the Christmas season more than having your identity stolen by way of a not so secure website or business!
Keep an Eye Out for Stocking Stuffers
Sometimes we don’t put specific stocking stuffers on our list, but when shopping, you can stumble on great possibilities! Be sure to look for gifts that are small in size that would fit well in a stocking. Want to gift something extra unique? Have a look at our ideas for unique Christmas stocking ideas for everyone on your list!
Don’t Forget to Shop For Your Christmas Parties
When shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you certainly want to get gifts for everyone on your list, but you shouldn’t forget about Christmas parties that require gifts! If you’re attending an ever-popular white elephant Christmas party, be sure to purchase a fun and unusual gift along with the others.
Pro tip: Stumped on what to bring to your white elephant party this year? Have a look at our funny white elephant gift ideas!
Thanks to a growing consumer market, there are endless ways to save money on your holiday gifts when you shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While there are still a lot of great deals that happen in-stores, there are just as many, if not more, deals that happen on your very own computer! Save more money while you cross everyone off your list with these tips for how to get the most out of your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping!
Share in the comments how you plan on securing the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals this year!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Erika focuses on email marketing, copywriting and merchandising at Zazzle, but she has a secret obsession with all things wedding! During the week you can find her writing punny subject lines while also pinning the latest wedding trends, and outside of the 9-5, she is usually cheering on the San Jose Sharks, reading a good murder mystery, or hunting for the best Philly Cheesesteak in the Bay Area.
