Cyber Monday 101

Shopping time is upon us and the deals are starting to come in. But if you are an avid online shopper like me then you must be waiting for the almighty Cyber Monday (Nov. 30th). 

Scoring big on Cyber Monday means starting early — and I don't just mean logging online at midnight. Here's a 101 to help you prepare for the online-shopping event of the year.

Before Cyber Monday

Set up an account before hand to expedite check out, so that you'll be ready to go on Monday morning. Check out CyberMonday.com for coupons, free shipping, and free gifts for more than 800 online retailers. CyberMonday.com is your one-stop shop for the best Cyber Monday promotions. Remember to read the return policy before finalizing your purchase. And be on the lookout for hourly specials all day on Nov. 30.

Retailers start to release their Cyber Monday ads earlier each year. Use all that extra lead time to your advantage. Figure out which stores will have the best deal on the products you're after, and when their sale starts, so you'll be ready to pounce as soon as deals go live.

Want to be alerted of the deals the site is featuring? CyberMonday.com will send you emails about the best CyberMonday.com money saving deals from the most popular stores of the season. Just enter your email address at the bottom of the website and click ‘Submit’, it’s that easy. Few of the deals that I grabbed were from DvF, where you get $50 off for every $250 spent, or Neiman Marcus, where they have 25% off all cashmere, and last but not the least Saks 5th OFF is offering Free Shipping on all order over $99. 

On Cyber Monday

Wake up early (or stay up late). Internet inventories are not endless, and the best deals will go fast. In addition to hundreds of special offers, some of which will be exclusive promotions available only on the site, CyberMonday.com will be featuring a Deal of the Hour on its front page on Black Friday and Cyber Monday highlighting a different retail promotion every 60 minutes.

Look for the "https" in your browser; the "s" indicates that your transaction is secure. Print both the screen on which you see the product you're buying plus your confirmation page. Then you can compare your order to the shipment when it arrives.

When determining which store has the best deal on an item, be sure to factor in shipping costs. On CyberMonday.com offers could also include dollars off, percentages off, and free gifts with purchase at some of your favorite stores.

Curated gift guides available on CyberMonday.com would take away the stress of holiday shopping with recommended categories, products and stores for everyone on your list. However, popular gift items sell out quickly, and may only be available in limited quantities to begin with; so, it's important to have a back-up gift idea.

... And you are done!

Now sit back and enjoy rest of your day or get back to your other chores, because you just conquered Cyber Monday hassle-free and have gifts for everyone on your list, from the comfort of your home (or more like couch!). Come next year, just repeat this whole process and you are good to go!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.