Are you looking to buy your loved ones a gift this year? Cyber Monday is the perfect opportunity to buy all kinds of stuff at a great price, and still have enough left to pay for your internet and cable bills. Or, at least, without having to call the Cox customer service number to ask about late payment fees. Are you ready to make the best possible purchases without breaking the bank? Great! Check out these tips:
Draw Up Your Budget
Before you start any significant spending, creating a budget is usually a prudent first step. Cyber Monday is no different. You need to map out exactly how much you’re willing to spend, and how far you can reasonably stretch your budget. Understandably, Cyber Monday deals can often be irresistible thanks to the amazing prices. But that only makes it more important to stick to your budget.
Know Where to find the Best Cyber Monday Deals
When preparing for Cyber Monday, it is important to get as early as possible to the deals you want. There are a lot of people like you waiting for the sale to start, and many of them probably want the same things you do. So, unless you want to see all your favorite items sold out at extremely low prices, you need to be efficient. And knowing exactly where to look for the right deals is the best way to do that. Do your research and shortlist the best stores and websites that have the products you need. Then, as soon as the sale begins, head to them and get done with your shopping faster than you otherwise would.
Shortlist Your Purchases Before the Sale
Along with shortlisting the best stores and sites to visit, you should also have a clear idea of what you’re going to buy. List down your purchases as early as you can before Cyber Monday. Prioritize your purchases based on your needs, and focus on listing the items that usually cost the highest first. This will be your shopping list when you join the digital rush on Cyber Monday. You should be able to get to them before they sell out. Otherwise, there is always the risk of getting sidetracked by all the enticing prices on other stuff that you may not need.
Price Comparison Sites Are Your Best Friends
Resist the impulse to buy just because one of your favorite websites has a great marked-down price on something you need. You may be able to find an even better price elsewhere. Price comparison websites can help you here. These sites can let you check product prices, compare them with other manufacturers, and get a better idea of what product offers the most saving value. Remember, Cyber Monday is one of the biggest sales of the year. There are going to be many different sellers and manufacturers, so you should have plenty of options to choose from with each purchase.
Save Up as Many Coupons as Possible
It may be a bit too late to acquire a large number of coupons, but if you’ve been saving them, now is the time to use them. While most sellers only allow one coupon per purchase, Cyber Monday is usually an exception. Not only can you apply many coupons to already discounted prices, but you can also actually stack multiple coupons against the same purchase. The result? You could drive the product’s price down to a fraction of its usual listed price. This is one of the most actionable ways to save money and make sensible purchases on a budget on Cyber Monday.
Check For Applicable Discounts on Your Credit Card
In addition to the sales prices on Cyber Monday, and the extra discounts you can get from coupons, you can get even better discounts on your purchases. Check if your credit card company gets an applicable discount on the stores you’re shopping from. These discounts are normally unaffected by sales prices or applicable coupons. That means you can buy a product on sale, apply multiple coupons to it, and get an additional discount if your credit card company qualifies for it.
Bear in mind that you still need to be very responsible with your purchases on Cyber Monday. There are so many products, sellers, and deals that it is easy to get carried away. You could end up spending so much on impulse buys that you go over budget when it comes to the items you really need. Make sure to use these tips responsibly, or the entire exercise of shopping on a budget is redundant. Have fun!