If you missed out on Black Friday shopping (and I wouldn’t blame you, if you did), there’s still a chance to get some great deals on Christmas presents. Today is Cyber Monday, and many stores are slashing prices, trying to woo Christmas shoppers to their websites.
For instance, Amazon is running Cyber Monday deals all day, though you have to check back frequently, as deals change often. Macy’s is offering deals on products from clothing to jewelry to items for the home, plus free shipping on $75. Office Depot, Staples, Overstock…no matter where you turn, online deals abound today.
But will Cyber Monday entice you to part with your money? Should it?
Like Black Friday, Cyber Monday can be a good opportunity to save money on your Christmas shopping, or even on items you need for yourself. But the great deals can also provide the temptation to overspend.
Many people have a hard time turning down a great deal. I know I’ve been guilty of that in the past. So now I make sure I know what I need, before even opening a web page. I don’t need to know exactly what I’m shopping for, but I need to know who I’m shopping for and the dollar amount I’m willing to spend.
For instance, I went shopping on Black Friday. I don’t usually go out, because I hate crowds, but I needed a few things that I couldn’t find online. Before I even left the house, I knew what I was after and the dollar amount I wanted to spend. I needed pajamas for the entire family and jackets for the kids. I purchased what I needed at the price I wanted to pay, and I didn’t allow myself to get sucked into the other great deals.
Cyber Monday can work the same way. If you need to buy Christmas presents, by all means shop. But know what you’re going to spend, before you shop. If you don’t need anything, and you know you have a hard time turning down good deals, get off the computer now. :)
Whether you shop or not today, don’t make the mistake of spending more than you can afford. No matter how good the deal is, it’s not a deal if you will end up paying extra in credit card interest charges.
Photo by laffy4k.
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I did the same thing as you; I made a list of who I needed to buy for and how much I wanted to spend and went from there. If I could get more bang for my buck from sales, great, but I wasn’t going to let the sales take any of my bucks.
Nope! Nothing I need and nothing I want to spend any money on.
Nope. Didn’t do Black Friday either :)
Had the out of state gifts with me on the plane in October – done.
Wrapped the local gifts the 1st of November and was done with it all! Ahhh! Relaxation and NO stress! By buying sales all year long, it is not an effort this time of year, and NO strain on the budget either. Very relaxing to be “ALL DONE!”
Great advice Lynnae…I have to admit that the 25% off + free shipping at Eddie Bauer made my bite. But I did shop the clearance section and was able to cross 2 people of my shopping list.
Nope, no Cyber Monday. I did hit a couple of stores on Black Friday. But we can’t afford big stuff this year, which is mainly what gets featured on BF and on Cyber Monday. It seemed like there were really NO small items of interest today, actually. It looked like it was mostly electronics-based: computers, TVs, MP3 players, consoles, video games.
Yeah I got some wireless KB and Mouse combo plus a 22″ Samsung LCD :)
Thanks for the tips — no black Friday or Cyber Monday for me this year. I used to alway do black Friday but stopped a few years ago.
Tip that I hope helps folks:
I don’t know if this still holds true, but back in 2001, I worked for a woman whose husband was a VP at Meier & Frank (now owned by the Bon). She filled me in on a little known secret. If you’re shopping for apparel, the lowest prices you’ll ever get are the sales on the 2nd Wednesday in December. At that time, I wanted to buy a dress for my mom and also needed some new suits for work. I shopped that day and followed the “sales” after that and found her advice to be true! Plus, with many folks not knowing this little tidbit, the crowds weren’t bad at all.
Question: I hear more and more that bargaining at retail stores can work. Have you ever seen a sweater or something that had a little make-up on it because of someone trying it on? Do you think a person would be able to get a discount if pointed out to the sales clerk? (Of course, I would want to be sure it can be washed out, but Surf detergent and Woolite work wonders!).
Merry Christmas.