Get the Best Deals Out of Cyber Monday

After the dust clears from Black Friday, another shopping holiday arrives, Cyber Monday, which takes place on Dec. 2 this year. The day was originally marketed by retailers as an online counterpoint to Black Friday. But now that Black Friday is increasingly moving online, Cyber Monday is just another excuse to shop.

And it’s a good excuse, with plenty of deals that rival or match Black Friday prices. Most major retailers won’t announce their Cyber Monday sales until right after Thanksgiving.

Cyber Monday takes place on the Monday after Thanksgiving, or Dec. 2, this year. But deals may start becoming available even earlier.

Follow these tips to see some major savings and deals on Cyber Monday:

Read on for more information about getting the best out of Cyber Monday.

If you missed out on a Black Friday deal, look again on Cyber Monday. Amazon is known for repeating its smart home deals. And other retailers, such as Best Buy and Walmart, will offer similar pricing on select TVs during their Cyber Monday sales.

Dell, Lenovo, HP and other computer retailers are known for stretching their Black Friday savings over Cyber Monday and introducing new deals into the mix.

When shopping for computers, pay close attention to specs. A lower Cyber Monday price may be on a model with less RAM. Or a seemingly higher price might be on a model with slightly better specs than the Black Friday doorbuster.

Cyber Monday is one of the best times of the year to buy clothing. Gap, Asos, H&M and more will offer 20% to 50% off to online shoppers only. Check these retailers’ sites or sign up for their emails to get the promo code you’ll need to unlock these savings.

Flat-discount promo codes are a great way to save because they often don’t have limits, and you don’t have to worry about selecting specific products. Simply fill up your online shopping cart and instantly lower your final price at checkout. Whether you need to stock up on a bunch of inexpensive staples, or you have your eye on a pricey coat, save those purchases for Cyber Monday.

Because Cyber Monday has its roots in online retail and tech, participants include plenty of online-only retailers, including educational software companies, such as Lynda (now called LinkedIn Learning), Udemy and various language-learning programs. Udemy has a tradition of offering courses for as little as a few dollars on Cyber Monday, and Rosetta Stone has a history of offering major discounts on its usually pricey software.

Online subscription services tend to be big Cyber Monday participants as well. So check out services like Humble Bundle, which gets you access to hundreds of video games for a monthly fee, and e-book store Audible.

Paying less for a product is only part of your savings strategy. Don’t get tripped up by shipping costs. Many retailers offer free shipping on orders over a certain amount. So consolidate your shopping to a few stores, if possible, to make sure you hit the minimum.

Or if you’re shopping with a retailer that has physical locations, take advantage of its buy-online-pick-up-in-store options. If you can take a few minutes to stop by a store, you’ll avoid paying for shipping but still be able to use Cyber Monday promo codes.

Just as Black Friday isn’t limited to Friday, Cyber Monday often starts a day or two early. Some retailers kick off their deals as early as Saturday, calling them “Cyber Weekend” events.

After a long day of shopping, be sure to order dinner through your favorite restaurant’s app or via its website, instead of dining in. Plenty of restaurants offer online-only deals on Cyber Monday as a way to get diners to try out their apps or online-ordering features. Meal-delivery services (think Grubhub, Favor and DoorDash) may offer discounts and free delivery as well – or at least offer restaurant-specific deals and freebies.

Companies and products mentioned in this article may be promoted on www.offers.com.