Black Friday or Cyber Monday? Thanksgiving is right around the corner (already!) and between making travel arrangements or prepping your guestroom and menu planning, you’ve got to be on your toes to take advantage of all the holiday sales.Black Friday is not just a plain old one-day shopping binge anymore. With stores like Walmart ‘leaking’ their big day-after-Thanksgiving ad as early as November 9, Black Friday has expanded to include the entire holiday week and then some. Which, of course, brings us to Cyber Monday, a more recent phenomenon, but just as much (if not more) of a shopping frenzy that is quickly expanding to encompass a three-day Cyber Weekend.
So is one mega-sale better than the other? If you factor in time and stress then they probably come out about the same, so follow your own shopping preferences. If you love crowds and competition, Black Friday is right up your alley but if you’re more at home at home (or at the office, who’re we kidding) Cyber Monday is for you. And you won’t risk being trampled while rushing to be the first to nab the best of the sale goodies!
Whatever you choose, the best way to make the most of all of these bargains is to keep a clear head. Make a list and check it twice. If you’re braving the crowds, map out your shopping destinations ahead of time and bring your coupons and ads with you. Finally, don’t get swept away in the frenzy for merch. Stick to your budget and your list!
These 5 sites will help take the guesswork out of your holiday shopping extravaganza.
1. BlackFriday.info has tons of Black Friday ads from a great selection of stores. You can check out the early deals, the online deals, and see store circulars. An added bonus, their shopping list tool allows you to select items from different ads so you can plan out your entire Black Friday shopping experience.
2. It’s Cyber Monday every day at CyberMonday.com, the National Retail Federation’s online shopping site. You can browse the deals and then buy directly from the store through their site.
3. Small Business Saturday is sponsored by American Express and this November 26th will be its second anniversary. It’s a fabulous reminder that supporting local business and our local economies helps us all. So if you love the experience of shopping in person but you prefer a more relaxed pace, find the stores near you who are participating, Shop Small, and celebrate your community!
4. CouponSnapshot.com has tons of online coupons that are searchable by category, item, store, or type.
5. BeatMyPrice.co If you really want to make sure you’ve found the best deal, do a little one-stop comparison shopping.
