Shop on Cyber Monday

Shopping during Cyber Monday is an art. To get the best deals, you will need to start tracking deals early. Make a list of the websites and products you are shopping for, and bookmark important sites. When purchasing your items, search for coupons and promo codes online. And, remember to always factor in the shipping costs when making price comparisons. It is also worth noting that many scams happen during Cyber Monday. Therefore, protect yourself by making unique usernames and passwords for each site, and by being aware of suspicious websites and mobile apps. Finally, many people do their online shopping at work during Cyber Monday. Use private windows and keyboard shortcuts to shop discretely at work.

Steps

Researching Deals

1. Be strategic. Know which products have the best deals on Cyber Monday. The top five retail categories for the best deals are electronics (computers, phones, and data storage), travel, clothing and designer clothing, beauty products, books and news, and home and garden products.
2. Make a list. Make an outline of the top sites you want to visit, as well as the products you want to buy from them. Bookmark sites in advance and set calendar reminders for time-sensitive deals on limited products.
   • If you plan to order products from a site you have never shopped at before, take a few minutes to sign-up for a customer account before Cyber Monday begins. By updating your shipping info on the site, you can shop faster and get the best deals on products.
3. Track deals early. Begin tracking deals ahead of time, i.e., at least a week in advance. Stay up-to-date with retailers' deals and promotions by signing up for their e-newsletter. Also, follow your favorite brands on social media, like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, to stay abreast of flash sales.
   • For example, if you are planning to buy electronics from Best Buy, sign-up for their e-newsletter a couple weeks in advance.
4. Buy discounted gift cards. A great way to save extra money on deals is to buy discounted gift cards for your favorite retailers and brands. You can easily save up to 20 percent on your purchases by buying discounted gift cards.
   • You can buy discounted gift cards from sites like Gift Card Granny, and you can also find them at discount retail stores like Target or Walmart.

Purchasing Your Products

1. Pre-load your shopping cart. Some sites allow you to pre-load your shopping cart the day before the sale begins. This is a great way to save valuable time while shopping during Cyber Monday.
2. Seek out coupons and promo codes. Track down coupons and promo codes by typing in “store name promo code” or “store name coupon code” in your search engine. You can also visit sites like RetailMeNot.com and Savings.com. These sites list coupons and promo codes for different retailers.
   • Many retailers, like Target and Amazon, will accept multiple promo codes on a single item. This is referred to as coupon stacking. Enter in one code, hit update total, and then enter in a second code to see if this is allowed.
3. Compare prices. Use price comparison sites to ensure that you are getting the best deals. Use a price comparison site, like Price Grabber, before you place your orders. You can even download a mobile app if you plan to do your shopping on the go.
4. Double-check shipping costs. Many stores offer free shipping during Cyber Monday, but not all of them do. Before purchasing your product, always double-check the shipping costs, particularly for heavy items like electronics and furniture. Try not to get hooked into shipping “deals,” either. Oftentimes, customers end up buying more stuff than they need because of shipping “deals.”
   • For example, if one store has a better deal, but you still need to pay for shipping, factor in the shipping costs before determining which deal is better.
   • Check to see if you can purchase heavy items online, and then pick them up at the store.

Protecting Yourself

1. Create unique usernames and passwords. Consumers shopping during Cyber Monday are at a high risk of hacking and identity theft. Take extra precautions when buying products online by creating unique usernames and passwords for each account you create. Make sure your passwords are complex by using a variety of letters and numbers, or a long stream of random words.
   • To keep track of your user names and passwords, either write them down, or use a password manager like 1Password or LastPass.
2. Be aware of bad links and apps. Thousands of fake websites and malicious mobile apps are created each year to scam consumers. Therefore, when shopping online, make sure you are shopping on the store’s actual website. And, make sure to download stores’ official apps.
   • Poor web design is a red flag that a site is not the official site. Also, make sure the site begins with “https” or has a lock symbol next to the address, and ends with “.com” as opposed to “.co”
   • Research mobile apps well before downloading them. Do not rely only on reviews when downloading apps. Try to download apps that are linked to the retailer’s official website.
3. Save your receipts and order confirmations. Have order confirmations and receipts sent to your email address. Create a separate folder, like “Cyber Monday Receipts,” in your email so you can keep track of your purchases and keep your receipts safe. This is really helpful if you need to make a return or exchange, or if you want to monitor your purchases.
   • If you are making a lot of purchases, monitor your bank account frequently during and after Cyber Monday. This way you can stay on top of suspicious activity.
   • If you have a mobile bank app, it is recommended that you turn on notifications for purchases during Cyber Monday.

Shopping Discretely at Work

1. Use a private window. Use private windows and browsers to do your online shopping at work. This type of browsing automatically deletes your browsing history, cookies, and any other data from your hard drive. Therefore, it is perfect for shopping online undetected at work. Use the following keyboard shortcuts to open a private browsing window on your internet browser:
   • For Internet Explorer use CTRL+SHIFT+P.
   • For Chrome and Opera use CTRL+SHIFT+N for Windows, and SHIFT+COMMAND+N for Macs.
   • For Firefox use CTRL+SHIFT+P for Windows, and SHIFT+COMMAND+P for Macs.
   • For Safari go to the gear icon in the upper righthand corner and select "Private Browsing."
2. Become familiar with keyboard shortcuts. While you are shopping at work, you will need to be alert and ready to act fast if someone approaches. By becoming familiar with keyboard shortcuts, you may be able to evade detection. Use the keyboard shortcuts to quickly minimize or switch from one page or browser to another.
   • Use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+TAB to quickly switch between open browser tabs.
   • Use the keyboard shortcut ALT+TAB to quickly switch between different browsers.
3. Create a master "boss" key. Another quick way to hide what you are doing is download a master "boss" key or button. These programs allow you to hide certain websites with a single click of a button or swipe of the mouse.
   • Download a program like AutoHotKey, or search your browser's application and extension options to find one you like.
   • If you are not allowed to install software, don't worry. Create your script on another computer. Then, turn the script into a portable EXE file. Use a thumb drive to install the software.

Sources and Citations

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