Biggest Cyber Monday and Black Friday Deals: How to Get Them

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are around the corner, and many of you are likely gearing up for the crowds and looking for ways to stay ahead of the frenzy. For Cyber Monday and Black Friday newbies, they are just two of the busiest shopping days of the year. Black Friday (November 23 this year) is the day after Thanksgiving and officially launches the holiday shopping season. The term “Black Friday” was originally used to describe insane traffic after Thanksgiving in Philadelphia, but later on it meant the point at which retailers started to profit (to be “in the black”). Cyber Monday (November 26 this year) is the Monday that follows Black Friday and was conceived by retailers in 2005 to make people shop online.

Needless to say, the clever marketing ploy was a success—it’s one of the best days of the year to get incredible discounts on your online purchases. In fact, comScore reported that Cyber Monday 2010 was the highest spending day of that year. And it’s not only in the U.S.—Cyber Monday has spread to countries like the U.K. and Chile. So what can a shopper expect on Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Retailers open very early, usually at four in the morning. Some major stores even open at midnight and stay open overnight! Also, expect a lot of serious discounts, offers, promotions and deep cuts on everything from shoes to electronics.

How to Get Deals?

It pays to have a game plan for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, especially if you’re going to be hitting up a lot of local retailers. First, know what you can and cannot afford. Just because everything is half off doesn’t mean you should run yourself into debt. Remember that a deal is no longer a deal as you rack up interest charges on credit card purchases. For Black Friday, have a budget, make a list and stick to the list. Get the most important item in your list first, and be prepared for not getting all deals. Leave the kids at home—the lines are long, the stores are packed and people are grumpy. Do take a friend or your hubby with you (great for holding your spot in line in case nature calls).

Don’t worry if you can’t go out; there are lots of sales and deals online. Our favorite is Amazon’s week-long Black Friday event. For Cyber Monday, go to your favorite store’s website and sign up for their email newsletter. Many stores are giving subscribers exclusive coupons and discounts. Also visit eBay, Ebates, SlickDeals.net and price comparison websites. Deals are usually price matched, so make sure to compare prices from different websites at different times of the day—20% off can quickly turn into 50% off! To give you an idea of what’s out there, we’ve picked out some top deals (prices may change):

Don’t Wait in Line: Get Deals Online

Best Resources For Black Friday / Cyber Monday Deals

Black Friday Deals (slickdeals.net/blackfriday/picks.php)

Best Buy 40″ Toshiba 40E220U 1080p LCD HDTV Sale Price: $179.99

Costco 3TB Seagate Backup Plus External Hard Drive Sale Price: $99.99

Dell Inspiron 14z 14.1″ Laptop w/ Intel Core i3, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD Sale Price: $299.99

Kmart 32″ Proscan LCD HDTV Sale Price: $97.00

Walmart 60″ Vizio 1080p WiFi LED HDTV Sale Price: $688.00

Sears (11/22) 50” Toshiba 50L2200U 1080p LED HDTV Sale Price: $299.99

Cyber Monday Deals (cybermonday.com/)

Kmart All Acer Computers as low as $269.99

Sears Free Shipping on eligible orders $49 and over

Bloomingdales Free Shipping on orders $150 and over

HPDirect.com $20 off on orders $100 and over

The Body Shop Free Shipping with any $50 purchase

Sephora Free Shipping on orders $50 and over

Nautica Free Shipping on all orders $50 and over