You’ve eaten your turkey. You’ve shopped until you’ve dropped. And you looked at local options on small business Saturday. Now it’s time to head back to work for some and whether you’re there or at home for one more day, maybe you’ll be shopping this Cyber Monday. If you are, there are plenty of strategies to save money, but also to stay safe online. And best of all, you may even be able to give more money thanks to coupon codes. Today I’ve got your smart internet safety shopping tips, deals to watch, and ways to stretch your dollars even further on one of the busiest online retail days of the year – Cyber Monday 2022.
Shop Safely
It’s so much easier to fall prey to malicious scammers than we realize. Of primary concern is making sure you’re on a legitimate website. Be sure to look for the small lock in the URL line. Be suspicious of websites that seem too good to be true. Read multiple reviews for products. Confirm the contact information when things look suspicious. And above all else check your accounts to make sure you can dispute any false charges. Stay on the lookout for sites that look like a familiar retailer but have extra letters or words added in.
Take Immediate Action
If you have the unfortunate experience of buying from a scammer or being mischarged, be sure that you take action immediately to rectify the situation. When necessary, shut down accounts or file appropriate complaints. Again, you’ll only know of a faulty charge if you’re paying close attention to all of your accounts. Getting great deals online doesn’t matter a bit if you end up losing more money than you save.
Don’t Expect Coupons to Automatically Apply & Stack
Even if a website has coupons right on it and you don’t have to go hunting for them, don’t expect them to automatically be applied to your cart. Look for the coupon section of the website and apply codes before you even begin shopping if possible. And don’t forget that some retailers allow you to stack coupons so that you can use more than one code at a time (Kohl’s is a biggie on this one but there are others, too). For other codes, check sites like Rakuten or RetailMeNot. And if you’re on a site that you can’t find codes, open a Live Chat and ask a customer service rep if there’s one they can share.
Don’t Forget to Look Local
Many of your favorite local Brick and Mortar stores also have an online presence. From gift cards to handmade goods, you can likely score a great deal on Cyber Monday for your favs and pick them up in store. Double check their Facebook page for any additional coupon codes or ways to save.
Work the Filters
Use the information you gather to use your filters. You’ll reduce the number of unnecessary products you view and reduce choice distraction. The more products you look at, the more your resolve weakens, and the more fatigued you become. At some point you become so tired that you purchase way more than you intended to. It’s the same principle that causes us to make impulse buys in line when we check out at the grocery store.
Set a Time Limit
The longer you spend shopping, the more money you spend. Again, it’s so easy to get sucked down the rabbit hole of endless clicking. You begin by looking for TVs and end up on a page filled full of power tools. For this reason, it’s wise to limit the time you spend. Whether you set a timer on your phone or squeeze in shopping between meetings.
Double Check Shipping
There are still supply chain shipping issues from time to time even in 2022. Be sure to double check both shipping fees and arrival dates to ensure you don’t spend extra and receive your gifts on time.
Don’t Forget Digital Subscriptions
While we often think of physical gifts, this is a great day of the year to look for deals on your favorite streaming services. Hulu, Disney+, HBOMax, Peacock, and others have offered deals in the past and this year shouldn’t be any different. Check out this round up of Cyber Monday 2022 Streaming Deals.
Look Toward Giving Tuesday
Don’t forget to look to give on Monday and especially Giving Tuesday. Many charitable organizations will actually have “deals” that match your donations. In particular, I love Donors Choose that supports educators all across the nation. And on November 29th – Giving Tuesday – every single donation will be doubled to every single project.
Let’s go score some great deals and of course stay on track with our spending this year! Hope you get everything you need on your list at the lowest cost.
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out The Debt Free Devotional
This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal, learn about a way to save, or maybe even something for free, I may end up making a small commission. All prices are subject to change.
