CYBER MONDAY SHOPPING TIPS TO SCORE THE BEST DEALS

1.  Shop early.  If there’s something specific you want, don’t wait until tonight to buy it.  The most popular products with the best deals could sell out by then.

2.  Set a firm budget.  Don’t get tempted and spend more than you planned to.  Just buy the stuff you definitely want.  There WILL be more deals out there in the next month.  So don’t feel like you have to buy all your presents today.

3.  Compare prices to make sure you’re really getting a good deal.  Sites like CamelCamelCamel let you compare prices and see what things cost in the past.

4.  Avoid shipping delays with in-store pick-up.  Most stuff should ship in time for the holidays.  But it’s safer to buy online, and pick gifts up at the store.  That way you know you’ll get them, and you don’t have to worry about porch pirates.

5.  Be careful about scams.  As always, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.  So be careful with weird websites you’ve never used before.  And don’t just google “best Cyber Monday deal on [blank].”  Scammers love it when you do that.