Are you Cyber-Mondaying?

As though the freezing temps weren’t enough, the thought of battling crowds for Black Friday deals may be enough to make you want to park it inside in your winter woollies.

Ah- but then there is the lure of the deal.

Why not join many of your fellow shoppers from the comfort of your home on Cyber Monday? Best to lay some ground rules before you start clicking though.

Even though you are in your PJ’s budget rules apply

Although you may not look like you are scouring the malls looking for deals, you are doing just that- in a virtual environment.

Employ the same tactics as you would if you were shopping otherwise. Make a list, have a budget and a “destination” in mind.

The Plastic Factor

Although budgetary balance often hinges on leaving plastic in the wallet, that is not really possible when you are online shopping. Commit to only spending the equivalent to the cash you have budgeted for this shopping expedition. Turn around and slap that money down, avoiding both interest charges and increasing your debt load.

Cruise Sites Now

Know how much items cost, so you can truly determine the “sale” or discount. Also know where to find what you want- you may have to move quickly come the day itself.

Look into things like return policy- which may or may not be simple, given that you’re ordering online.

Cyber Bonuses

You are not running up against many of the same challenges that shoppers face in the stores on Black Friday.

First of all, you aren’t dealing with merchandise restrictions, because you are buying right from the warehouse.  You can comparison shop multiple stores at once- right from your couch (thank you Wi Fi).

Take advantage of things like free shipping (which will most likely be almost universal, so if someone is trying to charge you for standard shipping (unless you are ordering something crazy big or furniture or something) than you should probably seek out a competitor.