Shopping Tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Are you prepared for your holiday shopping? Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming up, and we've got some tips so you can easily shop for those bargains!

• Before you do anything, make a list. If it's not on your list, no matter how great the discount, you're not saving anything by making an impulse buy. If you’re thinking about purchases beyond your gift list - for example you KNOW you’ll need a new computer monitor in the spring - then by all means, add it to your shopping list. But otherwise, don't buy a monitor just because it's on sale.
• Find out what the regular purchase price is for each item on your list, including shipping costs if applicable. A little bit of research on Google shopping will tell you the price at most stores, so you’ll know if the sales price is good or not.
• Sign up for sales alerts from your favorite stores. If you're opposed to getting all those emails, then obtain a new email account dedicated to promotional deals.
• Check out the social media pages for your favorite retailers. They often publish special sales.
• Some of the best information about discounts can be found on sites like BlackFriday.com or forums like FatWallet.com. 
• Make careful note of the timetable for sales. Some Black Friday sales start as early as Thanksgiving Day, and some are limited to only a few hours.

With a little research and preparation, you should be able to get your shopping out of the way in order to spend the rest of the holiday weekend with your family.

Happy bargain hunting!