Black Friday and Cyber Monday Survival Guide

Get A Head Start – “Much of the hype is surrounded by Black Friday deals, but believe it or not retailers start discounting as early as the Wednesday before Thanksgiving,” Erica Bell and Kate Finnegan of discount tracking company Hukkster.com, revealed to us.

Not A Must-Have? Wait A Little While – If you think Black Friday or Cyber Monday is major, the deepest discounts actually happen in December and January. In fact, 91% of sale items remain available and are further discounted the week after black Friday, the Hukkster ladies shared with us.

Go Cyber On Friday – Black Friday deals aren’t only in stores, retailers put them online as well. There are some doorbusters you have to wait online for, but for the most part you can shop the great deals from the comfort of your couch.

Fashionista’s, Monday is Your Day – Leave Black Friday to the techies, it’s a huge day for electronics, Marlena Sarunac from e-coupon company PoachIt tells us. So, If you’re looking for deals on clothing and accessories, Monday is your fun day!

Avoid Shipping – “If a retailer has a minimum order requirement for free shipping, buy that extra blouse! You can always return it in-store, saving you a few extra bucks on shipping costs,” dishes Sarunac.

Throw It In The Bag – “Consumers abandon 75 percent of online shopping carts,” says Sarunac. While leaving the items behind might cause you a bit of heartache, retailers often offer promotions for the items you left in the shopping cart.

Shopping Tools And Websites We Love:

Hukkster – You can now give up obsessing over an item to go on sale, Hukkster handles it for you. Much like “pinning,” you can hukk an item that you’re style stalking and waiting to go on sale. Hukkster will let you know as soon as the item goes on sale. So start your wish list before Black Friday, sit, back, relax and let the discounts roll in.

Rank & Style – Drowning in emails and websites full of choices? This website ranks the 10 best fashion and beauty products in any given category  – think dark skinny jeans, leather leggings, and liquid eyeliners –– utilizing an algorithm that comprehensively researches and aggregates data (user reviews, bestseller lists, editorial recommendations and expert product reviews) from the department stores, boutiques, fashion blogs and style magazines you trust. Making an overwhelming shopping experience infinitely simpler.

Poach It – Those days of grandma couponing are over. You can “poach” an item to quickly authenticates any coupon you find online. This will help to alleviate frustriation when your free shipping coupon fails at checkout.