Monday, November 28, 2011

Cyber Monday: Is It Worth It?

I've seen a lot of posts today and received a lot of emails about cyber Monday deals.  In my opinion, most of them haven't been that great.  I've seen several "deals" that are actually not good at all, from companies that offer better discounts on a fairly regular basis anyway.  So even though I've been to several different websites today, I haven't ordered a single thing, although there are still a few things I'm looking for to finish up my Christmas shopping.

To get the best deals, you have to do your research all year long, or consult someone who has.  For instance, a store offering 30% off everything available online might seem like a good deal until you realize that several times a year they offer 40% off everything.  A movie for 50% off retail price might look like a good deal, until you realize that most stores sell it for about that price anyway, and run their own sales on it sometimes making it even cheaper.  That same rule applies to a lot of things that have a suggested retail price that is often much higher than what you would pay somewhere like Target, Walmart or KMart.

Do a quick search before you buy, especially if you aren't 100% sure this is a bottom price.    One of the big craft store websites has their Cricut cartridges on sale for Cyber Monday.  Since my husband just bought the Cricut Expression for me for Christmas on Friday, I'm not really familiar with what is considered to be good sale prices.  I saw one that I liked priced at $39.99 (retail price $89.99) and thought that might be  a good deal.  A quick search on Amazon let me know I could get the exact same one for just under $25, and shipping would be free with a $25 purchase.

2 comments:

J Rodney said...

I agree with you Carla, it is really important to do your research and know your prices.

I did actually make a purchase today, as I have been looking to buy a pair of steel-toe waterproof work boots for my husband for Christmas. They sure are expensive, and the only way for me to get them without him knowing it (he's in charge of the budget) would be to get it online either at Amazon with gift cards or with paypal.

I did find an offer with free shipping, discount and I used a coupon. They were still expensive, but I am happy this free shipping offer came around thanks to Cyber Monday.

Carla said...

That's great that you found a great deal. Work boots are so expensive. My husband has to wear a uniform, of course, and luckily he can usually get a pair of boots free about every other time he needs new ones (he's in maintenance, so he needs new ones more often than some fields). We have to spend a lot on the ones we do have to buy, though.

I did find a few deals that were good today, or at least ok, just not on anything I needed or wanted. We had a lot of luck on black Friday, so we don't need a whole lot more anyway.

Vacation Countdown

www.MyVacationCountdown.com Ticker