Saving during Black Friday/Cyber Monday

I just posted this on my main blog, but I figured this would actually be a more appropriate place to post. So here it goes... Since Today is Black Friday, I figured I'd make a post about how I go about saving money and getting really great deals during this time of year.

First of all, I don't go stand in line for hours on Black Friday. Of course, if you're into that type of thing, just check out any stores website to see what deals they will be having and to double check their policies for said deals. BUT! If you're like me and do most of your shopping online, hopefully these tips will help:

1. Get cash back for all of your online purchases!

If you're going to shop online at all you should try to use a third party website that will track your purchases and give you cash back for them. It sounds a bit taunting at first, but just reassure yourself - these 3rd party sites are are only tracking your purchases to collect data and improve your shopping experience in the long run. 

• My favorite site to use to get cash back is Ebates. This is a double-wammy because you not only get cash back for your purchases, but you can also access hundreds of coupon codes for discounts, free shipping, and even free samples. I wrote a post about this one back in August. I just can't stop:

• You can also get cash back through "GPT" sites like InboxDollars. You can earn money a lot of other ways on this website also, but one option is through shopping online.

• Also, check your personal banking website to see if they offer a similar service. I know that Bank of America offers cash back for certain online purchases through their BankAmeriDeals program. 

2. Comparison shop!
The process of finding the best deal doesn't have to be strenuous. I always check at least 3 top retailers for the product that I want before deciding. If you don't want to go to each individual site, you can check out a site like bizrate that will comparison shop for you. Just search for the item you want and bizrate will search for the best deal. You can also find product reviews on this site.

3. Use a "deals database" site
My final (and perhaps most useful) tip for Black Friday and Cyber Monday savings is to find a website that does all the footwork for you. During this stressful time of year, take shortcuts when you can. There are plenty of websites that search the internet high and low for excellent deals and compile them all in one place.

• My favorite site to use during this time of year is Raining Hot Coupons! The site is full of fresh posts about deals going on everywhere online and in stores... and it's constantly updated. This amazing site is run by a sweet girl named Sarah. She gives away hundreds of amazon gift cards each year on Thanksgiving weekend. It is so fun to try and find the hidden code before anyone else.
  

• Another great site for this is Hip2save! Once again, you can find deals from all over in one place on this website. Let Collin and her team do all the work finding all the deals and hidden gems, but still reap the benefits!

Alright, So those are my 3 top tips for saving during Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Let me know in the comments if you've scored any really awesome deals this season.

*Spoe*