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Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday: Which day of deals should you shop?

Some Black Friday deals are still lingering, and it can be easy to forget that Cyber Monday follows quickly after. The two sales days have started to become pretty much the same thing in recent years, though. All November long, Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart sales have been competing with each other to see who can put out the most deals first. Black Friday 2019, in a nutshell, has become Black November. The same can be said for the following Monday, which has actually morphed into an entire Cyber Week of deals.

With almost two months of straight deals during the holiday season, it’s not hard to find a discount. So the question really becomes: When should you do your shopping?

Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday: What’s the difference?

These two infamous shopping holidays have become almost eerily similar, but there are still a few differences between them. First things first, Cyber Monday is, and has always been, about online shopping. With the help of Amazon’s online storefront and the overall convenience of having everything delivered to your home, Black Friday is also starting to become more about online shopping than going into an actual brick and mortar. That being said, superstores like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are still opening up their doors on Thanksgiving Day for Black Friday shoppers.

Black Friday happened on Thanksgiving

It used to be that this crazy buying event didn’t actually happen until your Thanksgiving leftovers had gone cold. That’s just not the case anymore. One of the main things to consider when planning your holiday shopping is whether or not you want to spend your holiday actually shopping. Cyber Monday will have pretty much the same deals as Black Friday, but with the added bonus of not interrupting precious family time.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals aren’t always the same

In general, most of the deals will be the same between the two days. However, when it comes to 4K TV deals and doorbuster savings on Apple products, Black Friday has historically had better discounts to offer. A lot of those discounts will also be available on Cyber Monday, but some models will sell out before Monday arrives.

Cyber Week deals are the last chance for a lot of brands to sell their products at a discount, however, and you’ll often see really low prices on laptops, headphones, and smartphones during that time. All in all, Cyber Monday tends to have better deals for folks who aren’t chewing at the bit for Black Friday bargains.

When should you do your deals shopping?

The answer to that really depends on what you’re looking for and how much you care about saving money. There are going to be new discounts almost every day from now until Christmas, so if you don’t want to expend the effort of waiting for the right moment to strike, you’re still probably going to get a pretty good deal. However, if you have to pick either Black Friday or Cyber Monday to do all your shopping, then the latter is probably your best bet for a wider variety of savings.

Black Friday is really just the beginning of deals, and while the early bird does sometimes get the worm, there are a lot more worms to go around if you just sit it out until the weekend. If you don’t find yourself in need of an older TV that has been discounted to an insanely low price on Thanksgiving only, then just wait for Monday to do your shopping. And make sure to take a look at our tips for Black Friday deals shopping before making any rash purchasing decisions this year.

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Everyone wants to save money, and with Black Friday deals popping up all over the web right now, it's the perfect time to do just that. But how do you know if a deal is actually a good one? Just because a retailer says it's on sale doesn't mean it's really on sale, so you have to be careful about your purchases -- especially online. Whatever you're trying to buy this Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021, there are a few things you can do to avoid getting duped by a bad deal.
Find your deals through a trusted source
It may be tempting to just go to Amazon to look for savings, but we highly suggest not doing that. Online storefronts were built to sell you things, and once they have you on their site, they can control everything you see. Prices, discounts, and suggested products can all be populated by these retailers in an attempt to get you to buy from them. This sort of targeting isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can result in making purchases you wouldn't normally make at prices you would normally avoid.

That's why finding a trustworthy third-party deals source can be so beneficial. For example, our Black Friday deals coverage is filled with the best discounts our experts could find. Our dedicated team spends hours cross-checking various retailers and price histories to ensure the deals we recommend are worthy of being displayed.
Do a quick Google search
This may sound super obvious, but it's one of the easiest ways to see if you're getting a good deal. If you find yourself looking at a discounted product, fingers itching to make a purchase, make sure you take a moment to do a quick price check. When it comes to buying holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, retailers are in constant competition to have the lowest prices around. You can use this to your advantage, but only if you do a little bit of research first.

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