NORTH CAROLINA -- With the holiday season approaching, many people will soon be joining in the shopping hustle and bustle.

If you’re trying to avoid crowds but still want to catch some great deals, Cyber Monday shopping might be for you.

Not sure where to start? Leave it to us!

Here’s an everything-you-need-to-know guide about finding the best Cyber Monday deals and staying safe while shopping online.

 

When is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is always the first Monday after Black Friday. This year, Cyber Monday falls on November 26, however, some of the online deals start earlier.

 

What deals can I anticipate to find on Cyber Monday?

Amazon

  • Amazon offers "Deals of the Day" and weekly deals through December 2
  • Learn more about Amazon's Cyber Monday offerings, including waitlists, Prime early access, and getting daily updates here

Best Buy

  • Best Buy offers new "Deals of the Day" every 24 hours
  • Sign up for deal updates here

Dick's Sporting Goods

  • Up to 50 percent off select apparel and footwear
  • $800 off and free shipping on the Bowflex BXT6 Treadmill
  • Check out the latest deals here

Gap

  • 30% off Under Armour items until November 26
  • Check out the latest deals here

Macy's

  • Macy's online and in-app deals start on November 25
  • New app users get 25 percent off their first app order
  • Sign up for alerts or start exploring pre-Cyber Monday deals here

Target

  • Target's Cyber Monday deals start November 26
  • Sign up for deal updates here

Walmart

  • Walmart's biggest online deals will be on Cyber Monday
  • Walmart has some smaller deals before Cyber Monday

 

7 Tips from MoneyTips for Getting the Best Deals:

 

1. Plan Your Shopping Early – Put together a shopping list well before Cyber Monday. This gives you time to research the typical prices online so you can differentiate a truly good deal from advertising hype. A shopping list will also keep you focused and less likely to be drawn off-track by good deals on things that you do not really need.

It is fine to explore for good deals outside of your shopping list, but take care of your shopping list first – and avoid the temptation to spend your Cyber Monday savings and then some.

2. Search for Promotions – Cyber Monday has become a large enough phenomenon that there are websites devoted to it. These sites collect ads from multiple vendors and act as a clearinghouse for deals. You can find similar sites that allow for comparison-shopping or setting alerts with various retailers when the price of an item is at or below your desired target.

If there are individual stores that you prefer, check out their Cyber Monday offerings and special promotional codes. Most are available on the websites, but it pays to check out the store's social media sites as well.

3. Don't Forget Brick-and-Mortar Stores – Retailers sometimes attempt to counter Cyber Monday with in-store specials of their own that are valid for that day only – especially if their Black Friday sales were disappointing. Keep an eye out for any good deals that may fly under the radar amid the online activity.

4. Go Mobile – Try out some of the mobile apps for Cyber Monday before the day arrives. You may be able to do a quick comparison while you are at a physical store checking out the merchandise in question.

5. Check Timing – Cyber Monday deals may be for a limited time window or have a limited supply. Last year, the steepest discounts were earned by early morning shoppers. Make sure you understand the rules of the site and when offers are valid before you embark on your shopping.

6. Check Your Internet Speed – Is your Internet reliability questionable on a high-volume day like Cyber Monday? Do not lose out on a bargain because the Internet speed (or lack thereof) prevented you from placing an order.

Find a location with sufficient Internet capability if you have to, but remember that there are many other people doing the same thing – and Internet shopping in public comes with security risks.

7. Beware of Hidden Costs – Make sure that extravagant shipping costs, unusual taxes, or other hidden fees don't turn your bargain into a bust.

Consider Cyber Monday shopping to rack up significant savings – but do not make your boss mad in the process by wasting work time and resources to do it. It will be hard to pay for all those online bargains if you end up on the unemployment line.

 

11 Tips from Tom’s Guide for Keeping Safe When Ordering Online:

1. Shop from a secure computer – A computer or Android phone that isn't protected by antivirus software is more likely to be compromised by malware. Otherwise, all data entered into or transmitted from that phone or computer is at risk, including all forms of personally identifiable information, credit-card numbers and bank accounts. Be sure to keep the operating system and all internet-facing apps updated to the latest software versions.

2. Shop using a secure connection – Data can be at risk during transit if an attacker controls the network or uses packet-sniffing software. Web protocols such as HTTPS encrypt communications, but in some advanced attacks even those could fall to a “man-in-the-middle” attack. Nonetheless, always look for the HTTPS lock symbol in your browser address window when performing an online purchase.

3. Search for deals on retailer sites, not on search engines – Scammers "poison" search results with malicious or deceptive links. Want that latest game console? Run a search on the Best Buy, Amazon or GameStop sites rather than on Google.

4. Use trusted vendors – Any website can be attacked by hackers, but limiting your shopping to established and trusted vendors limits your exposure. Bookmark the most trusted online retail sites to make sure you don't get redirected to fakes.

5. Don't fall for 'too-good-to-be-true' deals – Cyber Monday features a lot of incredible, legitimate deals offered by trusted mainstream retailers. But cybercriminals will prey on shoppers' desire for the lowest prices and will try to slip in a lot of fake deals. Watch out especially for emails, text messages, pop-up browser windows and Facebook and Twitter posts promising fantastic savings. Clicking on links in the messages or posts could lead to scams, phishing sites or sites distributing malware. And don't open attachments in emails promising fantastic deals.

6. Plan ahead and don't be rushed – Cyberattacks take but a split second to occur. Sometimes all that's required is clicking on a link in an email. Look for clues to malicious links, such as an extra ".cc" at the end of what would otherwise be a trusted domain name. Take the time to make sure you're on the correct website.

7. Review credit-card and bank statements regularly during the shopping season – Malware can infect credit-card readers in stores, and unscrupulous cashiers often steal card numbers as well. If you find a transaction that doesn't match your purchases, your account may have been compromised. If so, contact your bank or card issuer.

8. Don't use debit cards online – You've got far less protection against fraud on a debit card than you do with a credit card. Stick to credit cards when shopping online. If you absolutely must use a debit card, use the prepaid kind with a set spending limit.

9. Use unique passwords and login information for every site you visit – Yes, it's a pain to remember all those passwords. But if one of them is stolen, a cybercrook will try using it on other websites. Passwords should be as long as possible and contain a mix of upper- and lower-case characters, numbers, punctuation and symbols -- and they shouldn't be reused, especially for any website that handles your money. If you have trouble handling them all, use a password manager.

10. If you're shopping from a tablet or smartphone on Cyber Monday, use a trusted vendor's app, not a web browser – Vendors have more control over their own apps than they do over mobile browsers, which often don't display the web addresses of the sites to which you're giving your credit-card information.

11. Never install software on your mobile device from a website link or code – Software from locations other than the device's official "store," such as Apple's iTunes App Store or the Google Play Store, has a greater chance of being malicious. Even then, check to make sure that the app developer is the official retailer -- a lot of Amazon-related apps in Google Play have no connection to Amazon.