A few months ago, I sent out an email to my list about how you shouldn't fall for all the hype of these shopping days.

It was Amazon Prime Day and it killed me seeing all the emails from bloggers talking about how you shouldn't pass up these deals.

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Knowing that most people who were only purchasing because of FOMO, spending money they didn't really have.

Coming from a blogger who makes most of her money during these huge cyber sale days, it seems a little strange that I'm saying all this. 

But the truth is, I never want to take advantage of you guys, and I never want to see you being taken advantage of.

Look, I'd love for you all to shop through my links, but if it's at the expense of you spending money that you don't have, going into debt, or making some bad money decisions- don't send that bad juju my way, Linda.

I want to see you succeed, which is why I am gonna share some of my favorite deals, but I'm also gonna tell you all about how you can save money on Cyber Monday with very little effort!

Because this year, with 3 kids + a newborn- shopping on my sofa in my jams seems like a better idea.

If you're looking for some great Black Friday-Cyber Monday deals, then check this out!

• Cyber Monday Homeschool Deals
• Cyber Monday Blogger Deals
• Cyber Monday Amazon Deals

We'll be updating these pages throughout the weekend as we find deals we know that you'll love. Be sure to bookmark/save them for updates!

9 Ways to Save Money on Cyber Monday

1. Give yourself a Holiday Gift Budget

I wait all year for this weekend. Over the next 4 days, I will nearly complete ALL of my Holiday Shopping List and I won't be one bit sad about it.

But, because I do so much shopping this weekend, it's hard to keep up with who I've bought for, what I've bought, how much I spent on each person, how much I spend total, where my receipts are, and so on. The first thing I do to keep myself organized is to give myself a total budget. 

The thing about a budget is, you have to be realistic. I have 4 kids, a husband, parents, step-parents, inlaws, nieces, nephews, grandparents, etc. It's not possible for me to spend $500 for everyone for Christmas. That wouldn't even be $10 per person for my whole list.

So, I give myself a realistic budget with a little bit of wiggle room so I'm not disappointed if I don't meet it to the "T".

2. Make a list of all of the people you need to buy for

Don't forget about holiday parties and gifts for things like White Elephant or Secret Santa Games, if your family or friends play them.

Having a list of each person/function you need to buy for his helps you to stay on top of your spending, and in turn, helps ensure that you'll stay on budget. 

You now have a total budget, and your list of people to buy for. We're beginning to get a little more organized.

The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition:Boxclever Press Budget Planner - CheckExpense Tracker Organizer: Keep Track |Dailybloom daily planners Bound to-Do List

3. Look at the sales and get a few ideas

How can you put a budget on gifts when you have no gift ideas, or aren't sure what the sales are? If you're an experienced shopper and a stickler for budgets, this part may be easy for you. But if you have trouble staying on track- don't skip this step!

Get a few ideas of what is on sale, and what may be a good fit for your list.

4. Give each person on your list a budget

Now that you have an idea of what the sales are, and how much you can spend. Give each person on your list a budgeted amount and be sure to stick to it. Don't feel bad if you budget more for someone but spend less. 

It's the thought that counts, not the amount of money you spent. 

Just because you budgeted $50 for Aunt Karen and the perfect gift was $20, don't feel like you need to spend that leftover $30. You just came in under-budget. 

Instead, pat yourself on the back and be proud!

5. Take notice of sale prices

Walmart, Amazon, Target- they're in big competition these days. Prices on the same brands may differ between stores, take note of where the prices are cheaper! By shopping online, you're saving money on gas!

Don't be afraid to shop around as most stores offer free shipping or something similar. Also, look into stacking deals at places like Target and Kohls.

• Walmart offers free ship to store on most of their items or free shipping with an order of $35+.
• Amazon Prime for 2-day free shipping and $1 digital credits on some delayed shipping items.
• Target always offers free shipping for RedCard holders (and 5% off when you use your RedCard, plus Circle for coupons, AND text coupons) and free store pickup.
• Kohls likes to offer coupons that are stackable, along with their Kohls Cash savings.

See #7 , #8, & #9 for saving money online, or check out this post about Saving Money While Shopping Online!

6. Give yourself a little spending money

 It's easy to get caught up shopping for yourself when you're shopping for others- especially with all the great deals and sales. Don't let FOMO get the best of you, allow yourself to indulge a little and you won't feel like you're missing out. 

But don't forget that Christmas is around the corner and it's very likely that you'll be receiving gifts too. Don't overindulge. There WILL be more sales, more opportunities. 

Don't forget about those Day After Christmas Sales. 🙂

7. Use Honey for coupons

Honey is an amazing money-saving browser add-on that will automatically scour the web and check for coupons, ensuring that you're saving the most money. No need to search for coupons to only be disappointed when they don't work!

Using Honey is a smart shopper's choice. Especially a smart Cyber Monday shopper.

Honey offers a cashback option and a coupon finder. Usually, cashback offers are better on Rakuten (our next tip). You CAN use Honey in conjunction with Rakuten, to save even more money. Just be sure that you're using Honey as a coupon finder and Rakuten as your cashback option.

8. Shop through Rakuten for cashback

Rakuten is the number one cashback site on the market right now! You really don't want to miss out on using this free tool ANYTIME you shop online.

You can shop through Rakuten's portal by using the search bar on the top of the page, clicking the store of your choice, and then hitting the "Shop Now" button.

OR, you could just use their browser extension that reminds you to activate the cashback option on any applicable store that you visit- which is my favorite option. 

9. Don't forget to use Gift Card Granny for EXTRA savings

A great way to save a little extra money is to buy discounted gift cards for the stores that you plan on making a purchase at, and then using those gift cards online. The best part? This works in conjunction with Honey and Rakuten, still allowing you to find coupons and earn cashback without penalties! 

Basically, you search Gift Card Granny's website for a specific store, and they give you options on purchasing e-gift cards, or plastics, at greatly discounted prices! Right now, a $100 Old Navy Gift Card is $90. That's a $10 savings, on top of whatever sale Old Navy is running, whatever coupons that Honey can find you, and however much cashback you can get from Rakuten. Quadruple Whammy.

Do you regularly shop on big sale days? What are your favorite tips for saving money on Cyber Monday?