Cyber Monday 2022: How to look for the best deals

Black Friday this year brought in record-breaking sales numbers, but experts say Cyber Monday could be even bigger still. 

Black Friday 2022 brought in sales of more than $9 billion, but experts predict more than $11 billion in sales on Cyber Monday this year. 

Trae Bodge is a cyber-shopping expert and has a number of tips and tricks to make sure consumers are shopping smart and snagging the best deals. 

"I would urge consumers to focus on the categories that are historically the most steeply discounted," Bodge said. "So that would be tech, small appliances, fall fashion and beauty."

SUGGESTED: Black Friday taking a back seat to Small Business Saturday this year

Bodge also said that the big box stores — Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon — will likely have the most appealing deals.

"Tech is really the star of the show on Cyber Monday. We see very deep discounts in the 40 to 50% off range, especially TVs because retailers are sitting on a lot of excess inventory because of overstocks," she said.

There are several tools to use to help isolate the best deals. Sites like Google Shopping make price comparison simple. Other sites like Slick Deals can give you cash back, which Bodge says is particularly helpful if you're planning to spend big,

"You could for example get 5% cash back, which if you're spending a couple hundred dollars on a laptop, for example, that can be a significant savings," Bodge said.

Prices on Cyber Monday can look a lot like those on Black Friday, but keep an eye out. Sometimes, if retailers are disappointed with Black Friday sales, the Cyber Monday deals may lead to even more discounts.

"On Black Friday if it was a sale on one very specific model of TV, on Cyber Monday you may see site-wide or across a brand, and so the deals tend to be broader in that way," she said.

In terms of reigning in the spending, Bodge has some simple tips:

  • Keep a list of what you're looking for
  • Avoid buying multiple on-sale items for everyone on your list
  • Avoid sales pushing the urgency to buy