Leaves are crunching, turkeys are trotting, and homes are stuffed with extended family; you know what that means – Thanksgiving is here!  Which also means Cyber Monday is just around the corner. Cyber Monday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year – Cyber Monday’s 2017 sales even edged out Black Friday sales by But all the crazy clicking, tab refreshing, and internet traffic can turn even the holliest, jolliest shoppers into the Grinch! Worry not, we’ve got you covered with some Cyber Monday tips and tricks to keep your jingle bells jangling all day long! Stay organized, secure, and charitable this year with ACT | The App Association’s Guide to Cyber Monday!

Make your list and check it twice

Planning and organization are key to a successful Cyber Monday. Sticking to what’s on your list will keep you focused on the deals and steals for gifts you actually need. Also, knowing what you need ahead of time will allow you to compare Cyber Monday deals well in advance, making for a seamless day of shopping and saving!

Apps like Wunderlist: To-Do Lists & Tasks help keeps all your shopping lists organized and in one place. Wunderlist even allows shopping lists to be shared between users and instantly syncs between devices – giving shoppers the most up-to-date list!

Save even more

Following retailers on social media is a great method for mapping deals – especially time-sensitive or product-specific ones. Want to keep your social feed for friends and family? Try tools like Honey or Ibotta.

  • Honey is a browser extension that automatically applies the best coupon code to your cart so you never have to spend time looking for a promo code again!
  • Ibotta earns in-store and online shoppers cash back rewards from hundreds of retailers. Just download the app, upload a picture of your receipt, and get the cash sent right to you via PayPal, Venmo, or in the form of a gift card!

Stay cyber secure

Nothing can ruin your day faster than a call from your credit card company saying that your card has been compromised by someone on the naughty list! Stay cyber secure by shopping via the retailer’s app or on secure sites that have “https” at the beginning of the site’s URL.

Still cautious? Try using Speedify. Speedify is a virtual private network (VPN) that keeps your internet traffic private from anyone, whether that is your internet service provider or a cyber-criminal and keeps all of your private data safe.

Give back

If you plan on doing some Cyber Monday shopping on Amazon, sign up with AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is operated by Amazon and has the same products, deals, and features that Amazon.com has, but shopping on AmazonSmile gives 0.5 percent of your purchase total to the charitable organization of your choice!

Want to give back when shopping with other retailers? Try apps like Benefit or GiveTide.

  • Benefit allows customers to purchase digital gift cards and up to 20 percent of each transaction will go towards a charity or non-profit of your choice.
  • GiveTide: Donate Spare Change rounds up purchases made with users’ debit or credit cards to put that spare change towards dozens of charitable organizations. Spend $32.45 at the movies? $0.55 automatically goes into a virtual change jar and can be transferred at any time to the charity of your choice.