Get the best Black Friday deals without the Black Friday crowds, and a week before the mayhem and madness! Shop online for the most convenient purchasing experience, with free expedited shipping options, special offers and online coupon code discounts; not to mention avoiding the vicious crowds and "out of stock" signs.

Let CouponShack.com be your guide for a pleasant and affordable holiday shopping experience and get started by checking out our Black Friday Saver Section where the holiday deals and discounts are already beginning to stack up! Plus, to help you with your planning, here are some tips for saving a little extra money this weekend.

Tips to Maximize Savings on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

1. In case you haven't done so already, create a list of everyone you plan to shop for this holiday season, including family, friends, service workers and co-workers. This will eliminate the possibility of forgetting someone and causing you to have to enter the arena with all the other last-minute shopping desperados.
2. Along with this list I'm sure you have at least some sort of idea on what you'll be purchasing for each individual on your gift list. Go ahead and jot down some ideas next to each name in order to avoid aimless wandering and searching while you shop. It's also a good idea to jot down a maximum spend limit for each individual in order to stick to your budget. Only you know what your particular budget is, but be frugal while considering a thoughtful gift idea.
3. Now it's time for the fun part- shopping while saving money! Shopping online actually does make the experience more enjoyable because it's much easier to find the best deals on what you're looking for without having to shop at midnight, at the wee hours of the morning or deal with thousands of other desperate shoppers. At this point it would be a great idea to browse our Top 25 Black Friday Online Coupons as well as the rest of our most current holiday deals that are already available. There are new additions to this list everyday so be sure to check it out all week long, especially on Black Friday.
4. Have your budget gift list with you while you browse these Black Friday coupons and deals so you can mark any online retailers and special offers that apply to items and recipient preferences on your list. You will already see savings going back in your wallet!
5. Now at this point it's pretty much up to you to make the best purchase decisions based on your particular holiday budget, and only you know exactly what your family and friends would like to receive as a gift. Just always remember to look for an online coupon or special offer before completing any purchase. If you don't see a promotional offer or discount for a particular merchant on our Black Friday deals list, search for a brand or online store and you're sure to turn up a great deal because they're are all over the place this time of year!

Now we can't forget about Cyber Monday, which is the day when shoppers can find the best deals at all their favorite online retailers. The same savings tips above can easily be applied to Cyber Monday shopping, but remember to stop by the CouponShack.com Cyber Monday Deals & Coupons section, which is listed alphabetically by retailer for maximum convenience. Now, some Cyber Monday deals are already available, but not nearly as many that will be on November 28th!

Also remember to stop by our Santa Savers section all December long for the best deals and online coupons for holiday shoppers!

Posted by Ryan on November 24, 2011     Tags: Black Friday Deals , Cyber Monday Deals

Geesh...Thanksgiving isn't even here yet and it's already time to start counting down to Cyber Monday. For those of you who like Black Friday, you are going to love Cyber Monday because you get to take advantage of all the great deals and discounts, but you get to shop right from the comfort of your home or office! That's right, forget about fighting the crowds, lines, and insane patrons, and grab a cup of coffee, relax, and kick off your holiday shopping right from your own desk.

For those of you who are new to or unfamiliar with Cyber Monday, it's the Monday following Thanksgiving and Black Friday. It's just like Black Friday, only all of the deals, discounts, and price cuts are available online. All of your favorite online retailers will be slashing prices, and when you combine these great deals with available coupons, your savings can really add up.

Although many online retailers wait until Cyber Monday to cut prices, you don't have to wait until November 30th to start shopping around. As I mentioned in a previous Black Friday Blog post you should always have a plan. Now the great thing about Cyber Monday is that you don't have to plan around frantic crowds, but you should be prepared so you can take advantage of the best deals possible and remain within your budget. Just begin poking around in the next couple of days, see which stores are going to have the best deals. Visit CouponShack's Cyber Monday and Black Friday Pages where you will find some very useful shopping information as well as available coupons which can lead to some huge savings. Taking these steps will allow you to have a smooth and efficient shopping experience. You'll know which online stores you would like to visit, and you will have a list of all the coupons you would like to use.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the official (unofficial) kick-off to the holiday shopping season. Try to get the majority of your holiday shopping done on these days, especially Cyber Monday. You can't beat the deals and price cuts that are made available, and the additional savings from online coupons really add up. Not to mention, the majority of online retailers throw out shipping costs during the holiday season; many already have.

Posted by Ryan on November 18, 2009     Tags: Cyber Monday Deals

1. Sell your junk - Look around your house and take inventory of the things you either don't need or don't use anymore and sell them on eBay, Craigslist, or your local classifieds. You will be surprised with what you can get for items like old clothes, furniture, appliances, CDs, DVDs, etc.
2. Open a Christmas savings account - No, it's not too late as long as you contribute to it each week. When this Christmas is over, just continue saving for next Christmas. Just check out ING Direct for some of the most competitive high interest savings rates.
3. Buy gifts in bulk - Look for opportunities to purchase gifts in bulk. Not only will you save on shipping, but it also allows you to use larger discount coupons because of the minimum purchase requirements. This doesn't mean just buy multiple quantities of the same item, but also applies to multiple items from the same online store.
4. Buy gifts for hours of pleasure - Give a magazine or newspaper subscription. It doesn't cost much and provides hours of enjoyment each month. Check out Best Deal Magazines for a huge list of magazine subscriptions with discounts up to 85% off the newsstand price. A subscription to The Wall Street Journal makes a very nice present to a college student.
5. Buy pre-owned or refurbished - Buying "new" really doesn't matter that much when buying items like books, movies, CDs, video games, etc. Check out stores like Alibris and SecondSpin. You'll save 50% or more without any loss of quality. For other items such as electronics and appliances, consider buying it refurbished. Practically all the factory direct retailers offer refurbished items now. Plus, they back these items with their own manufacturer's warranty. To name a few, check out Dell, HP Home, Apple, Abt Electronics, and RefurbDepot for these refurbished deals.
6. Make your own gifts - Making your own gifts are not only cheaper, but can also be more meaningful. Some ideas are making your own Christmas ornaments (Michael's), recipe books (Shutterfly), calendars (Snapfish), scrapbooks (S&S Worldwide), fresh baked bread (Cooking.com), & personalized gifts (PersonalizationMall).
7. Create your own Christmas cards - Create a photo card or design your own Christmas card for that extra touch. Save by printing in bulk from an online printer such as VistaPrint. Also, consider sending postcards this year instead of a folding card. Not only is it cheaper to print, but it's also cheaper to mail!
8. Conserve energy - This is often the thing that gets overlooked when it comes to saving during the holidays. Everyday things such as turning off lights and lowering the temperature on the thermostat are obvious, but one thing that is not so obvious are the Christmas lights. Replacing your existing Christmas lights with LED lights provide as much as 80% in energy savings. Just check out Christmas Lights Etc for everything related to Christmas lights.
9. Stay in this year - Don't go out. Entertain at home. Get out the cards and board games. Have a family movie night. Consider a Netflix subscription. With their new service you can instantly watch and rent movies right from your Tivo or computer.
10. Check for double and triple coupons - The best way to find out is to visit your local grocery store's website and subscribe to their alerts. Once the promotion begins, just visit CouponShack.com to print out your grocery coupons.
11. Plan ahead on your meals - Go ahead and decide on your Christmas menu. Make a list of all your ingredients and start stocking up now whenever you see a coupon for an item or a sale on the item. Stock up on pantry and freezer items now and perishables later.
12. Early doorbusters - Doorbusters are not just for Black Friday. Retailers are offering these doorbuster deals early. Keep CouponShack.com bookmarked for updates on all the early doorbuster deals.

Posted by Sok on November 12, 2009     Tags: Black Friday Deals , Cyber Monday Deals , Twelve Days Of Christmas , Last Minute Christmas Shopping

Every year the holiday season gets stretched longer and longer. In years past we wouldn't see holiday ads until Thanksgiving. Then it got stretched to the week of Thanksgiving. Now we're seeing holiday ads the day after Halloween. In the same sense, door buster bargains are now being offered earlier and earlier. Some retailers are trying to get ahead of the game by pre-announcing weeks in advance. In fact, there are quite a few Black Friday ads out already. This has spurred others to go ahead and release some door buster deals prior to Black Friday.

What retailers have done is offer these door buster deals over a short 2-3 day stretch, usually over a weekend, through their online outlet. Stores like Macy's have been doing this on a regular basis for a while, but in recent weeks have really stepped up their efforts. They recently had a up to 60% off sale on all home items plus free shipping and an additional 15% off on top of all of that!

Other retailers have taken a more extreme approach in offering door buster deals over a 3-4 hour window, usually around lunch time EST. The Great Indoors, an online outlet of Sears, did this recently from 9am - 12pm EST. They called it their "Shopping Spree Doorbusters". An example sale item was 20% off the lowest price of all Kenmore appliances.

A third approach by retailers is offer discounts on a later purchase. They're using this method to not only get the sale now, but to also secure a sale for the future. As an example, New York & Co has a 30% off sale going on right now through their online store. As a bonus incentive, for every $30 you spend, New York & Co will give you a $15 discount card towards your next purchase. This discount card is only valid in stores and only from November 11-15th. This approach is becoming more and more popular because it gets the customer to continue coming back throughout the holiday season.

Over the years, retailers have become more and more aggressive in their approach to the holiday season. This year, however, seems almost over the top aggressive, due to the current economic climate. That means we the consumer can expect to see some of the best deals appear not just on Black Friday, but for all of Black November. So, to help our consumers, we've created a section on CouponShack.com that highlights each doorbuster deal or promotion that we come across for the entire holiday season. Don't wait until Black Friday for doorbuster deals. They are happening now. Let us monitor the deals for you so all you will have to do is make your list, check it twice, and buy when the price is right!

Posted by Sok on November 04, 2009     Tags: Thanksgiving Day Savings , Black Friday Deals , Cyber Monday Deals