3 Reasons to Shop on Cyber Monday Over Black Friday

You may want to put off large purchases for a few extra days.

Whether you love shopping for the holidays or do so because it's an obligation, now's the time to start mapping out a strategy. The holidays will be here before we know it, and supply chains still aren't fully caught up from their pandemic-induced backlogs. That's why it could pay to do the bulk of your holiday shopping in November rather than postpone those purchases until December.

Now if you're going to shop for the holidays in November, you may be inclined to jump on the deals that pop up during Black Friday. But here are a few good reasons to hold out until Cyber Monday instead.

1. You won't have to battle the crowds

A lot of the deals you'll see available on Black Friday are in-store specials -- specifically, doorbusters reserved for those shoppers who are willing to rise at the crack of dawn and camp out in line to be the first ones inside stores. If you save your shopping for Cyber Monday, you won't have to deal with crowds. Instead, you can shop from the comfort of your own home. Heck, you don't even have to leave your bed.

2. You may be less tempted with impulse buys

Shopping in person often leads to unplanned purchases. And while the same thing could happen when you shop online, it may be less likely, because often, you'll really need to browse around a lot to get thrown off-course.

Plus, it's one thing to see a picture of a cozy sweater on a website and get tempted by it, and it's another thing to see that sweater hanging on a rack in front of your face (and to be able to touch it and try it on to see if it's a good fit). If you're looking to keep your credit card bills to a minimum in the course of your holiday shopping, then you may want to favor Cyber Monday over Black Friday.

3. You'll be able to compare deals

Black Friday is the first major sales event to occur over Thanksgiving weekend. And while you might see a lot of good deals, you won't necessarily have a way to compare them to know if you're really getting the lowest prices or not.

On the other hand, if you wait until Cyber Monday to do your shopping, you'll be able to compare the prices you're seeing to those advertised on Black Friday. And that will clue you in as to whether you're getting a good price on the items you're buying.

Some people do all or most of their holiday shopping on Black Friday and, as such, run out of money by the time Cyber Monday rolls around. But that's a decision you might regret. So rather than max out your holiday shopping budget on Black Friday, reserve at least some of your shopping (and cash reserves) for Cyber Monday. You may end up finding that it's an easier sales event to participate in, and that the savings are even more substantial.