Ten Ways a Kroger Credit Card Saves You Money

Choosing a credit card can be a daunting experience for many because there are so many different varieties to research that it is often hard to know where to begin. The many different options must be weighed carefully before a final choice is made to get the most out of the right card. A credit card linked to rewards at a grocery store might be an attractive card to investigate since just about everyone has to shop for food. Assuming that there is a Kroger Store in the area, the Kroger Credit Card is one that can save money in ten different ways.

1. No annual fee: The Kroger Credit card charges no annual fee for its users. This can mean a savings of between $20-$100 per year that other cards may charge. A free card that offers so much is a valuable option.

2. 0% APR: This card offers an APR rates of 0% for the first 9 billing cycles. This rate is offered on not only purchases and balances, but balance transfers as well. This means that no interest is being added on to the money that is charged or transferred to this card. Those that have other cards with a high APR can transfer the balances to this card, to save money, at least for a short period of time.

3. Anywhere rewards: A user can earn one point per every dollar spent at any place of business that a Visa card is accepted. These points add up quickly and translate into dollars at the end of each quarter.

4. Kroger store points: Earn two points per every dollar spent at any Kroger store. Again, these points add up and translate into dollars. The points will add up more quickly if you use the card to purchase most or all of your groceries at Kroger

5. Kroger brand points: Earn three points per every dollar spent on Kroger branded products. These quality products often save you money over the national brands in the first place, and with this card, each purchase will give you additional savings.

6. Points turn into dollars: For every 1000 points that one earns, a $5 reward will be sent to the customer. The rewards are sent automatically at the end of each quarter.

7. Earn gas money: Users of this credit card can earn an additional zero fraud liability from the issuing bank. This policy is free to the customer, thus saving money, and protects one when the bank is notified of any fraudulent activity on the card.

9. It is a three in one card: This card is three cards in one. It is not only a Visa card but it is also a rewards card and a shopper’s card. This affords the customer with the valuable rewards as well as money saving coupons and other specials right from the same card that one can pay for their groceries with.

10. Reputable Issuer: The issuer of this card is U.S. Bank National Association. This bank is reputable and offers additional benefits such as smart chip and signature protection and a 24 day grace period. These benefits can save one money by keeping the card safe, as well as affording extra time with payments. This credit card got many positive reviews.

This Kroger credit card is a good choice for those who frequent the Kroger stores. It affords the user free groceries just for using the credit card to shop for food, activities most people do on a regular basis anyway. The terms of the card are similar to many other and yet allow for some reward to be gained from the card at the same time.

3 Reasons to Open an Orange Everyday ING Account

The Orange Everyday ING DIRECT account is a winner for many reasons. For customers exhausted by monthly required banking fees, the Orange Everyday ING account will the a breath of fresh air (it is fee-free). Plus, this account comes with lots of other valuable freebies as well. In this post, learn what you need to know about why opening an Orange Everyday ING account is worth it.

Reason #1: Fee-Free Plus Other Freebies

With very few exceptions, everything about the ING DIRECT account is free to customers. For example, there are no account maintenance fees, no minimum balance fees, no card replacement fees and no stop payment fees.

Here is a list of all the freebies included in the Orange Everyday ING account:

– Replacement card (regular mail or rush order).

– Stop payment on a check.

– Additional blank checks.

– Monthly account maintenance.

– Transfer funds.

With Orange Everyday, You Actually Earn Cash

This unique account also gives customers incentives to earn extra cash while going about their daily business.

Here is a list of ways you can earn when you open an ING DIRECT account:

– Earn $0.50 for every ATM withdrawal of $200 or more.

– Earn up to 3.5 percent interest when you use direct deposit to deposit your paycheck (must be in the amount of $1,000 or more to qualify).

– Earn up to 2 percent cash back when you use your PayWave Visa to make purchases (of $100 or less) AND you deposit your paycheck via direct deposit ($1000+).

– Get free ATM usage for the month when you deposit your paycheck via direct deposit ($1000+) OR you have an ING home loan.

Reason #2: Complementary Savings Account Options

If you are working towards establishing an emergency fund or a retirement account, the ING Orange Everyday checking account pairs very well with a number of ING DIRECT savings account products that you can choose from.

Here is an overview of the various savings account options:

– Savings Accelerator. You can earn up to 2.5 percent APY when you keep a balance of anywhere from $50,000 to $149,000.

– Savings Maximiser. You can earn up to 3.5 percent APY on a balance of any amount so long as you also have an Orange Everyday ING account and you deposit your monthly paycheck (of $1000+) via direct deposit each month.

– Personal term deposit. With the personal term deposit account, you deposit funds in the amount of $10,000 or greater for a term of 180 days and earn 2.9 percent APY. You can also earn an additional bonus when you hold the funds in the account until the termination date.

TIP: The best pairing to get the most benefits is to open an Orange Everyday ING account and then also open a Savings Maximiser account.

Reason #3: ING Offers Lots of Helpful Tools

In addition to the Orange Everyday ING account, the Savings Maximiser account and many other perks that come along with both, you can take advantage of a number of online tools that ING offers to its customers. Some of the best tools come in the form of calculators to help you with budgeting, savings and investing.

You can also read a number of educational guides on topics such as starting and maintaining an emergency fund, reaching your savings goals, keeping a budget and selecting savings vehicles. These tools can help you hit the ground running with your new checking and savings accounts as you take control of your personal finances.

With these three powerful reasons to open an Orange Everyday ING account, you will be able to feel confident to open your new account and harness the full benefit of the tools, resources and perks available to you.

What is a Good Fico Score for Buying a Car?

Your credit score, known as the Fair-Isaacs Company (FICO) score, will be very important when you decide to purchase a new vehicle. Lenders review your credit score to determine how much interest you will be charged or even if you qualify to purchase a vehicle at all.

Auto Loan Ranges

Not all lenders have the same requirements regarding credit scores. If your credit score is between 740 and 850, it is considered excellent, which means you will be eligible for lower interest loans and more favorable terms. Most experts say that with a score in the excellent range, you will likely get an interest rate of between zero and 3.2 percent. A credit score in the range of 680 to 739 is considered an average score, so interest rates and terms may be less favorable. For most people with an average score, interest rates will range from 3.3 to 4.5 percent. If your credit score is 680 or below, you are considered a sub-prime borrower and can expect to pay the highest rates on a car loan. The average for poor credit vehicle loans is usually higher than 6.5 percent, with some ranging as high as 15 to 25 percent.

Why Is Credit Score Important?

Your credit score lets lenders know how big of a risk you are when they decide to lend you money. Increased credit risk means that a lender must place a risk premium to the price you must pay when you borrow. This means that even if your credit is poor, you will probably be able to find a lender who will provide you with an automobile loan. However, the cost of that credit will be significantly higher than it would be for someone with good credit.

Determining Credit Score

There are five factors that go into determining your credit score and each are weighted differently as part of the score. These include your previous credit performance, current level of debt, time credit has been in use, types of credit you have available and the pursuit of new credit. Your history of credit payments has the most impact on your credit rating.

Tips to Improve Credit Score

If your score is low, it may be advisable to delay purchasing a new vehicle until you can raise your credit score. Although raising your score can be done, it can take a significant amount of time, depending on the reason for your low score. Some tips for raising your score include:

Make all payments on time and for the correct amount. If you have been delinquent in the past, your most recent on-time payment history will help improve your score even with the late payments on your file.

Never ignore bills that are past due. Contact the creditor and work out a payment arrangement with them until you are able to pay again agreed. Most are willing to work with customers who find themselves in a sudden financial crisis.

Keep debt as low as possible, but do not eliminate it completely. In order to build a credit history, you must use credit.

Know your credit score. In many cases, the first time a consumer learns they have been the victim of identity theft is when they apply for a loan and learn their credit score is much lower than it should be. Check your credit report and your score at least once per year. The federal government requires that credit bureaus provide every consumer with a free credit report annually. Although they are not required to provide you with a score with the report, most charge very small fees to provide you with your credit score as well.

If you are considering the purchase of a new vehicle, it is important to be aware of your credit score before you visit the dealership. Knowing your score in advance could allow you to get a much lower interest rate and arrange a better deal for the new car.

Unwanted Gift Cards: How to Get What You Really Want

Each year, the holiday season is full of well-intentioned people who give gift cards that are not likely to ever be used. Though this can seem like a holiday bummer for the recipient, an unwanted gift card is simply an opportunity waiting to happen. Here are several ways to get something better out of your gift card to make your holidays more merry than you have ever imagined.

Option 1: Ask the Store. In some cases, you may be able to trade your gift card in for cash. In others, there may be a loophole where you can buy merchandise with a gift card and then return it for cash. This doesn’t work everywhere, and your best bet is to go straight to customer service and ask if there are any return policies that allow this to happen.

Option 2: Sell your Card. If you have a friend who is an avid shopper at Sparkles-R-Us or whatever other store your card comes from, the best bet is to sell it to them, or swap them for a more usable card. If not, find a buyer online. There are lots of places to sell your stuff online these days. Ebay and Craigslist top the list, but there are many other online marketplaces where you can do this. You will likely have to sell it at a discount if you want a trade. Few people will take time out of their day to pay $50 for a $50 gift card, since they could just use that money at the store already. But $45 for the card will get a bargain hunter excited. Expect them to try and haggle you down a bit more, however. It’s in their nature.

Option 3: Make the Best of It. One thing to keep in mind with all of these is that this is a gift. Just because it comes from a store you never shopped in, such as a sporting goods store when you’re a couch potato, doesn’t mean that there is nothing here for you. It just means that you need to come down and discover for yourself. Best case scenario is that you find something that you love. Medium case is that you find something to give to the person who got you the card in the first place on the next holiday, and worst case is that you find nothing, but now you know. If you find nothing of value to you, all is not lost. Proceed to option 4.

Option 4: Buy Something to Resell. If you really want to get into advanced opportunity making, then use the card to buy something that is discounted, or the very last of an item that is going out of stock. Both of these become money making opportunities if you turn around and sell them online to someone who didn’t quite make it to the store before they ran out of them. This can often result in a pretty good payout, and in some cases can double or triple your investment. Considering the money was funded by a free gift card, then it’s an even bigger win for you.

Option 5: Give it to Charity. If you really can’t stand anything at the store, then see if you can give the card to charity, or purchase an item to donate. At least then, the value of the donation can be used against your taxes, and you get to make someone in need smile at their brand new nose hair trimmer or salad spinner. Not only does this make you a nice person, but you get the tax break to prove it.

So there it is– five ways to make the best of a bad gift card. No matter how you deal with it, it’s important to note that this was given out of love and kindness, and every gift, even the gift certificate to Garlic World, deserves a heartfelt thank you. How you return the favor to your gift-challenged friend is up to you.

Is Refinancing Your Auto Loan a Smart Decision?

If you have a car, there is a chance that you also have an auto loan that you must pay off. Depending on the terms of your current loan, you may be paying too much in interest each month. However, even if you do pay a relatively high interest rate, is it in your best interest to refinance your auto loan?

Can You Lower the Interest Rate?

Your payment each month consists of both a principal payment and an interest payment. The amount of interest that you pay each month depends on your credit score and other factors considered by the lenders. If you can reduce your interest rate, you can reduce your monthly payment by $50 or more per month depending on the amount of the loan and how long you have left to repay it. However, if you are unable to reduce the interest rate, you should not refinance because that is the determining factor in how much you pay for the car overall.

What About Reducing Your Monthly Payment?

While you may think that reducing your monthly payment is worth refinancing your loan for a longer term, you are paying more than you need to for your vehicle. Remember, your vehicle is a depreciating asset, which means it will be worth less as time goes on. Therefore, the longer that you take to repay the loan, the more you are paying for something that will no longer be worth the investment.

Your Car Only Has So Many Years of Useful Life

It is also important to remember that your car only has so much time before it is no longer useful to you. Generally, a car owner will keep his or her car for five or six years before trading it in. If you owe more on the car than it is worth, you will have to roll over the balance to your next loan. This means that you are going to pay more than what your next car is worth, which creates a cycle of negative equity that can take years to recover from.

Do You Qualify For Refinancing?

One question that you need to consider is whether you will qualify for refinancing. While you may want to get a lower rate or extend your loan term to pay less each month, a lender will still have to check your credit before giving you a loan. Furthermore, you should check to make sure that your current lender will allow you to prepay the loan before the original term is up. While most lenders accept prepayment, you don’t want to risk paying a penalty just to extend the term of your loan or to get a slightly lower interest rate.

How Long Do You Plan on Owning the Car?

If you plan on owning the car for several more years, it may make sense to refinance even if it will cost you more to do so. In some cases, you may be able to make smaller payments now and make larger payments later on to make up for the principal that you are not paying at the moment. This may make it easier to manage your debt now without falling behind in the long run as it relates to building equity in your vehicle.

Refinancing your auto loan may make sense for you if you can get a lower interest rate or want to make smaller payments now and larger payments later on. However, make sure that you avoid the trap of extending your loan in exchange for smaller payments. While you may benefit now, you may lose in the long run when you are more likely to be paying for a car that isn’t worth the monthly payment.

Personal Loans Online: How to Detect a Scam

Many people with a bad credit history and still want to secure a loan are prone to fraudsters who have created the online loan scam. Amid the confusion of not having enough money and sometimes dealing with the loss of a job, many people will fall for the trap. But how does it work? A company with a legitimate-sounding name offers a guaranteed loan without paying regard to the client’s credit history. When you see this, it’s time to raise an eyebrow and look out for other signs of detecting financial scams online. These are:

Upfront or Advance Fees for a Loan

The company will ask for an advance fee. The fee will be disguised as registration, premium or even collateral. The amount can total up to thousands of US dollars. The fraudsters are very crafty since they know when they ask for it immediately you will decline, they wait until one or two days for your loan to be approved. You will then receive a phone call informing you that your loan has been approved and that you are required to send the fee.

Personal Information

It’s not smart to send personal information online when you’re not absolutely sure you’re dealing with a reputable lender. Just like the upfront fee, a person will be very excited to send their personal information such as bank details, social security number, date of birth and other personalized details. This information could be used to rob your account or to commit identity theft.

A Lender Not Interested in Your Credit History

Lenders will often dig into your credit history to determine your probability of repaying the loan. Therefore, don’t believe that a company will offer you a loan without checking into your credit history. If this happens, it’s a scam. Some of the scam ads will read like: “We do not care about your credit history,” “No hassles, just make a call, and you will have your loan in three days.”

Pressure to Act Immediately and Fast

Normally, a loan will take a few weeks to be approved. This allows the bank to gather all the information it required for approval. Fraudsters will want you to send an upfront fee, give personal information even before getting the paperwork. Always insist on paperwork before deciding on the line of credit or type of loan you want to apply for.

If the Loan Broker Hesitates to Tell Their Location

Loan brokers are licensed to operate on behalf of banks and lending institutions. Fraudsters will approach you offering to negotiate a loan for you with a reputable institution–but if they decline to tell you their location, run away from the scam.

A Company That Is Not Registered

Run a background check through the registrar of companies. If you find out that the lending institution is not registered in your state, you should know it is a scam. Although this is not a guarantee of detecting a scam, it will enable you to see the companies previous lending history and rating by clients. And give you a clearer outlook of the company.

Fishy Connections to a Financial Institution

A broker will want to act on behalf of a renowned lending company to look legitimate. Ask which lender the broker is connected to and the address of the establishment. Fraudsters have mastered the art of craftiness and will provide paperwork that is similar to the renowned lending institution. Run a cross check of the website information of the lender to determine whether it’s genuine.

When you have a bad credit history and need cash, you might fall prey to these con artists. Always remain skeptical about loan offers and look for all possible signs of a scam such as these listed above.

Mortgage Questions to Ask Before You Sign

The day that you find out that you have been approved for a mortgage is one of the best days of your life. However, it is a good idea to make sure that you know what you are signing before doing so. Once you sign the loan documents, you are bound by its terms until it is paid off or refinanced. Therefore, what are some questions that you should ask before signing on the dotted line?

Is There a Prepayment Penalty?

The most important thing that you need to know before signing a mortgage contract is whether there is a penalty for paying early. In most cases, it doesn’t matter when you pay off the balance as long as you make your minimum monthly payment. However, some lenders try to put language in that prevents you from paying off the loan before the end of the term. This means that you may not even be able to refinance because you are technically paying off your old loan by doing so.

What Happens If I Miss a Payment?

No one intends to miss a mortgage payment or fail to make payments on any debt that they owe. In fact, your lender does everything possible to ensure that you won’t miss a payment on such an expensive loan. However, there is a chance that you could lose your job or fall ill, which could result in a loss of income or a large new expense. That could result in a missed or late payment, which could mean that the lender will foreclose on the loan. Knowing the consequences of missing a payment will help guide your thought process in the event that you are struggling to keep up with the loan in the future.

What Happens to the Home If I Pass On?

Typically, your survivors may have the opportunity to continue making payments on the loan if you pass on before fully paying it off. In some cases, the lender may reserve the right to foreclose on the property if there is no one willing or able to continue making those payments. This is important to clarify ahead of time in case you are suffering from a health issue that may get worse or if you are planning on leaving the house to a family member.

How Long Am I Required to Keep Insurance on the House?

Homeowners insurance is a great product to own because it will help you protect your investment in the event that damage occurs to the home. For instance, if gusty winds tear off your roof’s shingles, there will be money to replace them. In most cases, you are not legally required to carry homeowners insurance. However, your lender may require you to do so as a condition of your loan. This protects the lender’s interest in the property throughout the term of the loan. Often, this requirement is in place until the loan is paid off, but it is important to ask just to be sure that you are not spending money on something that you don’t want or need to have.

Is There a Grace Period on the Loan?

Typically, you will have 45 days from when you close on the home to when you have to make the first payment. You also have 15 days after the due date to make your monthly payment without penalty on most loans. Asking about any grace period may help you decide which bills to pay first if you are in a financial crisis in a given month or need time to save up money for your first few payments.

Your mortgage is your largest and perhaps only long-term debt. Therefore, it is important that you understand the terms and conditions of that loan before you sign it. If you are unclear about anything, be sure to ask before you are legally bound to honor everything in the document.

How to Turn Donations Into Tax Deductions

People often donate their time, money, and goods to charities or nonprofit organizations. Charities and nonprofits receive billions of dollars in total donations annually. In most cases, donations are provided out of a personal desire to help others in need. Most donors benefit from a feeling of being a good person and nothing more. They don’t receive money or material rewards for donating after all. Then again, the tax benefits of giving to charity are well-known among taxpayers by now.

Donations, Tax Deductions, And The IRS

In fact, the Internal Revenue Service encourages taxpayers to donate to nonprofits and charities. Most donations are partially or fully tax deductible. IRS regulations control how charitable donations work for tax purposes today. Without a doubt, taxpayers need to exercise caution by following these regulations. Overreporting donations or failing to maintain proper documentation comes with consequences. Smart and careful taxpayers can reduce their tax bills by giving, though.

How Can Taxpayers Take This Tax Deduction?

Taxpayers often donate money and physical goods to charities. Both forms of giving are tax deductible under slightly different rules and guidelines. For instance, monetary donations can be deducted in full each year. Physical goods are often deducted at a fair market value, which is determined by the donor, with certain caveats. Certain rules apply to both types of donations, and taxpayers shouldn’t deduct charitable donations without understanding what can and can’t be done here.

The Basics Of Monetary Donations

Monetary donations are straightforward when it comes to tax deductions. Taxpayers can deduct donations given to approved charities and nonprofit organizations. For higher income brackets, taxpayers receive what is essentially a higher reward for donating. An individual should obtain a receipt for all large monetary donations. Most individuals won’t experience trouble dealing with tax deductions for cash donations.

The Basics Of Donating Physical Goods

When donating physical items to charity, taxpayers must calculate the fair market value for that item. Simply put, FMV doesn’t equate to the price that a taxpayer originally paid for that item. It’s important to put a reasonable number that’s not too low or too high. Receipts are necessary for every item donated, so donations should be made to an attendant at the charity, and not a dropbox.

Rules That Apply To All Donations

Since taxes and the IRS are involved, things can become complicated for some taxpayers. For example, tax deductions for charitable donations do come with certain deduction limits. Smaller donors will never hit those limits, but issues can arise if total deductions exceed 20% of a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income. A variety of other complicated tax code regulations come into play from time to time. Either way, all donations must be deducted in the tax year they were given.

Other rules apply here, and deductions must be itemized for charitable donations.

The Importance Of Recordkeeping

For donated cash and goods, receipts and detailed records are a necessity. Any taxpayer that donates multiple times per year needs to keep records at all times. A tax audit is always a possibility, and large tax deductions for charitable giving often trigger such audits. During an audit, taxpayers without proper documentation of their donations will be hit with stiff penalties and consequences. Recordkeeping helps avoid such situations and protects taxpayers from audit-related penalties.

Donating Can Lower That Tax Bill!

Most taxpayers can reduce their annual tax bills by donating to charity. It’s a relatively simple process for the average taxpayer. Like most tax-related things, issues can arise for certain taxpayers because of a complicated tax code. Strict recordkeeping and an accountant can help taxpayers deal with such situations. Ordinary taxpayers won’t experience these problems, and IRS regulations shouldn’t prevent someone from donating to charity and benefitting from the tax deduction.

Should You Apply for a Credit Card Online or In Person?

If you’re an adult, then chances are high that you already own at least one credit card. But perhaps you’re in the market for a new credit card that covers more of your needs, or different needs. Most banks, credit unions, and retail stores offer credit cards to consumers. Typically, these companies offer enticing promotions or discounts to convince you to apply for a given card. Both online and in-store or in-branch applications are often available. Is there a difference between applying online or in person?

Is one better than the other? Does it even matter?

The Short Answer

Most banks and retail stores don’t care whether you apply for credit online or in person. Each application will ask for the same personal and financial information. Sometimes, a given company may not offer online credit applications. Online-only banks or stores obviously cannot offer an in-person application process. Companies that do provide both options don’t care which path you opt to take, though. To those companies, a credit application is the same, regardless of the medium used to apply.

Plus, all applications are processed electronically after all is said and done. Online applications are processed through electronic systems in less than 60 seconds. If you apply for credit in person, then a similar sequence occurs. A banker will take your paper application and input it into a computer for electronic processing. In retail stores, you might enter information into a POS terminal, but that information is processed electronically, too. All applications hit online servers for processing.

The Longer Answer

As previously mentioned, banks and retail stores simply want you to submit a credit card application. They couldn’t care less when and where you handle this process. An online or in-person application could make a difference for yourself, at least for retail credit cards. In most cases, retail stores allow you to use your credit account immediately both in-stores and online. Banks and other companies make you wait to receive the physical credit card before the line of credit can be utilized.

For retail credit cards, you might want to put some extra thought into how you fill out the application. Promotions and introductory offers tend to work in stores and online. Most retail accounts are usable as soon as consumers are approved. At a retail store, you can expect a receipt printout that’s immediately available to use for the first purchase. Quite a few online retail cards automatically connect to your existing online account for immediate use on purchases. No card is necessary at first.

At this point, it’s vital to point something out. Retailers often let you make your first purchase without the card, online or in stores. This opportunity is based on where you applied and often isn’t interchangeable. Therefore, you shouldn’t expect to be able to pay for purchases in store right after applying online, and vice versa.

Don’t Forget About Convenience And Inventory Differences!

These days, retailers rarely feature the same inventories online and in stores. You might not be able to find something in store that you saw online. Then you have to consider the convenience factor. Even if you can use your credit account immediately online, you still have to wait for goods to reach your home. On the other hand, applying for credit in-store and making a purchase provides instant results. You walk out of the store that day with the items you choose to buy on credit.

So, what’s the final verdict?

No differences exist between applying for credit cards online or in-branch for banks. For retail companies, the story is sometimes different. You can sometimes make purchases right away in-store or online. A given company might make you wait for the card either way. In some situations, an in-store application makes more sense because you can leave with products upon approval without waiting.

If you want to make a purchase as soon as possible, then in-store is the way to go. Banks and retailers don’t care one way or the other, though. For the average person, it won’t make a huge difference, either.

Getting the Best Deals on Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday is quickly becoming as popular as Black Friday as one of the top shopping days of the year. This is the Monday that immediately follows Black Friday, and these two days kick off the official holiday shopping season. Both are well-known for having great deals on merchandise, but Cyber Monday is unique because it is an online shopping day with Internet specials and promotions. If you are planning to shop online on Cyber Monday, there are a few tips you can follow to get the best deals possible.

Make a Shopping List

If you are like most online shoppers, you have a limited amount of money available to spend on your purchases as well as a select list of people who you need to buy gifts for. With so many special offers and deals available to you on Cyber Monday, it is easy to go a little crazy and make impulse purchases. This ultimately will mean that you spend more money than you intended to, and you may easily lose track of what you bought when you make multiple purchases. A smart idea is to make a shopping list with different gift ideas for those who you need to buy gifts for, and keep this list handy as you explore the options online.

Research the Options

For each item on your shopping list, take time to research the options thoroughly. Pay attention to special hours for the savings, but do not feel obligated to make a hasty purchase. Spending a few extra minutes exploring the options available through different retailers can help you to identify where the savings are.

Pay Attention to Shipping Fees and Taxes

The best deals on Cyber Monday are those that enable you to save the most money on your purchases. When you shop online, some purchases may be subject to sales tax and shipping charges. In some cases, it is more affordable overall to choose a retailer that has slightly higher product prices with a free shipping or flat rate shipping policy than to choose the retailer with lower prices paired with a higher shipping fee.

Shop Early for Special Offers

Just as there are early bird or doorbuster specials for you to take advantage of on Black Friday, the same holds true for Cyber Monday shopping. Some online retailers will offer a limited supply of items to the first online shoppers who make a purchase during a specified period of time. Generally, you may need to wake up very early on Cyber Monday in order to find these deals if you want to take advantage of the additional savings they provide.

Look for Online Coupons and Discounts

Many e-retailers will continue to honor coupons, promo codes and other specials with online purchases on already-discounted items on Cyber Monday. This means that you may be able to save even more money when you stack coupons or discounts that you found with the Cyber Monday prices. You can spend time in the days leading up to Cyber Monday researching the online coupons and special offers that are available so that you get the absolute lowest price possible.

Use Online Shopping Forums

If you are serious about saving money on Cyber Monday, a smart idea is to visit online shopping forums. These forums are filled with wonderful tips and advice to help you save money on your Cyber Monday purchases. For example, one shopper may tell you how to save money on a specific product or with a specific retailer, and another may add a comment that tells you about an even better offer available.

Some people will use both Black Friday and Cyber Monday to complete most or all of their holiday shopping, and others will save money on items for themselves. For all of your shopping plans, you can use these tips to help you identify the best deals and to take advantage of them for your benefit.