Every year I battle with a pros and cons list of shopping on Black Friday vs Cyber Monday. Should I do both? Are the deals worth it? Should I sleep in and get some such needed rest? Here is my ultimate pros and cons list of shopping on Black Friday vs Cyber Monday.

Pros of Shopping on Black Friday

• Obviously, the good deals on electronics.
• Fast start to Christmas shopping, since I haven’t started yet (don’t judge me…lol)
• Shopping on Black Friday can be a lot of fun if you go with the right friends.
• Guaranteed shopping for myself. According to the National Retail Federation, people are buying more gifts for themselves on Black Friday.

Cons of Shopping on Black Friday

• Not all of the deals are great deals. For example: toys are known to be cheaper a couple weeks after Black Friday.
• Best sale items are low in quantity and quality. These are when the elbow matches start between customers for something that is going to break in two months.
• Some stores start their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving!
• Friday is a holiday for me at my full time day job and I don’t want to get up early on a morning that I don’t have to.

Pros of Shopping on Cyber Monday

• Not having to change my schedule and shop from the comfort of my own home.
• No need to ditch the family during the Thanksgiving holiday.
• I have Amazon Prime 2-day free shipping! I do all of my Cyber Monday shopping on Amazon.com.
• Compare pricing online along with reading reviews of different items.
• Online return policy is usually better than in-store Black Friday purchase.

Cons of Shopping on Cyber Monday

• Not able to physically view the item.
• Waiting for shipping.
• Returning broken purchases through the mail.
• Chances are I will be Cyber Monday shopping at work, which I doubt my boss would like.

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when thinking of the pros and cons of shopping on Black Friday vs Cyber Monday. This year, I am going to skip shopping on Black Friday and focus on Cyber Monday and other online deals.

What are your plans this year: Black Friday or Cyber Monday or both?