Here's What's Actually Worth Buying On Cyber Monday

We've got the tips and tricks you need the make the most of this deal-a-thon.

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Cyber Monday gets a lot of good and bad hype, but guess what: Some deals are actually pretty good!!!!!!!*

Amazon / Walmart / Adidas / Google

*We've sorted through thousands (upon thousands) of deals from all your favorite retailers (and a few you've never heard of) to bring you what we see as the most legitimately good deal categories of Cyber Monday savings.

Here's what we think is legitimately worth buying:

1. Household items you already use, and can store in bulk.

Target

When used effectively, Cyber Monday can be like a Costco membership for those who do not have a Costco nearby. Plus there's usually free shipping! Stock up at stores having a site-wide sale that have your favorite household brands, like Target, Amazon, and Jet. Or you could just save on a one-time purchase and still come out ahead. Win-win.

Some of our favorite deals:

- 15% off site-wide at Target

- 20% off household brands at Jet

2. New brands of things you've been wanting to try, especially beauty.

Birchbox / Dermstore / Spring

Beauty deals are some of the most slept-on of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday events, and lots of small and trendy brands are at least 20% off, so it's a great time to try a new product that you might not otherwise want to risk buying full-price.

Pro tip: Make sure the brand/product is authentic if you're buying from third-party sellers like Jet, Walmart, or Amazon by reading the reviews. And check for any notes about shipping times if it's not guaranteed, especially if the item is a gift.

Some of our favorite deals:

- 20% off everything at Glossier

- Up to 25% off at Dermstore

- 20% off TonyMoly at Macy's

- Up to 25% off and $99 yearly subscriptions at Birchbox

- Up to 40% off at Laura Mercier

- 30% off sitewide at Sokoglam

- Up to 60% off beauty at Spring

See all our Cyber Monday beauty picks here.

Get the T3 hairdryer here, the Blue Tansy mask here, the Birchbox here, and the Drunk Elephant set here.

3. Appliances both small and large.

Amazon / Jet / Walmart / Home Depot

Ideally you already know what brand and model you want, so you don't miss out on the best prices by having to do your research now. Big-box stores like Home Depot, Lowe's, Sears, and Best Buy almost all have deals on big appliances like fridges and washer/dryers, and you can score some of the best deals on smaller appliances like blenders, slow cookers, vacuums, and more at places like Jet and Amazon.

Pro tip: Make sure to read reviews AND cross-check the model numbers, as some of the larger retailers get specific models made or restocked specifically for this holiday — which is not always a bad thing. For instance, Walmart was selling a unique model of the Ninja Blender just for Black Friday, but reviews of a very similar model on Amazon are excellent.

Some of our favorite deals:

- $40+ off the latest Ninja blender at Walmart

- Up to 40% off large appliances at Home Depot

Get the fridge here, the Instant Pot here, the Ninja blender here and the Kitchen Aid mixer here.

4. Gifts!

Amazon / Walmart / Homesick Candles / Tasty

This is a great time to buy unique gifts from smaller, lesser-known brands that are struggling to compete with bigger retailers, and also to score some of the things you're already planning on buying while they're on sale, especially toys and games. While there might be slightly better deals on toys later in the season, like on Super Saturday (the Saturday before Christmas), the most popular items will likely be sold out by then.

Some of our favorite gift picks:

- Deals from all our favorite under-the-radar shops

- BuzzFeed's Homesick Candles

- Last Jedi toys from the Disney Store (up to 60% off)

- Cookbooks from Barnes & Noble (50% off bestsellers)

- Various toys and games at Walmart

- Pretty much everything at Ban.do

Get the Tasty cookbook here, the FitBit here, the BB-9E here, the glasses here, the candles here, the Fingerlings here (sold out ), the Switch wheels here, and the Moana legos here.

5. Anything from retailers with a killer return policy.

Zappos / ASOS / Amazon / REI / BB&B / Nordstrom / Kohl's

OK, probably not ANYTHING, but if you want to splurge on a clothing item you haven't tried on from a new brand that's on sale, your best bet is to buy from a brand like Nordstrom that has an excellent return policy (you can return online purchases via mail, or in any Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack store).

Some of our favorite return-friendly brands:

- Nordstrom

- ASOS

- Zappos

- Amazon

- REI

- Kohl's

- Bed, Bath & Beyond

6. Laptops and smart home devices, like Google Home and Amazon Echo.

Amazon / Google / Target

You probably won't find a better deal on these before the end of the year.

Pro tip: While they can't usually offer actual discounts lower than the Google store price, some stores offer giftcards with the purchase of Google Home and Google Home Mini. Some giftcard offers require linking your Google account to an account with that store, which mostly means easier voice-purchases and probably more spam emails.

Some of our favorite deals:

- 20% off Echo Plus at Amazon

- 40% off the Echo Dot at Amazon

- $79 for Google Home + $25 store credit at Walmart

- $20 off Google Home Mini + $10 giftcard at Target

Get the Google Home Mini here, the Google Home here, the Echo Dot here, the Echo Plus here, and the Chromebook here.

7. Shoes of every size, season, and variety.

Nordstrom / Macy's / Zappos

According to DealNews and our own research, Cyber Monday is the best day to buy shoes on this sales-heavy weekend. Boots for this season and sneakers are at a pretty good discount today, especially at department stores like Nordstrom and Macy's.

Some of our favorite deals:

- Up to 60% off athletic and casual shoes at Amazon

- Buy-one-get-one-free or up to 60% off boots at Macy's

- 52% off select Uggs at Nordstrom

- 40% off designer and up to 75% off sale at Nordstrom

- Up to 30% off Frye and 30% off Hunter at Zappos

- 30% off everything at Asos

- Up to 50% off at Sperry

- 30-50% off everything at Cole Haan

- 20% off at FinishLine

Get the Hunter rain boots here, the black booties here, the Adidas here, the red boots here, the Nikes here, and the Uggs here.

8. Airline tickets, hotels, and other travel-related bookings.

Amazon / Away / Airplane Museum

While you likely won't find deals on air travel for THIS holiday season (two months in advance is ideal and we've passed that point), many airlines and booking sites will have great deals on travel for 2018 on Cyber Monday that are worth checking out. Your dates will probably have to be flexible as most great deals have restrictions, but if you can take advantage you'll see some decent savings.

Some of our favorite deals:

- Up to 55% off Wyndham Hotels

- 50% off select hotels + $50 off on Expedia

- One-way flights from $44 on Alaska Air

Also you can get some pretty decent deals on luggage while you're at it, at places like Macy's and others with site-wide sales.

Get the luggage here, the passport case here, and the airplane toy here.

Got all that? Now get shopping! See all our favorite Cyber Monday Deals here.

Do your holiday shopping with BuzzFeed. Check out all of our gift guides here!

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