Cyber Monday 2017: Everything You Need to Know Let's jump in, and see what we can get out of this day of blowout bargains online.

The holidays are fast approaching, so what better time to prepare for the shopping season.

Most of us have some kind of gift shopping to do at the end of the year, and it would be silly not to take advantage of excellent sales like whttps://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/cyber-monday. So let's jump in, and see what we can get out of this day of online bargains.

Cyber Monday basics

The origin of Cyber Monday is interesting, even if it's a bit contrived. The story dates back to the dial-up days of yore, when those of us with poor internet connections at home would wait until we got to work on the Monday after Black Friday to do our online shopping on a faster connection. Not one to let a "shopping holiday" go to waste, marketers were quick to start offering "Cyber Monday" deals.

Whether or not that actually took place on a large scale, online retailers have thoroughly embraced this concept, and saved a number of excellent deals for the Monday after Thanksgiving. Even if you're sitting pretty with a gigabit fiber connection, Cyber Monday is still a good time to nab some deals.

What to expect

Keep in mind, retailers have been expanding their sales to last longer and longer every year. So even if you're busy on Thanksgiving weekend, you'll still have plenty of great opportunities to save.

And since this particular day of deals is online-focused, you can get your shopping done in a snap. There will inevitably some limited-time deals, but we're expecting a lot of day-long sales across specific product lines, brands and storefronts.

Cyber Monday predictions

In spite of the overlap with Black Friday, we anticipate that many retailers will keep some deals in their back pockets to help boost Cyber Monday as a legitimate shopping day.

Expect excellent bargains on the likes of laptops, 4K TVs, consoles and Amazon hardware to stick around into Monday. But smaller retailers, and even some manufacturers, will take this opportunity to discount less flashy items that can easily get overlooked on Black Friday.

One excellent example is discounts on media. While big-ticket items like televisions and game consoles are the headliners, those items are pretty useless if you don't have something to play on them. Games, digital movies and even multi-disc sets of TV shows are likely to see deep discounts, so be sure to keep an eye out for top-notch entertainment on the cheap.

Another category we expect to see major discounts? Clothing. Everything from winter boots to jeans to some high-end fashion items will probably see major price drops, so this is an excellent time for a new wardrobe.

Cyber Monday prep

Membership programs and loyalty cards are incredibly useful this time of year, so we recommend getting those lined up ahead of time. Even if you're not willing to drop cash on a paid membership, many sites offer free trials. For example, if you're not already subscribed to Amazon Prime, activating a free trial in the weeks leading up would be a smart idea.

If you're planning on doing additional shopping after the big sales pass, set aside some money that you're willing to put toward gift cards. Some stores offer discounts when you cross a certain purchase threshold, or load up your gift cards for the first time. Similarly, you can occasionally find discounted store cards for the PlayStation and Xbox digital storefronts, so that's a smart way to save on purchases down the road.

Interested in amplifying your savings? Credit cards and store credit often offer bonus incentives or rewards for shopping at select storefronts. Amazon's rewards card not only offers 3 percent back on Amazon.com purchases, but delivers a bonus $50 gift card on approval. If you're eligible, it's worth considering.