Holiday Central

Best day for holiday bargains? Not Black Friday

Attention holiday shoppers: If you plan on waiting until Black Friday to find the best deals, you may be too late.

So when should you plan to buy the gifts on your list? Research has shown the biggest price cuts usually come between the Sunday and Monday before Thanksgiving.

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According to data from Adobe Systems, which has collected information on a trillion visits to over 4,000 websites since 2008, the day before Thanksgiving is also a great day to find the lowest bargains.

Shoppers consider televisions at a Walmart in Los Angeles on Black Friday.
Robyn Beck | AFP | Getty Images

And while Cyber Monday, four days after Thanksgiving, is often touted as the best day for online discounts, Adobe researchers found that Turkey Day itself is actually the best day to gobble up online deals, offering consumers a 24 percent discount on average.

Here are other strategies to find the best deals:

Look for comparisons and coupons. "Google Shopping" is a great place to start. Find your item, hit "compare prices," and it will tally up the total price, including taxes and shipping. It will also feature the best deal available online. You can also seek out coupons and discounts at Groupon.com, RetailMeNot.com, and Zulily.com.

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Scour social media. Follow favorite retailers on Twitter and Facebook to get alerts on special deals. Some retailers may promote in-store sales and show prices on social media that are not advertised online.

Take advantage of apps. Mobile apps RedLaser and PriceGrabber allow you to scan a barcode so you can immediately compare prices when you're in a store or buying items on your smartphone.