Time to gear up for Cyber Monday

Retailers in stores and on websites have been pushing holiday sales for weeks. Even Cyber Monday that first Monday after Black Friday where consumers shop for deals online has had several preview sales already posted.

Many sites already are pushing discounts and free delivery with a tease that more will come on Cyber Monday. And shopping online allows you to avoid long lines, cold weather and getting elbowed for the last doorbuster.

Still, just like Black Friday, you should plan in advance to quickly find the best online deals, experts said.

“Each person has different lists of gifts to pick up, so it all depends on what you like,” said Maria Tiongco Ramos of Aurora, founder of MyChicagoMommy.com, which provides online deals, including coupons, inserts and other promotions for shoppers. The site also has links to Facebook and Twitter.

Elsewhere, more than 15.8 million people shopped among 700 retailers last year on Cartera Commerce and the National Retail Federation's holiday Website, CyberMonday.com. Just as many retailers are expected to participate this year as well. The federation's main site is Shop.org.

CyberMonday.com is a portal or a one-stop shop, with links to Sears, Home Depot, Kohl's, Walmart, JCPenney, Walgreens and others. The site also offers Deal of the Hour, gift card contests connected to Facebook and Twitter, and other offers.

While online shoppers often rely on major retailers and other known store websites, the Better Business Bureau of Chicago warns that you should be cautious when purchasing online, especially during the holidays when you may be in a hurry.

Here are the BBB tips: Protect your computer with updated virus and spyware software; protect personal information and make sure the site offers the “padlock symbol” for security; beware of phishing where a scammer is seeking your financial information; confirm your online purchase and pay with a credit card, so you can later dispute a sale if necessary; and check your credit card statements later to ensure accuracy.

Surfing: Hoffman Estates-based Sears and Kmart now offer eGift cards via their Facebook pages. The eGift allows consumers to buy electronic gift cards in $5 increments up to $25 that can be posted on the recipients Facebook wall or personal e-mail account.

&bul;Naperville-based OfficeMax is again offering its eGreeting site, ElfYourself.com, where you can place your head on a dancing elf and send it to friends or family. It's also offering a new holiday site, ElfmasTown.com, where you can choose from a selection of holiday games, including “Bouncing Thru The Snow,” “Reindeer on Ice” and “Kittens in Mittens” to play, earn rewards and share with friends.

&bul;A Motorola Inc. survey shows more people prefer subscription TV, even when free TV is available. The survey also said that 42 percent of viewers globally have had an e-mail conversation, engaged in an instant message chat or used a social network site to discuss a program or video while they were watching it.

&bul;United Airlines customers can earn 1,000 Mileage Plus bonus miles through Dec. 31 when checking in for domestic flights with any Web-enabled mobile device. Register at united.com/mobilebonus.

&bul;Itasca-based First Midwest Bank offers free online workshops on budgeting and savings. See firstmidwest.com/workshopregistration.

&bul;Follow Anna Marie Kukec on Facebook and LinkedIn and as AMKukec on Twitter.