Top 7 tips to save on Cyber Monday

It's Cyber Monday, when many of us take to the internet to buy what we didn't scoop up at the mall on Black Friday or over the weekend. Online shopping research reveals most Cyber Monday purchases happen after 10 p.m., so before you close our your cart, check out these seven tips that could save you big bucks on your holiday purchases.

What you see may not be what you get online, which is why shopping expert Andrea Woroch says to hold off on buying certain home goods until you can check quality by actually feeling items in the store.

"Also, clothing, you want to try on to make sure it fits," Woroch said. "If you end up getting a shipment of clothing, you may have to pay online to return it."

Speaking of returns, be sure to note online return policies, which are getting stricter around the holidays. So Woroch advises reading online purchase return policies very carefully for deadlines and rules.

"Oftentimes, there may be certain restrictions on certain products that you can return, perhaps restocking fees," she said. "Also, you want to know what the window of time is to make a return."

Find out who pays the shipping for returns, and ask if you can bring products back to the store and save on shipping.

Most retailers require a minimum to ship for free.

"Best Buy boosted (the minimum for free shipping) from $25 to $35," Woroch said. "Amazon, the same thing. They even increased the prime membership cost."

Andrea's answer? Look for free trial memberships.

"You can get free rush shipping and not have to pay any of those expedited costs," she said. "Amazon offers a 30-day free minimum. Sears and KMart, with the 'shop your way max program,' offers a free 90-day trial."

Another great tip to scoring online discounts -- items you want are often cheaper on sites that charge for shipping. So you can send retailers that offer free shipping the cheaper price product link.

"They will oftentimes match it," Woroch said. "So not only do you get the cheaper price, but you secure the free shipping."

Also, make sure you stay secure shopping online.

"Don't shop on a public network," Woroch said. "If you're at a coffee shop or a library, and it's not secure, hackers and get right in your account."

Thieves will not only target you online, some will even steal boxes delivered to your door.

"Consider getting a P.O. Box or having it shipped to your office," she said. "Or request a signature, especially if it's a big ticket item."

And a bonus tip, if you're shopping on one device and the price jumps, switch to another, like your mobile. If it's different IP address, you may get the original item at a cheaper price.

Happy shopping!