What is it about #CyberMonday?

I've always wondered why today's nickname is #CyberMonday. Cyber is all about computers and technology, but the ton of sales today aren't just on techie things. Here's what I found out: 

It got its nickname from sneaky workers who came back from Thanksgiving break and shopped online on their much-faster work computers.

In 2005, the New York Times reported: "The name Cyber Monday grew out of the observation that millions of otherwise productive working Americans, fresh off a Thanksgiving weekend of window shopping, were returning to high-speed Internet connections at work Monday and buying what they liked."

Lots of today's deals are definitely techie, but they also include toys, clothing, furniture, gifts of all sorts. It's safe to assume most stores in many nations are part of #CyberMonday. 

Since it began in 2005, the day has ballooned. Today might even be the "biggest shopping day in history," the Bloomberg News says. Last year's total was $91.76 billion. This year, the prediction is $106.97 billion!

#CyberMonday deals in the area include...

Best Buy is having an entire Cyber Week. You could save....

• $800 on a 75" Sony Ultra HD TV
• $400 on a Nikon D3400 DSLR Camera
• $300 on select laptops
• $250 on Microsoft Surface
• $200 on a MacBook Pro and select monitors including a curved 4K Ultra HD 
• $150 on iPhone 7s
• $50 on FitBit or Apple Watch or Amazon Echo devices

Lowe's is extending its sale to Wednesday on hundreds of its Cyber Deals—from Christmas trees to tools to appliances to toys.

ABC Warehouse is offering up to 65 percent off. Here's its Ann Arbor circular. I found two items very enticing: 

• a 32" LED HDTV for $98!
• and a remote car starter—installed—starting at $97. Imagine! A toasty-warm car on a snowy 5-degree morning!

Ann Arbor With Kids: This local site has the rundown on kid gifts from Amazon. If you buy through AAWK's site, it gets a cut, which helps support a great local service.

Motawi Tileworks: Get a free mini calendar featuring its beautiful tiles when you purchase $150 of items (so easy to do there!).

Coupons from Ebates

If you saved a lot, you're ready for tomorrow's #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday started in 2012 "as a response to commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season," specifically to #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday, Wikipedia says.

Find local places for your donations

Go to What's Happening Near Me on the #GivingTuesday site and enter your city and state. Then press SEARCH for a list of worthy causes in your area. In Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, 92 nonprofit businesses and events returned, including:

• Breakfast at St. Andrews
• Michigan Theater
• Huron Valley Humane Society:
  Gifts are matched on #GivingTuesday

Virtual Run Events | Races for Charity: Register on this page before 10 p.m. today for registration discounts of up to 45 percent for different races. (A "virtual race" is one you run on your own time.)

As always, keep your credit cards safe when shopping online

Top photo by Pietro Jeng on Unsplash • Interior photo by jay-chilli on Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-ND