TODAY: In the shopping world, today is what’s known as Cyber Monday, or the best day to shop online and save lots of money while doing it!

According to DaysOfTheYear.com, Cyber Monday was originally conceived by Ellen Davis, senior vice president of the National Retail Federation, and was first used in e-commerce during the 2005 holiday season.

This all started based on the federation’s research, which showed that while Black Friday sales were incredibly popular, one of the biggest shopping days of the year was the Monday after Thanksgiving.

“Many people who would go out and window shop during Thanksgiving would then connect to their internet and buy what they want. However, because the internet was slow during that time, Cyber Monday grew slowly in popularity, by 26 percent each year according to the Reader’s Digest.

“It wasn’t until 2014 when online retailers earned over $2 billion in profits that Cyber Monday became one of the biggest shopping holidays in the United States. Many other countries since then participate in Cyber Monday, and according to Adobe Digital Insights, Cyber Monday exceeded greatly by $3.45 billion in profits, raising the bar for retailers significantly.

“Although it isn’t the biggest profitable holiday, as Single’s Day in China takes the cake at $14.3 billion in 24 hours, Cyber Monday is exceedingly popular among Americans as one of the best days to shop online and save lots of money, even though you’re spending it.”

Take a look at favorite stores online — don’t forget local stores’ websites. Cyber Monday can be for shopping local, too! Check out stores’ social media, apps and websites, and sign up for emails to be notified when sales are coming up.