Black Friday is upon us, but if large crowds, lines of traffic and bratty kids whining about what they want now — not when Santa comes — aren’t your cup of holiday cheer, there’s an event just for you: Monday.

Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, is the next big consumer event of the holiday season. Many online retailers will slash prices, offer special deals and dangle the biggest carrot of them all — free shipping — for this online shopping extravaganza.

Several portals have been developed to help consumers locate coupons, codes and deals offered by the major online retailers. Check out cybermondaycentral.com and cybermonday.com to get started.

In addition, price-search sites like sortprice.com can help consumers find the right gift under their terms

throughout the holiday shopping season.

Sortprice offers these nine tips for Cyber Monday shoppers:

1) Use multiple sources: Take advantage of all the resources on the Internet, including comparison shopping engines and customer reviews on Web sites.

2) Get social: Facebook, Twitter and all your social networking resources are tools to help buyers this holiday season. You can use the Facebook application called Wishlist, to tell everyone what you want and to make sure you don’t get socks and underwear, unless that’s what you really want. Communicate with friends via social networking so you know exactly what everyone on your list wants under the tree.

3) Shop safe:

n Update your home computer’s anti-virus software and security tools before you start shopping. Make sure your wireless connection is encrypted with a password.

n Disclose your personal information, including phone numbers, addresses and financial information, only when you are sure you are on a certifiably secure Web site. Look for the “https:” before the uniform resource locator (Web address), to ensure a secure connection;

n Update your online passwords or create new ones that are unique and difficult to steal, using pet names, birthdays and so on. Incorporate numbers and characters;

n Use credit cards instead of debit cards. You’ll be better protected from fraud and face less liability in the event of your card number is stolen; and

n If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Never give out financial or personal information in response to an e-mail from someone you don’t know, and if you feel that something just isn’t right, you can always find the product on a different Web site.

4) Check return policies before buying. Many retailers modify their return and exchange policies for the holidays. Before you buy, make sure you don’t get burned by reading up on the site’s policies. Some retailers have implemented a “no return” policy because of consumer abuse of liberal return options offered in the past.

5) Check dates. Most sites have an “order by” date, which tells shoppers the last date on which they should order their gifts for ensured delivery by Hanukkah or Christmas. Make sure you order in time.

6) Keep order confirmations in case your order needs to be canceled, modified, returned or exchanged. This also will help you if your items are damaged or if there is a problem with billing.

7) Get tracking codes for your packages so you can just look online (depending on what method they are using) and track your package, instead of having to call when that blizzard delays your package by a day. This also will help you in the event that something mysteriously goes missing.

8) Get the best deal, not always the lowest price. Check if there are special deals like free shipping or discounts if you buy multiple items. Even if an item is slightly more expensive than at another site, free shipping may lower the overall cost of your transaction. In addition, you should search for coupon codes for the site you are shopping on, to use at checkout.

9) Don’t procrastinate: Prices change constantly online, and items go out of stock quickly during the holiday season.