By Stacey Oparnica, Staff Columnist

Let’s face it: While the holidays are generally the happiest time of the year, shopping for gifts can literally be the nightmare before Christmas. If waiting in multiple hour-long lines, dealing with irritable employees and sifting through massive, strewn-about clothing piles looking for the right size doesn’t sound like a practical gift-buying experience, perhaps it’s time to embrace the joys of online shopping. So sit back and prepare to save big bucks on every popular retailer a person can think of.

Comparing prices, reading product reviews and snagging amazing deals has never been easier. However, in order to take full advantage of the Web’s seasonal deals, it’s important to know where to look.

Cybermonday.com provides the perfect platform from which to begin a hassle-free holiday search. Simply choose a category — “Sports & Outdoors,” for example — and scroll through the countless top name merchants offering everything a true athlete or outdoorsman would need, from sporting equipment to camping supplies.

Coupon websites, such as reatail

menot.com, are especially helpful and important not to overlook, because they offer difficult-to-find coupons that allow consumers to save instantly on online orders. For electronics lovers keen on picking up GPS systems, cameras, televisions or computers for the holiday season, dealsofamerica.com is the place to go. In addition, this site, which is updated hourly, also offers thousands of coupons for tons of well-known stores such as Borders, amazon.com and Sports Authority.

For those feeling a bit overwhelmed with the countless websites, coupons and bargains, dealnews.com is the perfect site to visit because it meticulously locates and selects the best products from thousands of stores to give consumers the cream of the crop for holiday deals. For shoppers who aren’t sure what to get loved ones, don’t fret. At giftcardgranny.com, it’s possible to purchase gift cards for more than 50 percent off. NFL gift cards worth $50, for example, can be purchased for $40 — an instant 20 percent savings.

If it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t. With the economy hitting hard, struggling retailers are pulling out all the stops to entice shoppers with a vast selection of alluring preseason sales. Take advantage of the opportunity. Save precious time and money this season by going online for stress-free holiday shopping.