It’s that time of year folks, dust off your flat shoes, get your elbows ready and get shopping!

Here is my step-by-step guide to sales shopping:

1. Travel into town
2. Barge your way into any store with the words SALE plastered all over the windows (that’s most shops then).
3. Shove and push your way around. Use your elbows.
4. Grab a basket if you can.
5. Throw loads and loads of cheap tat into your basket.
6. Queue for 20 mins (and the rest) to pay for said tat.
7. Repeat process in another 3 or 4 shops.
8. Return home.
9. Chuck purchases in a drawer or at the bottom of your wardrobe and forget about them.
10. Two years later, throw out sales shopping (because you’ve never worn it).

I’m joking, of course.

Actually, I hate the sales. I hate how messy the shop floor looks. I hate the way some shops bring all the dross, that didn’t sell over the last god knows how many years, to the front and most of all I hate how frantically people dash around, grabbing armfuls of rubbish, like women possessed.

Thankfully, there’s an alternative way and in my opinion it’s the only way.

My 10 step process to successful sales shopping.

1. Pour a glass of wine.
2. Light the fire.
3. Grab your laptop.
4. Visit your favourite stores (virtually).
5. See what they have on sale that you LOVE.
6. If you find something and you like the price, click and buy.
7. If there isn’t anything that tickles your fancy DO NOTHING.
8. Close your laptop and resume your evening.
9. Only buy things that you’d have lusted after at full price. Just because it’s a bargain it doesn’t mean you should have it.
10. Decide how, when and where you will wear each piece before clicking. If you don’t know, don’t get it.

I urge you to give your wardrobe some respect. Hang things nicely – preferably with the same style of hanger. Be kind to your clothes, they need space to hang well. And then when you want to wear something, it’ll be ready for you i.e. it won’t need ironing /a sponge down.

When you buy less stuff with more care and attention, you will get so much more enjoyment and life out of it.

And, go for quality over quantity – pay a bit more for one really lovely piece that you will cherish and leave the piles of junk behind.

Then you can order from your armchair at your leisure and easily return it if it’s not quite right.

Go forth and shop, and tell me what you find!