How to Survive the January Sales

As we are approaching the end of the year, it is time to get ready for what shopaholics (and broke people like me) see as one of the biggest event of the year: yes, the January sales are almost upon us. Each January of every year, millions of shop owners around the world reduce their prices in order for the old stock to make way for the new arrivals. If you can manage not to turn your shopping day at the sales into a wild money-spending marathon, you will have survived the January sales.

In my view, the purpose of buying clothes in the January sales is saving money, not digging yourself deeper in your credit card abyss, so for those of you who find it difficult not to throw yourselves at reduced priced clothing items, here are a few tips that should help you save money:

1- The day before you go on a shopping trip, open your wardrobe. Look at the clothes you already own. If you notice some clothes that you never wear, find out why: is it because they are out of fashion, were they impulse buys that you later decided did not match your style or size, or because you don't own anything else matching it?

2- Put aside the out-of-fashion items and impulse buys. Maybe you could sell them on EBay or donate them; get rid of them, they are only taking up valuable space in your wardrobe.

3- Decide on a number of work outfits, leisure outfits and party outfits you need. If you own 10 pairs of black trousers, maybe it's time to inject colour in your life (or white and cream if you are not the risky type). Don't forget to think about shoes and underwear. I don't want to play Trinny and Susannah here (especially since I can't bear these two women), but try and think of the colours and clothes shapes that suit you.

4- With all of the above in mind, make a shopping list, just like you do for your groceries (if you don't, you are throwing money away). It might help if you have been window-shopping before the start of the sales or if you have a fashion catalogue, to give you some ideas of the style of clothes you would like. Try not to include too many clothes that will quickly go out of fashion; classic clothing items are usually better value because you can wear them again without looking ridiculous. For every item on your list, include a line that says "must go with..." so if you can't find the exact clothing item you had in mind or if you find something that you like better than your original idea, you know whether to buy or not. Write down beside each item the approximate price that you are willing to spend on it; this will help you for step no. 5.

5- Decide on a clothes spending budget. If you tend to overspend, grabbing everything just because it's on sale, leave all your cards at home (including your ATM card) and bring only cash (remember to bring enough also for food and drink: shopping makes you hungry). Do not leave the house without your list!

6- Having a break in the middle of your shopping expedition may benefit you, if not only for resting your tired feet and have a snack, it will clear your mind and you can use it to look through your purchases and evaluate how you are doing: maybe you will realize it is time to go home.

If you follow this advice, you will survive the January sales; chances are you might feel frustrated while you are standing in front of a top or a skirt you really want and is not on your list (or in your budget) but when you get home and make an assessment of the clothes you now have, you will know you made the right decision. If you don't do any planning before buying clothes in the January sales, you will realize that you have spent too much money on too many clothes you know you will never wear and you will still have holes in your socks.