Our Summer Sale Survival Guide: Don't Leave Home Without It

The sales are well and truly underway and honestly, sometimes I think you need riot gear when battling the crowds.

I decided to pop to Zara on day one of their summer sale this year, and I have likened it to the floor in my bedroom. There were clothes everywhere. So much so that I left to avoid the pending panic attack I could feel brewing in my chest.

There's a great scene from Confessions of a Shopaholic  with hundreds of women charging into a department store the morning of a sale which I always fear will happen to me and I get caught in a stampede. Thankfully, I have avoided this due to a few tips that have spared me a coronary. So ladies, take note. If you are hitting the sales, there are some things to bear in mind.

• Planning

You know how I feel about planning. I apply it in all aspects of my life including sale shopping. Prior to sales starting, or just your visit to the shops you like to check out the bargains, decide what you need in advance. This helps you focus in on the missing pieces that you need to make full outfits from what you have.

And it also adds this list to your subsconscious helping you to only see the things you are looking for when sale shopping. Avoid everything else, and see note number two.

• Bye Bye Temptation

Temptation is a nasty thing. By making the list I mention above, you can help curtail the need to buy something simply because it's a bargain. Chances are, you will never wear it. We have this glory that we experience when we find a bargain, but it's short lived when it stays in your wardrobe for months on end without being worn.

• Dressing the Right Way

Wear your comfiest clothes when you are hitting the sales. The shops can be hot and overcrowded, so remember to wear light layers and your best footwear. The first thing to go are our feet; that burning pain in your heels that says "please stop now". If you have proper support in your shoes, you can last longer!

I like to wear a cross body bag too to keep my hands free for rummaging through rails.

• Online

If you want to avoid the shops altogether, shop the sales from your sofa. But the same rules of temptation and lists still apply. With online you can even filter to see the pieces you want. I try and avoid looking at new season stock too when I'm out looking for a bargain; it tempts me way too much.

• Where to Start?

From my research so far, Zara (online) is great especially if you had your eye on something in particular. Arnotts always do sales very well, and if you want to invest in homewear, then their selection is second to none. If shoes are your thing, then Brown Thomas shoe sale is super; from designer to mid range you treat yourself to a pair at up to 50% off. Just make sure you try them on first!

And not to forget, make sure you check brands' return policy during sales, just in case you can't return the item if it doesn't work when you get home!

Happy Shopping!

Are you a fan of the sales or do they make you want to claw your own eyes out? Or perhaps the eyes of that lady WHO STOLE YOUR DRESS?