It isn't a deal unless you actually need the item

This week I have felt a complete email bombardment with Black Friday deals, offers and sales.

I have been so annoyed by it all that I have unsubscribed from some places that have sent daily Black Friday emails. What started out as one day has now become almost a month of offers and there’s so much noise around this that it’s almost fatiguing.

Having worked in retail for much of my adult life, I know that a lot of the so-called deals really aren’t deals at all.

However it can be a good time to sit down and have a think about those big ticket items you might need or to go through your Christmas present list and save a little bit of money.

Now is not the time to impulse buy. Follow these tips to make the most of those Black Friday discounts.

Make that wishlist now! A deal isn’t a deal unless you actually need the item, so sit down and think about those items you really need and those gaps in your wardrobe.

I like to have a list written throughout the year, a lot of which I may never get round to buying but it is worth keeping this in a notebook and noting down the price so that once Black Friday rolls around you can see how much you could actually save.

It’s also important to note when it comes to fashion items like coats and knitwear that these will be marked down, however the bigger markdowns will occur in the post-Christmas sales.

On the other hand, you’ll have less of a selection available then so you need to weigh up if you can risk waiting for the bigger January discount but the item may be gone. If I really love it, I’ll make the purchase on Black Friday. Setting a budget and prioritising items is also key to ensure you don’t over spend.

It's also important to consider each piece carefully. Go through your saved items that you’re considering purchasing and ask yourself a series of questions. Do you really love the item, does it fit into your existing wardrobe, can you style the item in a number of ways, will this suit my colouring and body shape?

If the answer is yes, then make that purchase and enjoy the delight of bagging yourself a bargain.

I also like to choose quality over quantity and now is the time to look at those items that maybe cost a little bit more.

I would prefer to have one or two really gorgeous, quality items that I really wanted than splurging on bits that may be more trend led and lower quality that I probably won’t get the wear out of.

Black Friday shopping can be made less stressful by avoiding where possible heading to the shops and doing your shopping online.

While I personally love to visit a bricks and mortar store you do get to avoid the crowds when shopping from home and sometimes the bigger discounts will be available online.

I also tend to bookmark the pages of items that I have on my wish list so one those discounts come online I’m ready to go.

Aside from fashion one of the things I’m keeping an eye out for is hotel deals. Pick up a great deal now that you can treat yourself to in January and lots of hotels offer a percentage off gift vouchers for Black Friday meaning you’ll get a great saving when it comes to booking your getaway.