5 mistakes to avoid during sales season

Although your inbox is always filled with offers, promotions, incredible discounts and discount codes not to be missed, the sales season officially opened a few days ago - last Friday the opening of Zara sales on their website had the same reverential aura of a Supreme Thursday drop in its heyday. As always when it comes to low-priced items, the temptation is to throw yourself without thinking too much. But think of how your decluttering expert friend would react to this. 

Before ending up like the protagonists of Hoarders, nss magazine has prepared below a shortlist of tips and mistakes to avoid in order to better face the summer sales.

#1 Have a target

As in life, it's essential to know what you are looking for, without getting carried away by the moment and without giving in to that useless top at €3 that stares at you, but that you will only wear once in your life. This Zen mindset that is based on the question 'Do I really need it?' - one of the great lessons of the movie I Love Shopping - starts with a simple action: really knowing what we have in the wardrobe, what we actually wear, what we use the most, avoiding both buying duplicates and buying items that don't match anything that we own. 

#2 Focus on next season

There's nothing worse than trying on a cashmere sweater on a hot July day, I get that. But always that Zen mentality we mentioned before requires us to think ahead, and not to focus too much on clothes and dresses that we will wear only in the upcoming weeks. Sales are a great time to get investment pieces, classic and timeless items, such as coats or sweaters. The only exception, the swimwear. Why buy them at full price in May when they are already on sale in July? 

#3 Check prices and websites

I can already imagine you sitting at your desk in front of two monitors checking prices and discounts on ten sites at the same time. Jokes aside, if for some time you have been thinking about getting a bag or a pair of sunglasses way out of your budget, this is the right time to check out the various e-commerce and online retailers, paying attention to which one is the most convenient. Don't forget to check all your wish lists, so as to have an eye on what you would like and when it would cost, and be careful in case of customs and shipping costs. 

#4 Pay attention to the size

This should be a piece of advice for all year round, not only in time of sales, but I know well that in front of an endless queue at the dressing rooms the temptation to try what we would like to buy in a slightly whimsical way, over clothes, in a corner of the shop, or with strange rituals learned from your grandmother, is very strong. It doesn't matter if you paid €8 for that pants if, in the end, you don't like how it fits and therefore you never wear them. The only pro-tip when it comes to trousers, to know if they fit, is this: the width of the waist of the trousers must be the same length as your forearm. It's not an exact science, so don't blame me for the wrong size! 

#5 Be patient

If you want to venture into the outside world, into crowded stores, diving into messy piles of clothes, you will need it. Okay, this won't be the case everywhere, but in general, be prepared for the idea of having to search for a long time before you find something you like, having to queue up and having to spend almost a full day on sales. Bring water and wear comfortable shoes.