Years ago when I was a teenager and loved shopping, the sales that followed Christmas were “The January Sales” and they pretty much began after New Year and went through the whole month of January.

When I was at school and had a part-time job at Dorothy Perkins I loved it because I knew what was going into the sales beforehand and how much things were going to be reduced to.

I loved the sales shopping and loved getting a good bargain. The only sale I was never crazy about was the Next sale as I felt that they just brought out all the rubbish and didn’t actually sell off much of what had been in the store that season.

I don’t know about you but over the years these sales have been getting earlier and earlier. Now most of them start on Boxing Day, meaning that if you are a last minute buyer at Christmas, it’s a bit annoying to buy something on Christmas Eve, only to see it half price two days later.

The sales are funny things. Whilst there is no doubt you can pick up a few bargains, it can also bring out a side of people whereby they feel compelled to buy things even if they don’t need them. Have you ever done that?

I always think that the sales are a good time to buy big things, or expensive things that you can get a decent discount off. Things like the UGG sale are a good bet as UGG boots are so expensive, then if you need something like a new sofa or bed, or television even, you might get a good deal in the sales too.

What sorts of things do you look for in the sales? Do you like to go into the shops or stay away from the crowds and buy online? I’m strictly a buy online person, I can’t stand crowded shops with people fighting over the last size in something.