Five questions to ask yourself before shopping in the sales

It’s Black Friday!

There are plenty of deals and sales on at the moment, and while it’s tempting to go on a shopping spree and spend, sometimes it’s best to have a think before purchasing items instead of buying on impulse.

When it comes down to shopping for fashion it's important to make informed decisions before spending your money on a product regardless of the sales, so here are five questions to ask yourself before buying in the sale.

Can I afford this item?

Even with sale items, you should ask yourself this question. Can you afford to purchase an item without it affecting your bank balance? If the purchase will be detrimental to your budget then maybe you need to rethink it, or look into buying an affordable alternative.

Do I really need this item?

Are you buying this item because you need it, want it, or lusting after it? Can you justify ‘needing’ that product? What if you have a similar item at home?

Why would I want to buy this item?

Is the item worth it? Is it good value? Is it good quality? Why do you want to buy it? 

Buying a fashion piece because you love and it and you know you'll wear it is much better than buying it on impulse.

Will I wear/use this item?

Would you wear those lovely pair of heels or will they stay hidden away in the corner of your wardrobe? Will you ever use that bag? Just because an item is on sale doesn't mean you have to buy it for the sake of it. Buy a product if you know you will wear it regardless of whether it's in the sale or not.

If this item was full price, would I purchase it?

Discounted prices encourage us to go out shopping and buy things that we wouldn't normally buy otherwise. So, ask yourself this: would you want to purchase the item full price if you could? If the sale price of the item is the only reason to buy it, then maybe it's better not to buy it at all.