We all love a bargain, don’t we? Some of us a bit too much. Type “Black Friday stampede compilation” into YouTube and you’ll see exactly what we mean. Why is this relevant? Well, the MR PORTER Sale goes live today and we’re expecting a virtual stampede of our own. And while we’re confident that there won’t be too many casualties – one of the great things about shopping online is that there’s zero chance of being trampled – there are plenty of other risks to keep in mind. Such as buying something that you didn’t want. Or worse, missing out on something that you did.

If you’re going to emerge from this great big dust-up a winner, what’s needed is a plan. And, do you know what? We’re just the people to provide it. With dozens of sales under our belts, the MR PORTER team members have a pretty good idea of how to make the most of them. Read on for our collected thoughts on the matter. And good luck!

If we could only offer one tip for shopping the sale, it would be this: don’t go into it blind – consider a budget. And don’t forget, if you have items on your Wish List that have been reduced in the Sale, you’ll receive a notification when you log in and you can put them straight into your basket.

To best exploit the MR PORTER Sale – or any sale, for that matter – you’ve got to know what to expect. The main thing to keep in mind that this is a seasonal sale, so the majority of items on offer will be from the autumn/winter collections. LOEWE, Vetements, Mr P. and Givenchy are names to remember. Don’t expect anything from the spring/summer collections and not much from continuity lines, either.

Now’s a great time to explore an area of MR PORTER that you don’t usually visit. Not familiar with our sports department? Well, you didn’t hear this from us, but APL Athletic Propulsion Labs sneakers look likely to see a reduction in price this year, so if you’re in the market for a new pair of running sneakers, you could be in luck.

Sale time is Christmas come early (or in this case, one day late) for XS and XL guys. But if you’re a medium, don’t worry if your size has sold out, as you can still get away with larger sizes. This is especially true in the case of sweatshirts, where an XL can offer a great oversized look. If it helps, think of it this way: you’re getting more fabric for your money.

This may sound counterintuitive, given that the whole point of sale shopping is to acquire goods for less than their full price, but before you throw down on something in the sale, take a second to ask yourself whether you’d consider buying it at its undiscounted price. If the answer is no, there’s a good chance you’ll be hauling it to the charity shop in a couple of months’ time.