If you love designer gear and prefer to spend as little as possible (who doesn’t?!), then you need to cash in on any Prada sale that you come across. These aren’t easy to find in the flesh, if for no other reason that the fact that the average Prada outlet is probably nowhere near where you live.

Such is the life on the woman with a love for designer handbags. Fate always seems to intervene in these matters and place us as far as is humanly possible from all of our favorite designer outlets. This is why I firmly believe that Fate has got to be a man. Surely he’s protecting the feelings (and bank balances) of our men?!

Writing this article, with the notion that buying cheap Prada bags will always beat buying very expensive ones (i.e. purses that are bought at face value, sans coupons and clearance sales), made me do a mental check as to how close me or my girlfriends are to a designer store. Answer – not close enough!

I’ve been to the Prada outlet in Italy, I’m lucky enough to live within a reasonable distance of a Coach outlet (these are easier to find and are dotted all around the US) and have even managed to visit a Louis Vuitton outlet before now but, in my opinion, I’m not nearly close enough.

This is why it’s a bit difficult trying to hit the mark when it comes to a Prada sale. The same with good old LV. They’re on another continent for one thing, so the likes of you and me are relegated to using the internet to access low-priced designer handbags and accessories.

Is that fair? Absolutely not! My husband sees things quite a bit differently but not being female, he’ll never understand the need to own pretty things, to compare (and boast just a little) about your new Coach tote when out having lunch with your girlfriends.

Anyway – if you’re looking to buy something in the sales, the internet is (pretty much) your only way forward. Make sure that you’re using a genuine, accredited outlet first, then browse around and see what’s going on. Also, join the mailing list as this is a great way to find out when there are clearance sales on the horizon. Getting in first is never a bad thing as there’s plenty of women like me that will get there before you given half a chance!