Perhaps I'm entertaining a cliché today but shoe shopping is generally something which many women adore to the point of obsession. For the past few months I seem to have purchased little else other than shoes which I just 'had to have' despite the fact that I ran out of room for all the footwear in my possession some years ago.
Now, I can't be the only one to have experienced this. In fact, a shoe shopping obsession seems to be something I share with the vast majority of my friends and female relatives.

Most of us are a little in awe of our male counterparts who probably only have a handful of shoes between them (poor things). The ability to survive on just a couple of pairs is something we women just can't manage and our shoe habit is one that is particularly hard to kick (excuse the pun).

Of course, the main problem with hoarding shoes is that they're not cheap. We know we can get away with paying around £40 for a decent pair of shoes that will last but the truth is, it's those luxury ones that we secretly covet.

To save money whilst still indulging my shoe obsession I have, therefore, come up with the following tips – rules if you will – that should help other sufferers of this condition take a step in the right direction:

• Budget your shoe shopping on a regular basis and exercise self control. Don't buy every pair that you like but decide which is the best value for money and will be best suited to the clothes in your wardrobe. Buying shoes that you'll probably never wear just because they're fab is never a good idea (or so I've been told).
• Shop using online auction sites and charity shops as these will give you better deals. Always check the condition of shoes beforehand though and make sure you are getting value for money.
• Have old shoes re-heeled or repaired instead of simply replacing them. This could be cheaper than buying a new pair and will allow you to get some more use out of your favourite pair.
• If you just can't help yourself and really have to splurge, please check out your voucher code options first - those savings really do add up.