The emotional stages of a Primark shopping trip

Primark is like Mecca for the thrifty, fashion-conscious woman.  There's barely a city/town centre in the country that isn't blessed with at least one and, on a weekend, is the place to be (or avoid at all costs.)

It's the one-stop-shop for all fashion fiends but can be a hellish experience unless you are properly prepared.

Preparations include choosing your time wisely (avoiding weekends where possible and trying to go as early as possible), making sure you're well hydrated, and not wearing too many layers (it can get very hot in there).

Primark can be a blessing for the bank balance but a stress on sanity.

Here are some of the emotional stages of shopping in the high street store we love to hate:

1. 'I only need a couple of bits so I don't need a basket' - 25 minutes later and you have so many tops, dresses, skirts and trousers hanging up your arms people are starting to think you're one of the shop's rails.

2. A beautiful dress is £20 but it's 'a bit too expensive for Primark' - yet a £20 dress at any other high street store would be seen as a bargain.

3. You've just spent £50 on a coat/pair of boots/dress/outfit in River Island/Topshop/Miss Selfridge only to walk into Primark and see the exact same item there for a fraction of the price. SOB.

4. Those pretty white pumps you wore to death last summer, and reluctantly had to throw away, are back in stock for this summer.  And they're still only £4!! Praise the Primark gods.

5. Always planning a meeting point for when the inevitable happens and you get split up in the t-shirt section.

6. Raiding the piles and racks to find that elusive size 10 but to no avail.

7. Thinking you've struck gold and found your size then realising someone put the size 24 on the size 10 hanger. Cruel world.

8. Hunting high and low for the cute items featured in Cosmo - which Primark is this they speak of?!

9. Temporarily forgetting everything your parents taught you about manners and not thinking twice about elbowing anyone who gets in between you and that cute pair of shoes.

10. Not being able to comprehend that you can buy a pretty summer dress for £5.  £5!!

11. You steadily start to have a mini panic attack due to the sheer number of people squashed into one space (why does everyone seem to want a bloody bag?!) so you slope off to a quiet spot (usually men's or home) for a breather.

12. Realising you forgot to take in some refreshments and suddenly starting to feel like you're in the middle of the desert - sweating and cut off from all water and food.

13. Wanting to try something on but seeing the queue for the changing room and deciding you'd rather buy two and come back than stand and wait.

14. Feeling faint when you see your total at the till but justifying the big spend with 'well, I got four new outfits, six pairs of shoes, a bag...it would've been four times that anywhere else!'

15. Making it out in one piece and searching for the nearest place to sit down, compose yourself, and have a drink.