Get sorted for the January sales

What to do with paperwork

• Highlight the maintenance, service and company telephone numbers of each household purchase, such as a washing machine, TV, etc, in its respective manual, as well as the serial numbers and guarantee or warranty expiry dates.
• Most manufacturers will contact you near the end of the guarantee or warranty period to invite you to renew. However, you must register the purchase in the first place for them to do this. Find the relevant card either in the instruction manual or leaflet or online, fill it in and make sure it is sent to the address given by the date stated.
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• Use a plastic wallet or file for each product and clearly label it on the front with the name of the product.
• Inside each wallet or file, place the relevant receipts, manuals and paperwork. Put all these in a box file and label it Household Purchases Paperwork. Then store it in a safe place where you can easily find it when needed.
• If possible, keep all the packaging - especially for smaller items like a camera or MP3 player - in case the item needs to be returned by post or courier. Flatten large boxes and store them in your loft or garage.

Take care when buying on credit

Home entertainment

We're replacing hi-fi systems, televisions and so on more frequently, just to keep up with technology. Cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs are gradually being phased out in favour of plasma or LCD screens, which are thinner and smaller. With the big switch-over to digital happening between 2008 and 2012, it makes sense to buy a model with an integral digital tuner for all the Freeview digital channels, instead of buying one without and having to get a separate digi box.

• High Definition Television (HDTV). This is the next big thing in viewing and it means that picture definition will be up to four times more detailed than current picture quality. However, you'll need a DTV receiver box and a HD-ready TV with a special cable to connect the two. Unfortunately, the technology is so new that there may not be too many examples in the sales. Instead, look for good prices on flat-panel LCD TVs (the smaller table-top models) or, if you want a larger screen, plasma TVs.

• DVD and Hard Disk Drive (HDD ) Recorders. HDD recorders allow you record programmes on a hard drive and play them back later. Look for a large capacity (160GB is around 80 hours of recording time) and a twin tuner - so you can record one channel whilst watching another. DVD-RAM is the latest in DVD technology, allowing you to watch something on disc whilst recording something else. Combined DVD and HDD recorders are also available, some with integral Freeview.

• Stands and speakers. Stands can be expensive, at around £100, if you buy them separately, but are often included in the price of the TV set. If you want the best sound possible, consider buying a surround-sound speaker system, and buy a stand to fit both.