Tips From A Shopaholic

There are times when I read Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic and I think, this is my life minus being in England, the HOT guy, and a shopaholic mother. Truth be told, I love to buy things. Clothes, make up, food, anything. But with the economy in the crapper I thought I should def. be more shopping savvy in terms of where and how I spend my money.

Hence, this Shopaholic's Guide To Saving Money. A friend of mine is a money saving guru, and yet she came over with this gorgeous Balenciaga Cherry Red summer bag for the 2009 collection. Her secret? It isn't Daddy's credit card, her boyfriend's gift or even that she is making millions. Instead, she has found beauty and shopping secrets that give her more bang for the buck. I've decided to share a few with you each week. As not to overload you, and to help me have something to actually blog about ;)

Tip number one: Every luxury item that you can find at TJMaxx, Homegoods, or Marshall's is going to be half the cost. Now I have know about these three stores for a long time. I've gotten $200+ jeans at Marshall's for less than $25. I know all about the fashion deals, but this is more. What I didn't know was costing me money. As someone who does not have a membership to Costco or Sam's Club, buying in bulk is more of a far out dream than a reality. I go to the grocery store twice a month just to buy olive oil. Apparently in the back of the HomeGoods store there are huge containers of olive oil for $6.99-$12.99 and are more authentic and better in quality than the teeny tiny container I get at the grocery store. For me, I would probably take about two months to use that size, saving me a good $27 every two months on olive oil!!

Looking for new pots and pans? Dishes? Look no further than the home department of these discount stores. I spotted Calphalon pots with a slight scratch on them for MUCH less than you would find at any department or specialty store. Even Bed, Bath & Beyond can't compare with their low prices and 20% coupons. Looking for a nice, relaxing weekend of spa treatment? Try hunting those three discount stores for items from Bliss Spa in NYC. Items that would alone cost $60 cost about $12. It makes you wonder what else you can get for a discount.

So to summarize, check out these stores before going to regular department stores for everything from your table settings to your olive oil to your spa products to your shoes, handbags, jeans and hair products. It has it all, for much lower!!