There is so much uncertainty right now, and not just with the economy. So, I ask you this question: ARE YOU WISE WITH YOUR SPENDING? Even if you have a lot of money right now, things can change quickly. Because I was raised by parents who were teachers that lived on a budget, I, to this day, shop that way and have saved MANY THOUSANDS of dollars. I am a master at shopping deals and want to share that with you …
BLOG POST BY:
Carla Gentle with Design Realign, Inc.
THE SNOOTY CO-WORKER MISSES OUT
I used to work downtown Chicago for 11 years. I had worn many beautiful outfits over the years and was complimented repeatedly on how nice I looked and how well I coordinated my outfits. I can tell you I never spent much money, but it looked like it.
I remember one day at work a co-worker approached me and said she loved my pants. She wanted to know where I bought them. She was known at work as ‘snooty’, very ‘into herself’, and viewed herself as a ‘queen’. Quite frankly, I was surprised she complimented me.
The pants were winter white with a built-in sash that was full of sequins. They were sharp-looking and beautiful. I told her I bought them at Walmart. She said, “WALMART? You bought those at WALMART?” with this look of disgust on her face. I said, “Yes. If they are beautiful, why not? It saved me a lot of money.”
ARE YOU MISSING OUT?
If you are used to shopping at expensive stores, this blog post may surprise you. You may want to keep reading to see what you have been missing. I have tips on where to shop to cover everything in your home from clothes and food to décor and furniture. Even toys …
I give design presentations around the Chicago area and, on my survey, many indicate one of the things they enjoyed was the part where I discuss the best bargain places to shop; so I hope you enjoy it as much.
HIGH-QUALITY DISCOUNT STORES IN DEMAND
You can see in the picture below, I number my top choices of where to go for particular items. For example, IKEA ranks #1 in most categories, while Burlington ranks #1 in clothes, and Aldi is #1 in the food category. Let’s take a deeper look at some of these stores.
Home Goods
I mention this store first because it is probably the most popular home discount store. This store is not just for designers or design enthusiasts. I met someone recently who went to Home Goods for the first time about a month ago. She couldn’t believe what she saw. I remember the first time I went there. My jaw dropped, as there are thousands of beautiful items for your home. You don’t even know where to begin shopping, there is so much to look at. The merchandise is beautiful, and the prices are wonderful, which is why this store is visited by more designers than any other store. NOTE: Homes Goods is a sister company to Marshalls and TJ Maxx, which are also nice discount stores; but I double dare you to find either of those stores to be nicer than Home Goods!
IKEA
My own design style is organic modern (with a touch of rustic and industrial), so IKEA ranks right up there for me, since IKEA has a modern flair to its merchandise. This is HANDS DOWN the best store for deals on contemporary and modern merchandise. They have everything imaginable for your home in this store, and their prices are AMAZING! And the store is HUUUGE, so be sure to wear some walking shoes! If you are fortunate to live near an IKEA like myself, count that as a blessing. There are only about 70 stores in the U.S.
Burlington
Burlington (formerly Burlington Coat Factory) is much than coats and clothes. Having said that, this is where I buy a lot of my clothes. They have the best prices on BEAUTIFUL clothes, including business attire. They also have a wonderful selection and pricing of art, accessories, bedding, luggage, toys, and much more.
Aldi
Aldi is much more than a grocer; and for the last several years, they have been voted #1 in Illinois for best priced grocer. They also have a lot of yummy gourmet foods from Europe, and I am talking high quality food. They also have 1-2 aisles of home décor, accessories, and a lot of kitchen (small) appliances, pots and pans, toys, and even furniture. At Christmas time, they have a lot of nice name brand toys. If you haven’t been to Aldi, you are missing out!
Big Lots
Plants ... The BEST Accessory
I love me some plants. I have at least one plant in every room in my home. They add a whole other dimension and organic warmth to your space. Interestingly, plants do not like me; so most of mine are fake.
I took this picture at my local Big Lots last March when they had a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ sale. These plants were 3’-4’ tall and cost $31 each on sale or both for $62. Awesome find!
Dollar Tree
I would not be doing my job in this blog article if I didn’t tell you about Dollar Tree. I discovered this store less than two years ago, and I am a HUGE fan. Everything in there is $1.25 … yes, $1.25, unless you are at a Dollar Tree Plus store which has a few items that are also $3 and $5, but 90% of the store are $1.25 items.
My jaw dropped multiple times my first visit. I couldn’t believe how many of their products are truly nice! The picture to the right is from my own home. The pumpkins, vase, and plant pick were each $1.25. They also have the best floral picks for all seasons. I load up on their picks and have the most beautiful floral and plant arrangements, as a result.
DEEPLY DISCOUNTED MERCHANDISE
Thrift Store, Garage Sales, Rummage Sales, and Good Will
You know from a past post of mine that one of my favorite things to do is going to flea markets, garage sales, and rummage sales. Saving a lot of money is fun and you can find treasures and one-of-a-kind items, as well as items no longer sold, at these stores/events.
I bought all these items in the picture for a total of under $10 at a rummage sale this past summer. The light is a Sharper Image light and the candelabra is very rustic, heavy/high quality, and beautiful!
CONCLUSION
Saving money is fun for me, and it even excites me. Why would I want to spend two to three times more money for the same items elsewhere? I have received many eye rolls over the years for places I have shopped. But you know what? I ONLY buy beautiful … and save money while doing it. If you aren’t doing the same, there is no better time to start than now!
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