The Maxxinista Diva - that's right, I'm shopping again ~ Champagne Living

Here comes the UNDERSTATEMENT:

I love to shop, but I don't want to pay full price.

Sound familiar? I know that whether you have $5.00 or $5,000 to spend on a new wardrobe, that you HATE throwing money away, especially when you can get the EXACT same outfit for less. There are a few places that I visit regularly (let's just say they're my shopping haunts) and T.J. Maxx and Marshall's are ALWAYS on that list.

I love the fact that I can find THIS SEASON'S outfits for prices that are up to 60% off, which means that I can save money (or more likely - that I can BUY MORE). For me, that discount is the difference between being able to buy an outfit or two and buying a wardrobe for the season.

I tend to go to T.J. Maxx a little more often, but it's only because it's so close to home AND they just have the best selection of handbags ANYWHERE.

I'm sure that you've seen all of those cute TV ads that show HOW they get their clothes. The reality is that buyers for the stores travel all around the world 40 weeks a year to meet with 12,000 different vendors, allowing them to snag the hottest in-season trends as they happen and negotiate prices up to 60% less than department stores. 10,000 new items arrive in every store each week, creating a “new store” feel each time you visit. That's WHY I go back over and over and over again. There's always something new to find.

Kate Spade
OR
Michael Kors

I always seem to find SOMETHING that I can't live without at T. J. Maxx. I went in armed with $50 in gift certificates and I was raring and ready to shop.

This shopping trip was done before my trips to Blog World in Las Vegas and Butterball in the Chicago area. Since I live in South Florida, I don't have a whole lot of clothes or even shoes (I live in sandals) that would be appropriate for cold weather. In October (as I remember from living in New England for most of my life) the north can go between cool and cold RAPIDLY. I figured that I'd better be well prepared with long sleeves, close-toe shoes and a sweater.

I tried on a LOT of tops. I'm short and no longer thin, so I always have to try on a LOT of different styles and lengths to see what looks best on me. They had (as always) a HUGE selection. So off I went to the dressing room to try on lots and lots of shirts.

This looks much better on the hanger than on me. While the hem is interesting the neckline doesn't do it.

This might work, although I'd need to wear it with tighter pants or a narrow skirt. It's pretty slimming and I love the longer sleeve.

Shocked...this is a Calvin Klein and it looks more like Kmart than Klein.

Of course there were a LOT more (as well as slacks and sweaters that I tried on). The best part? None of these tops were priced over $25.

But T.J. Maxx also has some HIGHER end brands as well as mid-range. If you saw me at BlogWorld Expo you'll have seen me in the shoes that I ended up with...

Yes, those are Coach loafers and they were under $100 (barely). What can I say? I saved $150 on these shoes by buying them at T.J. Maxx and came out with a big smile on my face.As usual, I didn't stick the my budget, but I still paid a LOT less than I would have had I purchased them from a Coach store (or even from a Coach Factory Outlet).

Now that the weather is changing and you need warmer clothes, what are YOU buying at T.J. Maxx and Marshall's this autumn season?

I received a gift card in order to purchase an item for this review (I totally went overboard). All opinions are strictly my own.