Comments on: Off-Price Retailers Offer Lower Prices On Name Brand Items

By: Courtney

Courtney — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:01:41 +0000

Ditto on the shower curtain/washing machine trick. With a toddler in the house, basically, if it doesn’t go in the washing machine, it doesn’t stay in the house. FWIW, I am anti-vinyl because of the fumes, so I use a quality cloth shower curtain. I bought my last one at Lowe’s for $2.50 on the clearance rack, it doesn’t tear, it’s washable and bleachable, it keeps the water in the shower, and doesn’t give off nasty fumes – and I’ve had it for a decade. FYI, I think of buying Tide & Clorox II as being frugal, because in combination with my front-loading machine, I never have clothes with stains on them. Clothes are expensive, and well worth a bit more in laundry detergent not to replace something every whipstitch because they’re stained.

By: bee

bee — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:19:13 +0000

When I shop at the Maxx, I call it “treasure hunting”!

And I’m totally with your wife on the prep bowls, it’s very hard to prepare some Paula or Giada recipes without them. Fortunately, my MIL agrees and got me some for Christmas a few years back!

By: Kacie

Kacie — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:54:19 +0000

Just curious, and please don’t be offended…but does “someone appealing to our frugal side” mean a marketing person from TJ Maxx? I know several bloggers received $25 gift cards from them recently.

By: marci

marci — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:20:29 +0000

I second the shower curtain in the washing machine trick – they last for years and years that way – throw in with a couple bathroom towels for scrubbing action. Also – always leave the shower curtains all stretched out to dry after showering…if you push them all to one side, that encourages the mildew. Good air circulation helps also.

Altho, in FL, everything encourages the mildew Good luck!

Nice that you could buy guilt free Those tiny bowls actually have hundreds of uses in the kitchen! I have 3 (garage sales finds) and they are always in use!

By: Christine

Christine — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:37:00 +0000

Last August, the closing date on my home purchase was postponed. My clothes were locked in a U-Haul and I had packed enough for only three days. I looked at Wal-Mart, but found nothing. There was a nearby outlet mall and I had gift cards for the Gap and Banana Republic. The prices at the outlet mall were much lower than Wal-Mart and the quality was 100% better. TJ Maxx and Marshall’s have too much merchandise for me to sort through. I think the outlets are a great way to save money and get top-quality clothing.

By: Allie

Allie — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:14:06 +0000

Our closest Marshalls is actually in the mall, which is nice b/c you can compare prices easily if you’re looking for something specific. I hate shopping, but I’ll put the time in checking a few stores if I think I can get a good deal on something I really need.

By: Erica Douglass

Erica Douglass — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:31:20 +0000

I lovelovelove TJ Maxx. My entire childhood was clothes from that store (my mom is nuts about it) so for a long time I didn’t want to go there (because it seemed like I had spent half my childhood there!)

After I got over that, though, I now go there all the time. I buy nearly all my pants there. If not TJ Maxx, I go to Kohl’s for pants. My boyfriend has the same problem with finding things in his size at TJ Maxx since he is 6′ and wears a 33″ waist, so we just shop at Kohl’s for his stuff.

Kohl’s tip: When you get the flyers, look for the wording “Lowest prices of the season.” Those sales happen 4-6 times a year. Don’t go any other time, and stock up during the “lowest prices of…” days.

-Erica

By: Fern Greene

Fern Greene — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:53:54 +0000

My mother-in-law introduced me to TJ Maxx and I’m forever grateful. I find thrift shopping for work clothing is tricky, especially for pants and shoes. But I can always find something at TJM, Burlington Coat Factory or Filene’s – often at about the same price I’d pay secondhand.

One funny thing, though – Mom goes to great lengths to disguise the fact that she buys gifts there. The TJM tags are always snipped off, and she never gives a gift receipt. Even to me, and I know her secret!

By: Craig

Craig — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:44:24 +0000

It makes sense why stores like TJ Max and Marshalls would be popular for that exact reason. People may want the names, but don’t want to pay the price. I mainly do all of my clothes shopping at the Outlet malls for this reason. My favorite brands are there, and the quality is excellent, but I can pay a little less.

By: Adam

Adam — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:00:39 +0000

If you’re in the MIdwest, try Gordman’s. It’s the same type of store and my wife will always check there first when were looking for inexpensive gufts for the holidays.