Jean's Blog
A $4 Designer Bag? How Sweet It Is.
Posted by Sarah
Hi I’m Sarah Compo, Jean’s assistant. I book Jean’s radio show, do a bit of reporting here and there and help out with other things. Yesterday morning I was talking with Jean about a great deal I got and she thought I should share it with you…This past weekend, with ten dollars in my pocket, I stopped by my local Goodwill store, as I often do when I’m craving a bit of the satisfaction that comes along with getting a good deal. After I hit up the dresses, the house wares and the CDs (which I have to mention were half off this week…where else can you find a Goo Goo Dolls album and a “Reality Bites” soundtrack for $1.50?) a flash of red caught my eye. Yes, there, in the handbag bin was a brand new, red, Longchamp bag with the tags still inside. How much? Four dollars. Retail price? Near $100. Somehow this little red bag managed to sneak by the powers that be who lock bags like this away in the special glass cabinet (reserved for brands such as Coach, Prada and Louis Vuitton) and into my bargain-finding hands. I left Goodwill and rode my “I just got the best deal ever” high, over to Dairy Queen where I had just enough money left over from that ten dollar bill to treat myself to a small vanilla cone…a sweet reward for a sweet, money saving steal.
What’s the best deal you’ve ever gotten? Comment below, Jean would love to hear about it!
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A “SWEET” deal made by a “SWEET” girl! I’m a little partial.
I find myself looking for bargains at Marshall’s and TJ Maxx more than once a week. Two weeks ago I spotted the best steal. No, it wasn’t that Cuisine Art frying pan that I snatched up for $7.99 or even the Ralph Lauren sheet set that I quickly added to my cart because it was $19.99 (these organic cotton sheets retail for $100.00 just for the flat sheet). Instead, my favorite steal was a pair of Hunter Boots. These rain boots almost made a dent in my bank account as I was tempted to purchase them from shopbop.com for $100.00. Thank god I couldn’t make out the security code from the back of my Master Card when I was completing my online purchase (it was worn right off, go figure) because I found the exact same wellies the next day at Marshall’s for $29.00! Let it rain!
Google! I’ve been trying to save money for my upcoming wedding, so any deal is important to me. The best way to get a good price is obviously to shop around. If you find something you like, but are not sure of the price, GOOGLE it! Quite often you can find something you like (or at least similar) at a cheaper price online. Click on GOOGLE shopping and you can compare all the prices right in front of you. Don’t settle for top dollar if you don’t have to!
On any given day, roughly 75% of what I am wearing is from TJMAXX, being quite the bargain shopper myself. I, like MissMedia, can be found perusing the racks at TJ’s for hours on end, on the hunt for the best deals I can get my hands on…and I’ve learned from the best, as my mother is one of the best bargain hunters I’ve ever met! My latest wallet-friendly designer finds include a pair of Seven skinny jeans, that, while retailing for over $100, I paid a low $30 for! We also must not forget the $280 cobalt blue trench coat by Anne Klein that I swiped for $80. Why spend outrageous amounts of money in boutiques for designer items that you can find on the racks at TJMAXX with just a little patience and a good eye?
Sarah, I am so covetous of your purse steal! I live for those moments. Friends and co-workers gawk when they give me compliments on my outfits and I excitedly say, “Salvation Army, two dollars!” as if I won the car on the Price is Right. My recent best find would have to be a Vera Wang formal from Salvation Army for six bucks. I have worn it 3 times. I think it is time for it to be someone else’s find. I also bought a brand new baby blue microfiber comfy couch on Craigslist last week for $150.00.
I have just discoverd Yahoo groups “Freecycle”. Free is the only thing better than cheap.
Sarah, keep us posted on any cheap or free ideas you have!
Sarah-you and Annie always find the BEST deals. What a steal, I have the same exact bag and I paid A LOT more than $4. My favorite steal is my huge, black Herve Chapelier weekend bag that I got on Ebay for $30. I saved myself a LOT of money and I use it all the time. My other favorite steal is the Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses that I got at Marshall’s the other day, which I bought for $20, but had a retail price of $80. Third (and I don’t know if this counts) is the amount of money I saved not buying brown riding boots-I wear my mom’s from college and they are still beautiful and, thankfully, in style.
As Sarah’s roommate in college, we had a million different steals we would share with one another. Probably my best buy was a Pucci bag I got at the old “Salvation Armani” AKA your local Salvation Army. The notorious swirls and curls of the un-mistakeable pattern caught my eye and I all but ran over to it when it caught my eye! I still carry the purse, get numerous compliments and secretly harbor the fact that I paid a $5 spot for couture.
I’m also a HUGE fan of TJMaxx and Marshalls. As far as shoes though I’d have to say I always find great deals on the clearance racks at DSW. I recently bought a gorgeous pair of Ralph Lauren brown leather boots for only $50! (originally about 300!!!)
I am definitely a fan of Google’s shopping search – why go through several websites comparing prices when Google can do it for me? I routinely buy my sneakers for at least $50 less than I see them in stores by doing this. I don’t have the patience and willpower to go item by item in a Goodwill or T.J. Maxx. I’ll leave that to the pros – like Sarah!
I too, especially in these tough economic times find myself hunting for bargains. One of my favorite stores to shop at is Macy’s because I am over six foot tall and Wal-Mart does not carry my size like they used to. I never pay retail. I argue and negotiate my prices. The best steal I got at Macy’s were a pair of Calvin Klein jeans that retailed for about 90 dollars. They were on sale originally for 29.99, but the day I picked them up it was a 70% off sale. So those 30 dollar jeans became like ten bucks. I had never owned a pair of Calvin Klein jeans, so I bought them. In this economy, we need bargains!!!!!!!!!
I would have to say the best steal I’ve come across lately was a pair of once worn Seven for ALl Mankind jeans on Ebay. The usual retail price for the particular style I bought online (the boot cut A pocket if your curious) is $165, but I found a “like new” pair on Ebay for 12 dollars. After shipping the total cost was still under $20. A great way to save and to know exactly what you are buying is to go to a boutique that sells whatever brand of designer jeans you like, try a few pairs on and jot down the size, color, and style and type it in on Ebay. I can almost always find what I am looking for if I am patient, plus Ebay is a great way to spend your free moments at your work desk.
Wow- I’ve learned a lot just by reading these comments.
While I am not an expert shopper,our local hospital just opened up a Consignment Shop here in Saratoga Springs. When I stopped by to put some jewelry on consignment, I was surprised to find that there was an entire selection of BRAND NEW beautiful shoes available at excellent prices in various sizes. Apparently, a shop (which had been owned by a famous horse owner’s wife) had recently closed and many shoes had ended up at the charity location. So I learned something new- anyone can find a special value- even new items- in the most unexpected places! By exploring new options, good finds like Sara’s can be repeated.
Congrats Sarah on such a great find. As The Shopping Queen, I can definitely appreciate the great rush of a fantastic deal. I have many coupons and tips on finding good deals on my website, http://www.ShoppingQueen.com. Since you also book for Jean’s show, I would love to share my advice on the show. I am currently the finance and consumer expert on local Atlanta NBC affiliate morning show, Atlanta & Company.
As an executive who now works from home, I find I am looking for ways to really cut down on expenses. This is a great addition to your web site. It is funny that I bring things to Good Will but would never have thought of looking there for items I need.
I was accustomed to shopping at Nordstroms or Lord & Taylor when I needed something. This really peaked my interest. I would call this “good luck” not GoodWill! I will be interested to see what else you come up with.
Abercrombie & Fitch in store clearance: That $399 pair of Ezra Fitch jeans, (while it was still being sold on the A&F website for $399 in 2007… got two at $70. Though they’ve had lots of wear, they still look new. The best part: I was losing weight at the time for a season of interviews they were a little tight when I bought them. It was a great incentive to lose the rest of that 25 pounds. A month later, I was thin again. Bargain clothes come in smaller sizes when you are a man. Now that’s an incentive to remain fit.
Coldwater Creek outlet online also has some wonderful bargains, particularly if you find a http://www.retailmenot.com coupon with 25-40% extra off and free shipping! But still can’t touch Sarah’s bargain! Thank you, Sarah! I’m going to try my luck at our local Goodwill…keep us informed of any more wonderful deals!