Un-SHOP-Able

Does the title have you all concerned? Do you feel like you've accidentally logged into an alternate iheartsmartcookie blog universe? Are all your molecules shouting, Is it real? Could it be true? Read on, smart cookie lover, read on....

After not visiting the psychic yesterday, C and I went to Big Lots. Which I HATE. Full on hate. Not dislike, HATE. It's not that I'm a snob, or that I think I'm somehow too good for Big Lots. Hey, do you guys know how poor I am? I like a deal as much as the next smart cookie. But for reals, my friends, for reals, Big Lots needs a makeover. I, a master shopper, a shopaholic if you will, cannot shop in a place that is so aesthetically unpleasing. Dim lighting? Dusty shelves? Overwhelming amount of merchandise? Check, check, check. Oh. My. Word. My body has an almost visceral reaction when I'm in Big Lots. All of a sudden, I can't breathe, I CAN'T BREATHE, and all I want to do is get the hells on out of there.

But C needed soap, and while she was there she also bought some frames for her art and a candle. And she bought me some ribbon for my Christmas wreaths. They were only $1, but do you see why I love her so much? It's not that the ribbon was only $1, it's that that's just the way she is. She's a giver, a caretaker, and even in the midst of her emotional shitstorm, she was thinking about me. I heart that girl something serious. But, no matter how much I love her, I still hate Big Lots. When we left the store, it was as if I could finally breathe again. You may have good deals Big Lots -BUT YOU WILL NEVER HAVE ME!!!!

I also hate Nordstrom, Last Chance, which is where we went next. C loves this place, and I have no idea how, but she always finds such great stuff there. The last time she went, she bought a bunch of cool shoes, bikini bottoms (yes, just the bottoms, more on that later), a purse, and some cute tops and dresses. And C's friend E once found a pair of PRADA shoes for $23. Word on the street is sometimes you can find 7 jeans, True Religion I say no but they keep givin'. J.K. But really. E told me some people shop for the name brands and then make a bundle of money selling stuff on ebay.

Ugh, but this is another place that overwhelms me to end. That, and the fact that like Big Lots, it suffers from being aesthetically unpleasing. Oh yeah, and some of the clothes and shoes have been worn. YES! WORN! ABW! Already been worn. Gross. But apparently, that place gets KRAZY. Full on krazy. Like there are a list of shopping rules posted at the front of the store. Stuff that you would think would go without saying. Like, don't take stuff out of other people's carts. Really? Is that frowned upon? Oh, and here's something else. Apparently, they have times throughout the week where they roll out designer duds and people have to wait in line to check it out. Today must've been one of those days because we saw a bunch of people in line, and when C asked what they were waiting for, a lady with ONE TOOTH, uttered the word, designer. Um, anyone else concerned about this circus?

Anyway, C pinky swore me that I would find something there. I was doubtful. But I did! A pair of hot pink pumps. So beautiful. Until I checked the bottoms. ABW, my friends. No sale. Then I found, OMG you'll die when I tell you, a pair of the cutest, most beautiful, Juicy Couture bikini bottoms. They were aqua with white hearts and white ruffles. It's like they had my name on them. But here's the clincher. No top. A bikini sans the top, if you remember, is not a bikini. But then I remembered that I had ordered this bikini top last week:

And problem solved. The bikini bottoms were $9.97, reduced from $74. So I did it. I bought them. My first purchase from that dark, dingy ABW store. And honestly, I have a feeling it'll be my last.

Now, I need to know.... Is it just me? Does anyone else feel this way about shopping some of these discount stores? I mean, I LOVE Marshalls, but I HATE Ross. I love Dollar Tree, but I HATE the Dollar Store, the kind that sells food. Goodness, there's one on Kendall that has awesome food deals, but has such a disturbing smell that I gotta hightail it outta there.

Leave me some love letting me know your favorite places to save money. And just for giggles, your least favorite.