In today’s economy it’s really difficult to shop for all of the must-have items of the season. However, just because your shopping budget has a few less zeroes than a New York City socialite’s clothing expense account doesn’t mean that you should have to sacrifice your style. Personally, I very seldom shop at department stores, and I don’t mind purchasing items a few seasons old. That’s why I shop at designer discount stores like Ross, TJ Maxx and Bluefly.com. They offer a variety of affordable luxuries that allow me to save money while still indulging in my designer cravings.

Zappos.com is a fabulous online store that sells shoes, accessories and clothing by over a 1000 top brands. Not only do they have a variety of  discount designer labels on their website, but they offer free shipping both ways! (Yaaaa, more money to shop with).

Nordstrom Rack offers a wide variety of accessories, shoes and apparel by designers like Calvin Klein & Betsy Johnson. My words of advice when shopping here is to dress comfortably and bring water & snacks…it’s going to be a long day!

Burlington Coat Factory is another discount store I stop by frequently. They have a great mixture of designer labels plus the best baby, home and jewelry departments you can find. This is also a great place to purchase bras…I just bought five for the grand total of $25.00. (That’s 1 bra from Victoria Secret).

TJ Maxx is one of my favorite discount stores because they never disappoint me. When I walk through the doors I know I’m going to find exactly what I’m looking for… from a Kathy Van Zeeland handbag (found one for $30.00) to a cute pair of BCBG platform pumps. (Yes! I am a Maxxinista).

DSW is the fairy shoe mother! Believe me, when you walk into the store you feel like you’ve just entered your fantasy closet. There are shoes everywhere and usually located at the back of the store is their infamous clearance racks that offer savings up to 80% off. My advice for shopping at DSW is to grab a hand full of stockings (located at the end of every aisle), pick up one of their huge black mesh shopping bags (so your arms won’t get tired) and clear your calender for a few hours.

 ROSS is a designer discount store I visited for the first time while living in Los Angeles many years ago. When I moved back to the Midwest I was disappointed to find out that there were no stores in my area. But now, I’m a happy diva again because a ROSS store will be opening soon about 10 minutes away from my house. I think I need to start saving now so I can splurge on the many racks of clothes and shoes they carry.

Bluefly.com is a budget fashionista’s playground. They always have a sale and all the top brand names are just a click away. I’ve even found brands on here that I’ve never seen before like Mikael Aghal and Aidan Mattox, who design fabulous dresses I might add.

What designer discount stores do you shop at for those affordable little luxuries?

“Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Fifth Third Bank via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Fifth Third Bank.”