T.J. Maxx & Marshalls Fall Fashions

 

One thing I love about the fall season is all of the rich colors that you see while driving down the road and browsing through clothes racks for seasonal items. I also love finding ways to transition a summer outfit to work for fall or winter.

Now, if you’re like me and you live on a budget in order to be able to put as much money into savings for your family as possible, you understand how important it is to make every dollar count. Shopping on a budget can be difficult but it can also be a very successful trip if you know where to go and where to look once you get there.

Whether I’m looking for items for myself or a gift for a friend/family member, I love visiting my local T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores. They always have great, brand name items for far less than retail price. You won’t find the exact same items at one store that you will at another. This makes it fun to look up the stores nearest you to shop at. Also, the stores have stock that’s ever-changing as they receive thousands of items each week.

I was given a $25 gift card to T.J. Maxx and a $25 gift card to Marshalls to use towards finding some fall fashions. As an expectant mom, I wanted to find something that would be flattering, comfortable, and easy to nurse the baby in while adjusting to my post-baby body.

T.J. Maxx was my first stop. I went straight to the clearance racks to begin putting something together that I could not only enjoy this fall but also this winter and even into the spring and summer if I wanted. If I’m going to buy new clothes, I want to make sure that it’s not something that will be worn once and then take up room in my closet.

I found 2 great pieces on the clearance racks and then went on to look for accessories to go with it. Here’s what I found:

These 2 shirts are both long. The undershirt is a grey, v-neck t-shirt that was on clearance for only $7.00. The plaid shirt was on clearance for $10.oo. I love the cut of the shirt as it is made to flatter your figure and give you an hourglass look (even if you have a post-baby body).

Now, with these 2 pieces, there are many things you can do to transition them into the fall season. They can be worn with long leggings and boots, skinny jeans and boots, cinched at the waste with a belt, with a solid colored handbag that either matches one of the colors of the shirt or gives a pop of color (like a deep plum), or with a scarf around the neck.

I looked through T.J. Maxx looking for an item that would fit in my $25 budget. I also wanted to be sure that I didn’t choose something that would become an obstacle to nursing my daughter. After looking through the scarves and handbags/clutches, I chose a black scarf for only $5.99. This scarf is perfect for the 2 pieces I chose and I can wear it with other clothes of mine as well.

Here are the 3 pieces put together. At the end of my sale, I spent all of the gift card with around $.60 left over. (I would model it for you, but I’m afraid my pregnant belly doesn’t quite fit in the tops. lol)

Next stop: Marshalls!

When I arrived at Marshalls, I wanted to look at a few things before deciding what to use my $25 gift card on. I fell in love with a pair of boots that were actually a great deal at only $39.99, but I wanted to stay within the set limit of the card. I also found a fabulous handbag that was $49.99. This lead me to look and see if I couldn’t find any leggings. I didn’t find any but I did find some adorable skinny jeans for only $14.99. However, after giving it some thought, I decided it would be best to come back after the baby is born to make sure I get the right fit of jeans. (It’s very hard to try on jeans when you’re nearly 9 months pregnant.)

So…I decided that I would fashion the little girl on the way for the fall season. I went over to look at the baby clothes and decided to find something really nice for her and really adorable as well. Here’s what I found:

 

This is a Piper & Posie 3-piece outfit in 3-6 months that is all knit. It retails for $25 and up and I was able to buy it for only $14.99.  Isn’t it adorable? I love the little flair pants and the matching hat. Also, the hat is lined with a soft cotton so I know it won’t be itchy on her head.

I still had some money left to spend and decide to go find a little something to bring home for Alex. After looking through the many toys and books, I decided on this Mini CARS set of Sarge and Lightning McQueen for only $3.99.

After finding this, I decided to head to the check-out and save the difference on the card for future purchases. That is, until, I saw these at the check-out next to the register:

Yum! I can’t resist Jelly Belly jelly beans! And for only $3.99, I grabbed them and threw them in with my sale. (The hubster was thrilled that I found something to share with him as well.). :)

These 3 items brought my total to about $.50 or so less than the $25 gift card I was given to spend.

That, my friends, is how you can buy fashionable items for yourself and your child while still being able to afford a few, fun extras.

**This review is strictly based on my opinion. I was not compensated for my review beyond receiving gift cards to use towards the sample items of my choice. Please see my disclosure policy on the bottom of my blog page.**