The Best Bargains in Johnson County Kansas

Meet lifestyle expert Stephanie Ann author of The Cheap Diva’s Guide to Frugal and Fabulous Living: How to Shop Smart, Look Your Best, Decorate with Style and Have Fun for Less Money!

Book signing Saturday August 7, 2010, at 1:00 pm.
At: Barnes and Noble 913-492-8187 Oak Park Mall
11323 W 95th Street
Overland Park, KS 66214

Thank you for your RSVP to this event. Here is your free style guide to the best places to shop for bargains in Johnson County Kansas from department stores to dollar stores!

Where to Shop for the Best Bargains in Johnson County Kansas

Fashion

Macys Oak Park, 11201 W. 95th Street, Overland Park, KS 66214 (913) 888-4910

Macy's Metcalf South Shopping 9501 Metcalf Street, Overland Park, KS 66212 (913)383- 9696

Macy's Prairie Village Shopping Ctr, 4000 West 71st, Prairie Village, KS 66206 (913) 262-1355

Macy's Town Center Plaza, 5100 West 119th St., Leawood, KS 66209 (913)563-3996

For contemporary style, good quality, a wide variety of brands, and a range of sizes to fit a range of women, Macy’s is the place to shop. Macy’s department store is one of the few retailers that features the similar styles in their petite, regular, and plus size departments. They frequently have excellent sales and their stylish offerings range from classic pieces to trendy looks. Their selection of jewelry runs the gamut from classic costume pieces you can wear forever to trendy pieces you buy to cheaply update your look without buying a whole outfit. Their selection of men's clothing is impressive as well, including everything from classic to trendy styles.

Steinmart, 9656 Quivira Road, Lenexa, KS 66215 (913)894-5632

Steinmart, 14401 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, KS 66223 (913) 681-3827

When you can’t stand the thought of buying another basics boring “investment” piece, head to Steinmart. Steinmart is perfect for stylish women who already have enough wardrobe basics and are looking for a well edited selection of pieces that make a real style statement. With their attractive patterns, textures, brilliant colors and embellishments, Steinmart clothes are distinctive. They have a men’s section and a home section (the throw pillows are definitely worth checking out) but the stars of the store are clearly the women’s clothing and shoe departments. Steinmart sells discounted designer names, so you can easily find a $60.00 designer shirt selling for about 20% to 50% off that.

DSW, 7345 Quivira Road, Shawnee, KS 66216 (913)631-3115

DSW, 12160 Blue Valley Parkway, Overland Park, KS 66213 (913) 338-0319

Designer Shoe Warehouse has such a great selection of name brand shoes at reasonable prices, it’s downright dangerous for us frugal fashionistas! With style ranging from practical walking shoes, to sporty sneakers, to downright sexy high heels, chances are the biggest challenge you face will be limiting the number of shoes you buy. Of course if you hit the sales right, you can treat yourself to that second pair without breaking the bank. To make room for new shoes several styles of shoes will tagged as a sale item and moved to the clearance racks in back or be labeled with a sticker that shows there is an additional discount off of their original low price.

Beauty

ULTA, 14677 West 119th, Olathe, KS 66062 (913)390-9938

For the ultimate in beauty bargains check out the ULTA store. ULTA sells a variety of drug store brands such as Revlon, Cover Girl, and Maybelline as well as an excellent selection of other beauty products such as skin care and hair care items. Their regular prices aren’t always the cheapest in town, which is why I always wait for one of their great sales! If you sign up for their mailing list you can expect to receive sales fliers online or in the mail on a regular basis. What makes a deal at ULTA different from a sale at Walgreens for example, is that the ULTA sales fliers often come with a coupon for an additional discount off you your total purchase, including sale items. This kind of double discount, a store sale combined with a coupon, is a beautiful deal when you’re looking to stock up on beauty supplies.

Academy of Aesthetic Arts, 10316 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Shawnee, KS 66203 (913)962-9772


The Academy of Aesthetic Arts has such an elegant atmosphere it would be easy to mistake this budget friendly beauty school for an upscale salon. From the private rooms, to the tasteful décor to the impressive menu of beauty treatments, the whole indulgent experience feels like you are receiving treatments at some posh day spa, that is until you get the bill and realize that you have paid less than half of what you would have paid at a fancy salon.

The Academy of Aesthetic Arts offers a complete line of skin care products and services including make up application, waxing, spray tanning, water therapy with hydro tub, aroma therapy, reflexology, skin treatments facials and peels, body-wraps, microdermabrasion. For more information about their prices, services or to schedule an appointment please contact them by phone or visit academyofaestheticarts.com.

B Street Design School, 10324 Mastin, Overland Park, KS 66212 (913)494-4114

When you need a haircut at a price that won’t take a big cut out of your budget head to your local beauty school. Beauty schools services are provided by students looking to get some hands on training for a career in the beauty business. Because they are still training, the students tend to really pay attention to what they are doing and usually will cut off a little at a time instead of casually whacking off more than you wanted. Their work is inspected by instructors who polish up anything the student may have overlooked.

You probably will get a different person doing your hair, nails, etc. every time you visit. This means that sometimes you might like your haircut more than others, but for less than $10.00 a haircut that’s a risk I’m willing to take. There are several local beauty schools around where you could easily get a decent haircut. I chose B Street Design largely because it’s open Saturday morning which not all beauty schools are.

Home Decor

Revival Home Furnishings, 9001 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, KS 66212 (913)901-0081

Breathe new life into your home décor with stylish pieces from Revival Home Furnishings. The appropriately named Revival Home Furnishings consignment store fits countless interesting pieces ranging from elegant dishes to home décor accents all the way up to larger pieces such as dining sets. This store has something for everyone. For do it yourself types there are plenty of imperfect pieces waiting for skilled hands to repaint, refinish, or reupholster them into a personal style statement that brings out the beauty of the piece. For bargain hunters there is a warehouse worth of budget friendly pieces ready to take home. For smart shoppers with a taste for the finer things, Revival Home Furnishings carries a selection of exquisite antiques.

Z Gallerie, 4563 West 119th Street, Leawood, KS 66209 (913)317-5010

For fabulous home décor at frugal prices, Z Gallerie is the place to shop. From the jewel encrusted frames, satin bed covers, candle holders and mirrors infused with a baroque style flair for the dramatic, to unique vases to countless other decorative home accents Z Gallerie offers wall to wall glamour. While some of the pieces in the store aren’t exactly cheap, there are plenty of budget friendly shiny and sparkly items to make any Cheap Diva very happy.

Z Gallerie does sell furniture, but the real stars of the store are the items you put on the table. Their selection of dazzling tableware and glassware in jewel colors, sophisticated styles and elegant patterns gives the illusion that at any moment someone could throw a fabulous cocktail party right there in the store.

Marshalls Home Goods, 14645 W 119th St, Olathe, KS 66062 (913)764-6336

Marshalls Home Goods sells new items that are often overstock items from other retailers or discontinued items. They feature an excellent selection of home accents such as lamps, pictures, mirrors and small decorative items. The Home Good store does sell furnishings such as chairs ottomans, and end tables, but they don’t sell larger pieces that take up a lot of floor space, like couches and book cases. Because they buy from a variety of sources, they offer a variety of styles which makes their selection a little bit eclectic and a whole lot of fun to shop.

Thrift & Dollar Stores

Dollar Tree Stores, 13240 W 87 St., Lenexa KS 66215 (913)859-9953

When you are trying to stretch every dollar, Dollar Tree Stores are the place to shop. Pop into a Dollar Tree Store the next time you need to buy gift cards, gift bags, or any other gift related trimmings. Dollar Tree Stores are also excellent places to shop for basic everyday kitchen items such as spatulas, pots and pan cleaning brushes, food containers and even basic dishes. College students stocking up on school and home supplies can learn a valuable lesson in economics here. When everything in the store costs a dollar, the savings can really add up fast!

Savers, 5441 West 95th Street, Overland Park, KS 66207 (913)649-4381

Savers thrift store is neat, clean and beyond a doubt the best organized thrift store I have ever seen. The book selection, which is extremely generous by thrift store standards, groups books by theme. The massive selection of clothes is also sorted and organized by style and size (for example all tank tops on one rack) which makes it faster and easier to find what you need. Savers thrift store imitates higher priced stores by offering several dressing rooms, shopping carts, and a large selection of merchandise ranging from clothes to house wares to the usual miscellaneous items you normally find at a thrift store.

Pets

Animal Haven, 9800 W 67th Street, Merriam, KS 66203 (913)432-7548

With so many friendly dogs and cats to choose from, it’s easy to find the perfect pet at an affordable price at the Animal Haven animal shelter. At Animal Haven the animals spayed/neutered and given any other vaccinations or appropriate medical treatment before they are put up for adoption which dramatically reduces the cost of adopting a pet. The cost of adopting a cat or dog varies depending on the type of animal, but if you time it right you can bring home a new pet for free!

To get more grown cats into loving homes, Animal Haven is currently waiving ALL adoption fees on adult cats to approved adopters throughout the summer months! The Animal Haven cat adoption package includes all vaccinations, FIV/FeLV testing, microchipping, spay/neuter surgery, and flea and tick prevention- saving you hundreds of dollars in pet care!