Big Lots! can help frugal shoppers discover some big savings

Your shopping list may sound something like this, (I know mine does) shampoo, hair bands, picture frames, and an energy drink or two; and maybe your bank account is nearly nonexistent (again, like mine). Well have no fear Spartans there’s place you can go to get all of these things and more, without having to battle fellow motorist on that dreaded road, Wendover.

Instead of hightailing it to Wally-World the next time you have a smorgasbord of random shopping on your hands. Venture down Battleground Avenue (watch the geese please!) and conveniently next to an ABC store, is Big Lots!

Now, I’m sure you have drove past it before and never really thought about it twice. Personally, I thought it was a junky store until I actually went in it, and my oh my, I was wrong. After seeing the inside of the place and venturing around, I realized what an idiot I was for having not gone there when I was an underclassman. Not only would it have saved me gas, immense frustration, and near-death experiences from driving all the way to that great big place on Wendover, but the amount of money you save is unbelievable.
During my most recent trip with my mother (now an avid Big Lots shopper) I decided to pay particular attention to the prices of not only the things that I needed, but also just random things throughout the store.

Initially walking into the store one can be overwhelmed, but don’t worry you’re immediately greeted with a friendly “hello” from the cashiers. Over to the right is all the home décor and house needs, while over the left is the grocery section, and in the middle is a combination of beauty products, seasonal goods, and clothes.

When I’m with my frugal boyfriend we tend to head on over to the grocery section and see what random soups, pasta sauces, or snacks, have hit the shelves. Big Lots tends to sell brands that we recognize from our regular grocery stores, but it’s the products that may not have taken off as well as the company had hoped. For example, they have recently been carrying the Healthy Choice Steam Fresh meals, in flavor combinations that are probably not the most popular compared to the others. Now, a Healthy Choice dinner in the regular grocery store will run around the price of $3-$4, but at Big Lots, they cost around $1.50-$2.50.

When I’m shopping on my own however, I head right over to the beauty products. I now purchase all of my shampoo, conditioner, creams, gels, sprays, or any other kind of goop I put in my hair at Big Lots. At Big Lots, you can by name brand products, like Aussie, Pantene, John Freida, and L’Oreal, all for between $1.50- $5. Yes, that’s right ladies, John Freida for $5.

My mother, on the other hand, heads right over to the home décor, where she can sniff-out candles, find new kitchen towels, door mats, and picture frames, for a fraction of what she would pay in any department or superstore. She could even buy lawn furniture or a couch, again, for a lot less.

At the end of our shopping trip our receipts tell all. Mine only had three products, Salon Selectives conditioner, L’Oreal straightening crème, and a new candle to melt in my room less than $5. My mother bought a decorative picture frame that is now hanging in our kitchen, two packs of pillow cases, and Aussie hairspray…less than $10.

Big Lots is located on Battleground Avenue, across from Brassfield and is only 10 minutes away from campus.

Did I mention that they have an entire shelf of energy drinks for $0.60?