Macy's: The Mall's Best Kept Secret

In my early high school years, I had something against department stores. I wanted shirts with Hollister logos, designer butt pockets on my jeans, and 'Abercrombie' printed across my chest as often as possible. I wanted purses with the letter 'C' printed all over them and shoes with distinctive brands displayed as obviously as possible.

As I got older, I became more fond of 'being different'. I wanted to shop at thrift stores but still follow the trends. To this day, I feel a sort of thrill when I get the opportunity to help my friends find a good deal, or when people tell me they like my $14 prom dress. Now that I'm getting my own apartment and starting to accumulate my own belongings, I'm becoming a huge advocate of both frugality and functionality.

So where is a girl to go when she needs a set of sheets asap but doesn't feel like spending a whole month's grocery money in one purchase? Macy's, apparently. In my experience, half of the inventory at Macy's is always on sale. Bam. Ten points for Macy's. I got a set of full-sized sheets for $16. Originally over $70. Sure, they wouldn't match everyone's decor scheme, but for me they just happened to be perfect.

Why else does Macy's rock my world? They have an awesome jewelry department. Now I've never been the hugest fan of excessive jewelry. I didn't have my ears pierced until my 18th birthday, and it's still rare to find me wearing more than a pair of earrings and a ring on my finger. But in the last six months I have found two very specific pieces at Macy's (both on sale, of course) that I had been unable to find at Target, Forever 21, even Marshalls!

This ring, for example, goes for $35 on the SAI jewelry website. The exact same piece was at Macy's holiday sale for $20. Another 10 points for Macy's.

And most recently? Macy's has helped me out yet again. My friend Stephanie needed a formal gown to wear for a friend's recital but wanted to spend under $100. We were able to find pretty much the dress of her dreams (originally priced at over $200) for $56. On the way out, I stopped to look at the jewelry department. I've been looking for a pair of rhinestone studs for months now. I have a pair that I got at H&M last Christmas for $2, but they leave mysterious discolored spots on my ears every time I wear them. Also one of them mysteriously disappeared about a month ago. So what did the magic of Macy's have for me? A pair of $50 cubic zirconia in 18karat gold earrings on sale for $18. What a beautiful day it was!