Neiman Marcus' Last Call: New Store at the Block

Last September a Neiman Marcus' Last Call store opened at the Block of Orange. Never even actually being in a Neiman Marcus store, I decided to check it out after my aunt gushed about it at a recent family gathering.

There were shoes on sale for around $300, bags at the rock-bottom price of $800 and designer gowns at half their original price at around $1,000! My aunt may be gushing, but I was running out the door. This is definitely not my idea of things on sale!

Call it a peek at how the other half lives. A review of last season's offerings that weren't received as well as others. I tried to figure out why these items would have such a huge price tag - it's the brand name, of course. These styles that aren't necessarily nicer than those I get at department stores I can afford have that golden signature that enables a woman to say, "Oh, that's a so-and-so!"

I'm sure my husband is thankful that I am blissfully unaware of these designer brands and happy with my affordable stores. I know, I know what you'll say - gadgets aren't cheap either. But for the smart shopper, you know only to buy what you need or something you can make money out of (i.e. you're a web programmer, you need a computer to program with at home so you can do all those side projects). So in these difficult times, invest wisely and think twice before pulling out your wallet!

Happy shopping season, everyone!