Have you ever been to Five Below?

If not, you’ve got to check it out! This place is amazing!

It is appropriately named as everything in the store is $5 or less. This is like a dollar store on steroids! The stuff they have for $5, $3, and even $2 is amazing!

My first five below experience was a few weeks before Christmas this past year. I found some great gifts for girlfriends and co-workers at LOW prices. They have everything from office/school supplies to home décor to accessories. One of the highlights for me was the cosmetics department, where I found adorable glitter eye shadow palettes complete with velvet bow for $3 and $5, great lip gloss, manicure, and make-up brush sets for $5, and 3 for $5 “Funky Fingers” nail polishes in some of the most vibrant colors and glitters I’ve ever seen! My princess and rock star party girls (and my friends) always go for these polishes first and they’re some of the cheapest ones I have! Another great thing was their selection of gift items, such as bath & body sets, decorative candles, etc… They were creative and adorably packaged. It was the kind of thing you actually want to give somebody, not just something you picked up because you have to get something. For example, I was looking for little gifts to give the ladies in my office. I didn’t want to spend much, just give them a little token. I found these adorable little candles. They were solid wax candles one looked like a little cup of cappuccino on a saucer, complete with whipped cream and the other, a mini box of chocolates. They were the perfect, and I think I only paid $2 for each one. That’s pretty amazing, if you ask me!

My second five below experience was early this summer when I had cleared out every dollar store and wal-mart in town of their children’s flip flops (yea that was me, sorry), and needed some for a Rock Star Treatment Party. I expected to pay $3 per pair (same as wal-mart), but when I got there, they had a whole wall full of them, and they were 3 for $5… that’s half what I expected to pay! Needless to say, I stocked up, assuming that they would sell out quickly.

The third five below experience was in preparation for my summer vacation to the Outer Banks. I found TONS of beach goodies such as beach towels, beach mats, boogie boards, citronella tea light candles, water bottle ice cube trays, insulated picnic baskets, mini coolers, beach umbrellas, and even mini beach chairs… all under $5. I was pretty amazed!

My latest five below experience was a panicked trip for more flip flops. I had depleted my supply, and had tried every store I could think of in a desperate search (various dollar stores, wal-mart, payless, Gabriel brothers) and everyone was sold out. I said a little prayer and headed to five below. To my pleasant surprise, their trusty flip flop wall was FULLY stocked. They had just as many in late July as they had in late May! I easily picked through their organized selection and was in and out within 5 minutes… an important thing when you’re on your way to a party and already running about 10 minutes behind!

This gave me one more thing to love about my new favorite store: unlike dollar stores and other discount stores, they re-stock their merchandise! They’re not relying on “fall off the truck” or “overstocked” goods from other places. This store carries it’s own merchandise, and you can actually count on things being there when you need them… Hallelujah!

All that, and the best part is yet to come! These stores are popping up all over town! The first one I went to was in Robinson, but since then, I’ve been to the stores in McMurray and at the Waterworks. I’ve also recently heard that they’re opening one in the Century 3 area in early August. To find a store nearest you, check out their website: http://fivebelow.com

Thanks for reading, and happy (discount) shopping!

-Bethany