For some reason I always feel drawn to enter these types of cheap stores. I don't normally buy…read moreanything and when I do it usually don't last long but for some reason I end up having a look anyway. Perhaps it's the exciting possibility of grabbing a bargain or two for $2. They have so much stock it is almost comical. From sunglasses and kitchen utensils to novelty decorations and kids costumes, they seem to have everything you didn't know you wanted until you saw it for so cheap. It is a fun shopping experience.

We must be a really stingy lot judging by how popular these bargain shops are. Here's another one,…read morefull of every object under the sun, or at least those small enough to fit on a shelf. As should be expected they have a vast array of products, none of which are of the highest quality or things you'll keep forever and pass down as an heirloom. Still, these places are always fun; I sometimes quite enjoy a frivolous shop without the side order of guilt. I observed those working at the time of my visit appeared to be a family, which adds a little something to the place as far as I'm concerned - my possibly very naive theory is that family run places ensure better service.

Some people might say this strange little shop is full of tat. But I don't call a pack of 15 Santa…read moreClaus paper plates for $2.95 rubbish. I call it a great find. As I happened to be in Stacks right in the middle of silly season (shopping for cheap tinsel, baubles and other bits and bobs for our Christmas Day celebrations), I was delighted to find a pack of 8 handmade Xmas cards for $2 (for that price you'd expect them to look like they were made by a 2 year old at kindy, but they were surprisingly tasteful). I did stop and ponder whether I should purchase the plastic microphone (with echo function) on it, until I got distracted by an enormous, feathered mask - v. Vegas showgirl. And only five dollars! Plus there's toys, happy birthday banners, stationery, iphone covers, toothpaste, and homewares. Think Crazy Clark's but smaller. And I can see why they call it Stacks - there's so many bargains crammed in there, I almost got a headrush.

This place is a little pricey in comparison to the $2 shop - everything here is $2.80. Everything…read more Well, unless it's specified as being a little more expensive (such as a large Maneki Neko). It's not really the go-to shop for general household needs, as most of the stuff here is bordering on the bizarre. Such as tiny scrubbing brushes with smiley faces on the handle. Or equally as tiny toilet brushes (seriously, who has a loo that small?). But if you're a bit of a stationary and organisational fiend then this place will have you [cheaply] covered. It has everything from filing storage to an assortment of decorative pens, paper and tonnes of cute stickers. You just have to hunt it down through the plethora of strange items (pink plastic clips adorned in smiley faces which are used to carry hot plates, anyone?).

I don't really know what about this place led to the name 'Little Tokyo', apart from the fact that…read morea lot of their products are so bizarre that I had no idea what they were or could be used for, rather similar to my feelings of the many electronics shops in Ginza. The comparison ends there however, as this is a cheap little shop, similar to those that sell everything for $1, except here they've settled on the random price of $2.80. I'm not sure if I'm just incredibly ignorant, but I really did not know what half the stuff in this place was. Most of it appeared to be made of plastic, and most of it was in very strange shapes so that it was clear they served some specific purpose that would probably make my life a lot easier if I could comprehend them. However, they didn't seem to come with instructions so I'm not sure I'll ever be privy to their secrets. It was quite full of people, many of them making purchases, but to me it was a very odd shop.

The thing that really grabbed me about this place is that they actually have a section where there…read moreare market stalls. Look, honestly, shopping centres really don't come anywhere close to the charm of the main street, but they do have a purpose. Like many of the Westfields, you pretty much know what you are going to get here, though the issue that I had was that sometimes getting out in certain directions (such as a direction that doesn't involve the bus stop) requires you to maneuver your way through a car park, so yes, this place really isn't all that pedestrian friendly.

Garden City's not my local, but every now and then we drive there for a change of scenery. It's big…read moreand busy and has a different feel to some of the other Westfield's in Brisbane. Take the piazza area, for example; Dicey Riley's in the afternoons and evenings is always buzzing with loud and happy people taking in the afternoon sun in the beer garden; Toscani's al fresco dining is doing a roaring trade and the cinema is attracting a crowd. Inside, there are some places we don't see in the other centres, small one-off clothing boutiques and jewellery stores, and big box retailers like Toys R Us, so yep, Garden City's worth a visit every now and then just to keep up and make sure we're not missing out on anything.

I'm not a fan of Super A-mart whose showroom is chook full of cheap-looking, student -style…read morefurniture without the student prices. The warping chipboards on their book shelves and flimsy mattresses on the bed frames make me suspect their durability. On the plus side, the Macgregor showrooms are huge. There's one big shed dedicated to outdoor furnishings, another shed for office and a third shed for indoor lounge/ dining. The first time I came here, I didn't appreciate the distance between the showrooms. By the time I walked to the third shed (in the midday sun), I was dehydrated. Points go to their excellent vending machine facilities in the third shed. Perhaps they've had too many customers faint while walking the length of their showroom. For future reference, it's much better to drive you car around to park at the specific shed you are after. Super A-mart is worth checking out during the sales if you are looking at furnishing student accommodation at relatively cheaper prices.

I understand this is considered cheap furniture here, but at this price level at an equivalent…read morestore in Canada (where I come from ), the quality would be about 50% of what it is here. Wood items are mostly solid wood, there's lots of leather and mostly leather furniture, fabric quality is good, and now that we have the furniture in our home, I can tell you everything is perfectly comfortable. They have three separate showrooms, one for living room, one for bedroom, and one for outdoors. Prices are pretty good, at a little more than half of what you might find at just about any furniture store. Delivery was quick and painless and customer service was not bad, either. One of our items arrived damaged, but they replaced it right away with no questions asked.

Giordano walks the fine line of being both cheap and having good quality clothing fantastically…read morewell. Usually it is either one or the other, but here, they do quite well. I like this store for picking up my basic clothes that I might not wear on a nice night out, but I will most certainly get some solid use out of. Things like singlets, polo shirts, jeans and shorts. Pretty dress shops are my favourite to look in, but when it comes down to it, how many cocktail dresses does one need really? Where as is this store, I can pick up half a dozen things without feeling guilty or breaking the bank balance. I actually have at least 3 of the same shirt in different colours at one stage because it was so comfortable and fit really well.

Just like supermarkets in foreign lands, dollar shops are an endless source of fascination; gadgets…read moreyou didn't think you needed until you saw it dangling in front of you for shrapnel and other randomness that can only be found in the depths of these types of stores. As a Yelp CM planning events for y'all, a dollar shop is a gal's best friend and with a shopping list with 'Feather Boas' at the top, Direct Savings in Stones Corner came up trumps. I grabbed one in every colour of the rainbow. They've extended their premises since I was last here but that's just more room for wonderment. Most things are $10 and under and from kitchen gadgets, stationery, party costumes and party decor you're every cheap-ass need is covered here. Heck, I even picked up a $5 iPhone case that screams - I just don't give a damn what my iPhone case says about me anymore. Walk in for a gander and come out loaded with cheep and cheerful treasures!

Well its one of the most useful shops around theses days. From sunnies to party stationery homes…read morewares . I normally grab a coffee from and pop in there for a short visit . Friendly service. Also the iphone cables works wonderful for around $5.99 , same as the quality you get from the professional stores . Cards and bags are plenty. Hardware are the best range within the area. Hooks sticky ones perfect for the house. Although the front doesn't look big. Inside is huge.

Im not entirely sure that i would have ever gone to spotlight on my own accord because as far as i…read morewas concerned it was a shop that sold cloth and sewing gear and that is something i have no interest in. I was however dragged their to buy bedding and pillows and was actually surprised at the size of the place. If you are looking for bedding towels and like me are impartial to designs and thread count then you cant go wrong with Spotlight. As well as all this they do have a party section which is something I am definitely taking advantage of for those fun but some times annoying dress up parties. All you need is a bit of creativity and with the huge amount of party supplies that they have. Its also fairly inexpensive and will be allot cheaper than buying or hiring a costume. I would just advise that when you go with your spouse you know what you are looking for because through personal experience you can end up staying there allot longer and buying allot of things you don't really need for the house.

Day time designers, night time crafters, do-it-yourself renovators and home decorators. If you're…read moreafter inspiration and ideas, give yourself about an hour to browse through Spotlight. While I love home decorations, I admit I'm a terrible DIY renovator. I hate sandpapering surfaces, painting walls, sewing curtains, in short anything that may cause perspiration. What I do like to do is buy cushions, candles and any sort of furnishings that may transform the room without any effort on my part. This is where Spotlight comes in. They have the A-Z of home decorations from already made curtains to cute toothbrush holders. For crafters, the Mt Gravatt Spotlight has a huge selection of supplies for quilting, embroidery, jewellery making, knitting and scrapbooking. It's bigger than Lincraft and Riots Art Supplies put together. Unfortunately, this has been at the expense of their sewing section which has been dramatically downsized in the past few years. They still stock a decent range of fabrics but only the most popular silks and satins are making the cut. If you can't nip down to Spotlight without the kids and hubby, never fear. There is an awesome helium balloon counter at the back of Spotlight. Just pick their favourite balloon design, the lovely staff on duty will fill it up with helium and you can shop in peace while your kids are entertained by shiny, nylon sharks, tigers and seahorses. The bonus is that these bobbing creatures act as beacons so that you don't have to worry about losing your kid in the maze which is Spotlight.