Located right next to the Te Atatu Peninsula Library is this fantastic little Op shop. In the…read moreneighbourhood visiting, I decided to take a look because as we all know; second hand stores can be like a treasure chest at the best of times. After a short walk through, I could see books, home ware items, clothing, shoes, strollers, toys. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at a Thomas the Tank engine. This toy was selling for 5 dollars, and my friend piped up; "Phoenix would be thrilled with that". I knew I had to get it! Well long story short is, he loves it, it works like magic and I found it in an Op shop! I love to explore stores and see what they have to offer; sometimes you walk out with nothing, we were lucky this time. You won't find a couch or TV, but you might find something useful for the time being.

I always like a browse in a op shop - you're giving them support and there are all sorts of little…read morenuggets of gold to be found there. This one is in Te Atatu Peninsula and I have browsed here on numerous occasions. There's plenty of clothes here but I am not so keen on wearing other peoples clothes - perhaps a jacket but not a t shirt or anything like that. The toys on offer seemed more appealing and the last time i was there I bought my nephew a couple of toy cars. One intriuging thing that caught my eye here was a selection of Jack Daniels merchandise - some Westie must have had a good clear out of his garage as there were shot glasses, trays, key rings and plates you could hang on the wall. Didn't really appeal to me but I reckon somebody will snap this stuff up. The staff here are exceptionally friendly and I must say it's one of the better Op Shops around.

It's kind of ridiculous, but I love $2 shops. This is technically not a $2 shop because it sells…read morethings priced above and below $2, which is kind of stupid, but I love it anyway. The place is pretty massive, it has aisles that are alphabetized for ease of search, but there's so much stuff in there that you wouldn't even know where to start. For example, $2 disposable yellow raincoats. Amazing. $7 '*insert name here* PARKING ONLY' signs to stick outside your house for laughs. $2 caps. $2 angry birds keyrings. $3 packs of bubble wrap, self-sealing envelopes. Dare you to go in there and not find something to buy. Service was super friendly.

Definitely my favourite dollar store in Auckland, such a huge selection of really great stuff, good…read moreparking and really friendly staff. They have an amazing selection of fake flowers here which look really good and aren't a rip off like the ones in home décor stores. I always buy my fake eyelashes from here too, really good selection and again really great looking and fab quality. My boyfriend likes their selection of lighters here, especially their Zippo inspired ones! It's part of the shopping complex on the corner of Valley and Dominion Rd so it's got great free parking (always deserves a mention). Such an amazing kids toy section here too they even have beautiful hand painted maracas for $2 and they would make such great gifts. I also always buy my pet paraphernalia from here too they have doggie poop bags that are pink with paws on them...so cool as well as pet bowls, leads and toys! Love this shop to death.

Oh the clearance shed! This place right here is bargain heaven, it is the place you find all the so…read morecalled rejects st a ridiculous price. You can buy makeup, cds, dvds, books, pillows, sheets, electronics and bean bags! It's s place you find everything that you didn't think you needed. If you are ever stuck for a present the clearance shed is the place to go. I blame this place for the countless pilates, yoga ane aerobics dvds that I have. At the same time I owe this place a massive thanks for helping me with my Bob Marley collection. These cds are usually $5-$10 at clearance shed. Plus if any unwanted or unexpected guests invite themselves over and you don't have any clean linen, you now know where to go.

Growing up I never really spent much time out west, but over the last few years I've slowly become…read moremore and more familiar with what is out there. But it was only really recently that I discovered the outlet mall at Westgate. Located right behind the Westgate shopping centre, this little strip of stores includes the likes of Bendon, a Nike factory store, an all-things-USA shop, and Jet Couture to name a few. The Nike and Bendon stores were two places I was ecstatic to find. Both had a wide selection of products available and everything was pretty reasonably priced. If it is outlet shopping you're after, I would still definitely recommend trying Dressmart in Onehunga first, but if you're already out west and just need new running shoes, lingerie or boardies then the Westgate Outlet will be able to take care of you without breaking your bank! Tip: There's plenty of free parking available both at Westgate shopping mall and in front of the outlet strip!

Not to be confused with the main shopping mall at Westgate, this is selection of outlet shops at…read morethe back on Fernhill Drive. There's not much to it really - just a random collection of outlet stores which attracts the bargain hunters on the weekend. I guess the best stores are the Nike and Bendon outlets as you can get some good deals here. There is nothing over $20 in the Bendon store and my wife comes here to stock up on underwear from time to time. There is a hairdresser called Vivo which my wife had a bad experience in - the sink was really high and she had a crick in her neck for days. Overall, it's not all that exciting or stimulating but that comes with the terroritory in West Auckland. Good for a few bargains but not what you would call great retail therapy.

Unlike other cluttered and claustrophobic discount stores, The 1 2 3 Dollar Store look almost…read moresparsely stocked. It has supermarket styled aisles of cheap Asian goodies in a corner of Henderson's Westfield Mall. The concentration of $2 shops in this mall is amazing and bargain hunters like myself will want to visit most of them before deciding on an item. The strength of the 1 2 3 Dollar Store is not so much flashy dress-up items, but rather, common household items. There are plenty of cleaning products or handkerchiefs or candles at super cheap prices. An almost sterilized semblance, this store is a place to look for budget items to fill out holes in your ordinary, everyday stock or for a one-off dinner event.

My sister gave me a budget of 3$ here and honestly i was stuck! so much options!! thanks guys love…read moreyou

This op shop would have to be in my list of top 3! I found out today that they were previously in…read morePonsonby, then K Road, now in Avondale, but looking for new premises again. I hope they don't move too far away where ever they go! The woman behind the counter has always been really friendly, chatty and helpful when I have been in. They have a long rack of children's clothes for those with youngsters, a decent range of men's wear (generally x-large though), lots of women's clothes, books in an organised fashion, some great crockery (I have bought some matching vases) and glassware. The best bit really is that it is the most affordable I have seen in Auckland. Not only do they have a $1 rack out the front with decent enough clothes, but they also have on offer 50C containers of clothes (children's and adults). It offers prices that most of us would expect to pay for second hand. This isn't me being stingy, this is me being practical - these charity second hand shops support the needy and they sell to those of us who struggle to fill a wardrobe with brand new clothes. Keep up the good work guys!

It seems Japanese shops such as this one are growing like mushrooms!…read moreI would rank this one as my second favourite, the kitchen section in particular has lots of pretty soup bowls and pans and steamers. As mentioned in my fellow Yelpers's reviews there are also the stationery and bathroom sections and lots of random cute thingies no one needs... But oh they' so cheap so why not?!

This place is pretty awesome, hidden in an obscure location, you almost miss it. Thankfully for the…read morevibrant orange and black sign to mark the narrow entrance you begin your decent into the lower depths of Queen Street to find yourself in a rather large store that I could not accurately categorise. This is because there is a lot of stuff here, stationary, the gift bags and paper section is great, Hello Kitty and Snoopy are well represented here. There are aisles of all kinds of things for your home, a massive chopstick section, Hello Kitty cling wrap, food bags and plasters. Interestingly a big range of nappies and other baby things. It is fun just to look around, there are some odd things here too, especially in the bathroom and cleaning sections. Good fun I say, you'll walk away with things you didn't need but make are entertaining none the less. (Hello Kitty keeps my food fresh now).

"Food4less, the name says it all" is their motto, and yes, it is true, but honestly I think they…read moreunder estimate themselves. It looks a bit tacky on the outside, cheap and nasty in fact, but it is great! And much more than just a supermarket, however, maybe I am basing this comparison on chain supermarkets, those that all seem to be cut from the same mould. Food4Less sells a great deal of bulk food, spices and rice, which I shop there for (and their incense come to think of it, they have a lot... as too Bollywood movies, Hindu statues and posters, etc, Like I said, it is not your average supermarket). Some of the isles do take on the 'cheap and nasty' feel, but don't let it put you off, go in for yourself and have a look. Halal meat is on offer too.

I live in the U.S. but have dear family that just moved to New Zealand earlier this year. The…read morecouple just had another baby boy and my hubby and I wanted to do something special for them instead of just sending cash via post mail. We found The Warehouse and it looked to be like a Walmart or Target. They have gift card options in values of $25, $50, and $100. So, we bought a couple of Warehouse gift cards and requested them to be delivered to our family in Mt. Albert. They received the gift cards the next day and were very delighted! Although I've never been to The Warehouse yet.. their customer service is definitely top notch if they're able to deliver their products sooner than scheduled. They also enclosed it in a gift envelope which had our personalized message on it.

This is by far the most amazing food on the Peninsula. The quiche is the best I have EVER tasted,…read morethe homemade chocolate macaroons are to die for, and with pork, lamb and goat savouries available ( paleo options too!) there's something for everyone. A must to visit if you like healthy, fresh and homemade.

I stumbled upon this boutique-like café that is best described as "gritty with a touch of pretty"!!…read moreThis wee place offers a delightful range of café-style fare and great coffee. Best of all though, it is the perfect place to pickup a loaf of artisan bread, along with some nice handmade cheese, charcuterie and other delicacies, after a day out on the peninsula!!! Oh so very French!!! Lol, looking forward to strutting along Te Atatu road, armed with baguettes and cheese!!