Clearance, Clarence?

T.J. Maxx is my playground – with a credit card. I get an adrenaline rush just standing in the parking lot. They have such great merchandise and their deals make me dizzy.

Armani sunglasses? I found a pair at T.J. Maxx for $19.99, wore them the entire summer and had to cry when Reef pulled them into two pieces. Babies and sunglasses – if these two find each other only one will survive the experience.

Speaking of babies, the baby section of T.J. Maxx puts me into full baby mode. French baby clothes make me light-headed and the Ralph Lauren pink fleece? I’m practically drooling. I usually come home with several new baby outfits and talk the counselor into having another baby with me. You wonder why I have so many children? Now you know.

And nothing motivates me more then the jean section. I’ve started more diets on what I call “The T.J. Maxx Layaway Diet Plan.” When I see a cute pair of Lucky’s, or Maxamara, I will drop the weight to fit into them!

The shoes are fabulous. Purses? Don’t get me started. And the home décor? I can’t even walk in this section.

So, this is something I do to take the edge off my spending. I shop T.J. Maxx clearance and place the merchandise on Ebay for a higher price. I earn back some of what I've spent on items for myself and that carries away the shopping guilt I've got following me around. Here are a few examples:

I found these American Eagle size 0 jeans for $7.00 and they sold on Ebay for $15.50.

These American Eagle Size 18 pants are a hot seasonal item. I purchased them for $6.00 and they sold for $14.99.

I wanted to keep these $10.00 (new they sell for $98) white Ralph Lauren denim jeans for myself, but who am I kidding. White? Kids? Plus, wearing jeans in Arizona in the summer is like running over your own foot. And white doesn't stay in style past September, so I came home and listed them at $24.99.

There's a huge following on Ebay for Columbia sportswear. I found these Size 14 Petite navy pants for $4.00 and they later sold for $14.99. They sell new for $48.00, so this was a great deal for both of us.

I've just posted these amazing Ed Hardy jeans for $99.99. This the first time I've used the "30 day, buy it now" listing. I'll let you know what they sell for when the fun's all over.

Last week, I did the same thing at Gap. They had great clearance with an additional 40% off. I spent $20.00 for the hot things I wanted, then I bought a few clearance items to sell on Ebay. I've already made most my money back off the items I purchased for myself.

These $49.00 pants were on clearance for $6.97, plus an additional 40% off. They sold for $17.38.

Remember cashmere? Always, always a great seller, even when the fabric content is 90% cotton and 10% cashmere. I purchased this for $9.97, take 40% off and it sold for $15.50.

There's always a way to make a few extra bucks. I just think it's darn fun.