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Tips for T.J.Maxx The Runway Collection

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

February 5, 2023 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Coupons, Extreme Couponing, Facebook, Fashion, Frugal Fashion, Frugal Fashion Friday, Instagram, Nordstrom Clothes, Online Shopping, Pinterest, Retail, Social Media Leave a Comment

published date: March 29, 2022
modified datt: February 05,2023

Hey Maxxinistas! Take a look at how to get designer brands for less. Follow these Tips for T.J.Maxx The Runway Collection. Your resale might even find you spending nothing but getting at least a wear or two out of a something special! Get the max for the minimum… maybe even make money (potential income)!

how to shop t.j. maxx the runway collection for less

You know me… chasing high-end, for less.

I have had quite a struggle finding enough dresses for a multi-event Cuban wedding in Miami. First, my everyday style is pajama wear. Second, I have a large family and it gets pricy trying to dress everyone.

After months of preparing ahead, I stumbled on a little secret… The Runway Collection at T.J.Maxx carries many of the SAME ITEMS found in high-end stores including Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, Anthropologie, etc. That means I could 1.) Get what I love 2.) Not spend too much 3.) If I desired, resell it for almost the same price I purchased it for on a place like Poshmark (sign up and use code LANGSTONA for $10) or thredUP.

How to shop designer brands at T.J. Maxx

First, go to https://tjmaxx.tjx.com/store/shop/runway/. When shopping for designer brands on T.J.Maxx online, I knew the brands I liked.

Second, in the search bar, enter the brand names you like.

Next, began saving dresses by adding items you like to your cart.

This next step is very important. You want to compare sizing and styling to high-end brand-name stores.

For example, once, I had a good runway selection of discount dresses that I liked, I went to Google and found the same dresses in high end department stores.

  • Nordstrom
  • Lord and Taylor
  • Neiman Marcus
  • Saks Fifth Avenue
  • Anthropologie

On these websites, I read reviews, compared sizing, and looked at review photos of how others styled the high end products I liked. If I could not find that exact dress, I looked for similar styles.

Another resource that was very helpful in comparing how others felt the dress fit was Rent the Runway. They have 100s of photos. Sometimes they even have the dress for sale, but I found the used dress was even more than the TJMaxx price.

Comparing the dresses I liked to designer dress reviews of others helped me narrow down my choices in styles, sizing and brands. Most of the dresses I found were still be sold for the retail price at these high end department stores.

Keep in mind, the inventory is often low. If you have found your size, grab the item while you can. You can always return it if you decide you do not like it. Just be aware of the T.J. Maxx return policy.

T.J. Maxx Runway Tips

Since I shared with you the steps I took to save on my brand name dresses, take a look at my own tips and T.J. Maxx Runway review purchases two brand name dresses.

First, want to know something I really learned while shopping online. The MSRP (manufacturer-suggested retail price) is actually much higher than what T.J. Maxx shows. This was surprising. T.J. Maxx was selling their savings short. Even when the price tag arrived, the label was higher than what they listed online.

High End Designer Gown

The first item I picked up was a discounted luxury gown for a black-tie wedding. I knew I likely wanted the brand Mac Duggal. When I did my research, this was the brand over and over that had dresses I loved.

T.j. Maxx rent the runway savings mac duggal

Sometimes T.J. Maxx had a number of Mac Duggal dresses, other times a small selection. When I found this yellow Mac Duggal Floral Gown With Cut Outs And Ruffle Sleeve, I feel and love and felt it was the perfect style for Miami.

Mac Duggal Dresses on Nordstrom Online

I compared around the web and look at the price I got at T.J. Maxx versus online at Nordstrom. This item was also in two colors (not yellow) on Rent the Runway and help me find the perfect size.

Notice a few things. T.J. Maxx lists this dress for $199.99 from $400. However, even listed at Nordstrom it is $598 (not the $400 TJMaxx lists.) That’s a huge savings!

High End Cocktail Dress

The next dress I needed was a cocktail group. In a shared Grandmillenial Facebook group I am in, people were talking about dresses for weddings. My eyes flew to the thread as I knew I needed a few more dresses for multiple events.

Someone mentioned the Hutch tulle dress they saw at Anthropologie was now at T.J. Maxx. They had not even had a chance to get it on sale on Anthro and they were thrilled to see it even less at T.J. I instantly began researching sizing.

Discounted Hutch Dress with Bow Tie on TJMaxx runway

This was one place I had a misstep. When researching sizing, the current dresses on Anthoropologie.com are running small. However, the last season (same style dresses) were running true to size. So I ordered three that were way too big. I did have to quickly re-order when my package arrived. I went to T.J. Maxx and quickly returned my large dresses to stay within my return window and to keep those charges for my next credit card billing cycle.

Anthropologie hutch dress bow tie

Notice the pricing. On Anthropologie ONLINE, the Hutch Bow Dress is $218. At T.J. Maxx, the Hutch Bow Tie Dress is listed at $59.99 from $120.

Discounted Hutch Cocktail Dress at TJ Maxx

The Hutch cocktail dress even arrived with a price tag of $230, so this style of dress was really a lot more! I felt like a Maxxinista with all these savings!

Note: Of the four dresses I received, one did have a zipper that was stubborn. I saw no quality issues on the other items.

T.J. Maxx Runway Stores

If you want to shop TJ Maxx’s Runway section in person, there are a number of T.J. Maxx Runway Store locations. Shop Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Boston, New York City, Washington D.C. Etc.

These are the states where Runway locations are listed on their website.

  • Alabama

  • Arizona

  • California

  • Colorado

  • Connecticut

  • Florida

  • Georgia

  • Hawaii

  • Illinois

  • Kansas

  • Massachusetts

  • Michigan

  • Minnesota

  • Missouri

  • Nevada

  • New Jersey

  • New York

  • North Carolina

  • Ohio

  • Pennsylvania

  • Rhode Island

  • South Carolina

  • Tennessee

  • Texas

  • Virginia

Every T.J. Maxx does not have The Runway. You can see The Runway Stores in each city of each state here.

At the stores, employees and cashiers might be able to tell you when items are further discounted, if they restock T.J. Maxx daily or when new shipments arrive to their T.J. Maxx store locations.

Rumor is to shop Monday when T.J. Maxx restocks products. Also, shop Wednesday mornings as that is when they discount their items even more!

T.J. Maxx Runway Brands

T.J. Maxx does not sell fakes. If you love luxury brands you can save. Examples of just a few of the name brands you can find the best deals on at T.J. Maxx include…

  • Akris

  • Balenciaga

  • Cèline

  • Herve Leger

  • Hutch

  • Givenchy

  • Gucci

  • Mac Duggal

  • Rag and Bone

  • Saint Laurent

  • St. John

  • Stuart Weitzman

  • Valentino

  • Vince

and so many more brands for less.

How to Save More on T.J. Maxx

Example of how to save at T.J. Maxx on Luxury Brand Prices

When you make that purchase, make sure you use a coupon code.

T.J. Maxx Coupon Codes

First, save this T.J. Maxx online coupon code. Use code SHIP89 to get free shipping when you spend $89 or more.

For the cheaper Hutch dress, I bought multiple sizes of the items I purchased. I bought within a 30 day period and then returned within that time, only to not feel the pain of a multi-purchase on my credit card.  This easily got my order to $89 and then I just swung by my local T.J.Maxx (it does not have to be a T.J.Maxx Runway location) to return the dress(es) I did not need.

T.J. Maxx Tag Colors

When shopping in person, know your tags. The tag color can help you understand your savings.

  • White Tag – Regular price
  • Purple Tag – Runway item
  • Blue Tag – Items with coordinating prices
  • Red Tag – Clearance price
  • Yellow Tag – Final markdown

How to Resell Designer Brand Clothing

make money selling tjmaxx luxury brand items

The T.J. Maxx hacks for the Maxxinistas!

Now let’s turn some of your purchases into cash. If your purchase item is a one time wear, consign the items you bought. You can use consign locally or use online consignment shops.

Join two places.

  • Poshmark

  • thredUp

Poshmark is perfect for taking control of items you want to sell. You are the consigner. You do the work. I know I can resell both my Hutch and Mac Duggal dresses for the purchase price I paid.

In the case of thredUP, you send in the dress, and they do the selling. They set the price and might be able to sell it for you. The dress is not in your possession. I found thredUP helpful for buying, but for selling my high end items. In fact, I mentioned the Miami wedding I was attending. I bought my teenage girls, eight dresses for under $80. They were brand names that I knew they would fit in from places like Dillards and Macy’s.

Look at these resell prices!

Hutch Dress

T.J. Maxx Price: $59.99
Anthropologie Current Price: $230.00​
Poshmark Listing Price: $200 (potential income!)

Mac Duggal Gown

T.J. Maxx Price: $199.99​​
Nordstrom Current Price: $598.00​
Poshmark Listing Price: $319 (potential income!)

You might find you get to wear this dress for free if you can resell the dress for the same discounted price you bought it for… or even more!

It’s time to get the max for the minimum. Join Poshmark and thredUp today. Shop T.J. Maxx for tomorrow’s money-maker!

How the real question we are all left hanging with… why is T.J. Maxx so cheap?



WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Themed Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, New Year, Valentine’s Day, Easter & more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next party.

Extreme Couponing | Couponing Acronyms and Explanations

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April 22, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Beginners, Coupons, Extreme Couponing Leave a Comment

published date: September 08, 2011
modified datt: April 22,2020

When you begin Extreme Couponing, there will be a number of acronymns that you will see when going through weekly ads, reading posts, and trying to create your own list. It is important you refer back to these terms to maximize the most of your savings.

All of the acronyms I use for couponing are found on the center/right column of Frugal Coupon Living. Below, I have provided a more detailed explanation.

SS – Smart Source. SS is a coupon resource both online and in the Sunday paper.  The larger the city, the larger the SS Sunday insert and reverse rings true as well – the smaller the town, the smaller the insert size. Thus, Smart Source coupons can vary by regions.  Almost every Sunday, there is a SS insert in the newspaper. Visit Smart Source for printable coupons. Coupons found online are different from coupons found in the Sunday inserts.

RP – Red Plum. Much like SS, RP is a coupon resource both online and in the Sunday paper.   The larger the city, the larger the SS Sunday insert and reverse rings true as well – the smaller the town, the smaller the insert size.  Thus, RP coupons can vary by regions.  Almost every Sunday, there is a RP insert in the newspaper.  Visit Smart Source for printable coupons. Coupons found online are different from coupons found in the Sunday inserts.

P&G – Procter and Gamble.  Much likes the other inserts, P&G coupon resource is found in the Sunday paper.  P&G inserts tend to be consistent across the board. In other words the same coupons tend to be in every city/town.  Unlike the others, they come out once or twice a month.  Usually around front or end dates of the month. These coupons usually expire 30 to 60 days once published.

MFR – Manufacturer Coupon. A manufacturer coupon is coupon that is created by company or brand. It can be combined with a store coupon in most locations (grocery stores/pharmacies.)  Most MFR coupons have the most expensive item displayed as a picture on the coupon so it is important to read the fine print. Sometimes you can use a MFR coupon on a trial size item. When this is possible, it is best to do this because the savings is a much larger percent then if you were to buy they full size item. Ten bottle of trial size shampoo work just as well as one large bottle and can end up being FREE!

SC – Store Coupon. This is a coupon that can exclusively be used in the store in presents. For example if CVS puts out a coupon for Colgate, this can only be used in a CVS location.  This SC can be combined with an MFR on one item to produce a greater savings. Sometimes other stores will take SC coupons. For example, sometimes I can use a Winn-Dixie Grocery Coupon at my local Publix Grocery location. Check with your local stores to see if they accept store coupons from other locations.

CC – Competitor Coupon. A CC is a store coupon that can be used in another store. For example, I could take a Winn-Dixie coupon and use it at Publix. You can also create a combination of mixing and matching MFRs, SCs, and CCs for an even larger savings! Two places that regularly take competitor coupons are Publix and Home Depot.

B1G1/BOGO – Buy One, Get One. The name basically supplies the definition. When you buy one product, you get the next product for free. In some locations, B1G1 sales reduced items to 50% off so you can only buy one item in the B1G1 sale. I will make a note of this when this is the case. In most locations, for B1G1 sales, two products need to be in the purchase. I personally appreciate B1G1 sales because you can use two coupons. You are getting two products!

WYB – When You Buy. An example of when this phrase is used is get $1 off product x when you buy or wyb product y.

YMMV – Your Mileage May Vary. Your mileage may vary is a phrased to describe the situation where you have success at one store and not at another store. This is usually the case because clearance items, sales, or managers discretions may change per store. YMMV can be the case for two stores in the same city or for two stores on different sides of the country.

MIR – Mail in Rebate. A mail in rebate is a situation where you get back a percentage of the amount you spent on a product. A MIR usually requires a UPC (universal product code or bar code on the side of a box) , original cash register receipt, a form all mailed in a self stamped envelope.  During a MIR, you do need to pay for the product upfront but are refunded your money either in the form of a check or gift card.  Sometimes, MIRs provide you with a product instead of the refund of a check/gift card. In this case, you would know this before sending in the MIR. On average, MIRs take around 8 weeks for a full refund.

FAR – FREE After Rebate. This case is usually accompanied with a MIR. The item would be FREE after you submit a rebate for a refund of a check/gift card.

$1 SS 1/4 – $1 coupon in the Smart Source Inserts on January 4th. I use this phrase when matching coupons to sales. If we were talking about Dove Deodorant, I would be directing you to cut the $1 Dove Coupon in the Smart Source Insert that came out January 4th. If you keep your inserts intact, with the date on the front, this is easy to locate. You can keep them in a binder, in a file system, or cut them up and arrange the coupons by month or by type (health and beauty in this case.)

OOP – Out of Pocket. This is the money you are required to pay out of pocket. This money is usually amount you will pay before a rebate or “reward money” found in the form of Extra Care Bucks or Register Rewards (See CVS 101 and Walgreens 101 below.)

WFC – Weekly Flyer Coupon. This is a coupon found in a store weekly sales flyer. This coupon is required for the discount on the item. It is not a “clip free” coupon.

$1.50/2 – $1.50 off two items. In this example you get $1.50 of the price of two items. If I do not provide a back slash and number, then the discount is off one item. I provide the discount price followed by a slash and number to share with you when you have to buy more than one item for the coupon reduction.

ECBs – Extra Care Bucks. This is a money system found at CVS stores. It is like paper money that can be used on products in their store only. ECB sales are found weekly in their store flyer. Sometimes, CVS has items that are FREE after ECBS (much like the FAR system.) See more on shopping at CVS with ECBs below.

Wags – Walgreens. Acronym used for Walgreens.

RRs – Register Rewards. This is a money system found at Walgreens (Wags) stores. It is like paper money that can be used on products in their store only. RRs sales are found weekly in their store flyer. Sometimes, Wags has items that are FREE after RRs (much like the FAR system.) See more on shopping at Walgreens with RRs below.

Related Posts:

Eight Tips to Couponing HERE

CVS 101 HERE

Walgreens 101 HERE
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WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Themed Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, New Year, Valentine’s Day, Easter & more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next party.

Extreme Couponing | Organizing Your Coupons

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September 11, 2011 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Beginners, Coupons, Extreme Couponing 3 Comments

published date: September 11, 2011
modified datt: September 11,2011

One of the most important things to do when beginning Extreme Couponing is organizing your coupons. If you don’t know where to find a coupon you have (due to a stash full of unorganized coupons) then you are not able to reach your full saving potential. Below I am going to show you different organizations methods that work.

Method One: Organize Inserts by Date
This method has been the method I have used for years. I prefer it as it requires the least of my on my Sundays.

How to Start:
1.) Pull your inserts from the Sunday Paper and write the date on the front.
2.) Hole-punch the left margin of the coupon (In all my years, have not had problem with this messing up barcodes to scan.)
3.) Place your inserts in a large binder with oldest in the back and newest in the front (arranged by date.)

Pros:
1.) This makes finding a certain date’s coupon VERY easy to locate.
2.) All your inserts are in one place.
3.) Doesn’t require much time to organize each week.
4.) Easy to get rid of expired coupons. Clean your binder starting in the back.
5.) You have every coupon that came out in the Sunday paper – no coupons went to waste. So even if there is a coupon for a product you don’t buy, you might find the product cheap/free and you can donate the item.

Cons:
1.) Bulky
2.) When searching for a particular coupon (toothpaste), it is not easy to locate. I could be anywhere in your binder.
3.) There is a lot of “extra” advertisement paper (coupons only take up so much room on each insert.)
4.) Doesn’t leave room for loose coupons – another method is necessary to attach to this style of organizing.

Examples:
• See My Example HERE.

Method Two: Organize Coupons by Type
This method is the most common for couponers. Most coupon “pros” (if we can call them that) arrange their coupons this way.

How to Start:
1.) Pull your inserts from the Sunday paper and cut. (Note: If you have multiple copies of the same type, lay individual, like pages on top of each other and cut coupons from multiple inserts at the same time.
2.) Once your coupons are cut, organize them by type. You can arrange by type using photo sheets or baseball card inserts.
3.) Place photo/baseball card inserts into a large binder. You can add as well a zipper pouch for scissors, pens, paperclips, etc.

Pros:
1.) Organization at its best. If done right, this system is very orderly and neat.
2.) Easy to navigate for type of coupon. When you are in the store you can easily go to your health section for a toothpaste coupon.
3.) Easier to see when a coupon is about to expired.
4.) All your coupons are in one place.
5.) All the “extra” paper in the Sunday inserts are recycled or throw away. You do not have an abundance of extra weight due to unneeded paper.

Cons:
1.) Time – you do need to find time to cut and organize coupons each week.
2.) Bulky.
3.) Hard to find a coupon by date. If you need to go to the 1/3 SS insert, you don’t know which coupon came from where.
4.) You must search page by page for expired coupons when cleaning out your binder.
5.) When cutting coupons, you are most likely throwing away coupons you don’t use/need. If there is a sale where that coupon makes something free or cheap, you don’t have that coupon to donate that product to others.

Examples:
• See or buy binder example HERE – She actually sells them as well so you don’t have to make your own.

Method Three: The File System
The title basically says it all. Acquire a file cabinet for all your coupons.

How to Start:
1.) Acquire a file cabinet or cube crate that can hold handing file folders
2.) Take your inserts and arrange by date. Each handing folder will house a different date’s coupons.

Pros:
1.) Clean and Neat.
2.) Requries the least amount of time.
3.) This makes finding a certain date’s coupon VERY easy to locate.
4.) All your inserts are in one place.
5.) Easy to get rid of expired coupons. Clean your files starting with the oldest date
6.) You have every coupon that came out in the Sunday paper – no coupons went to waste. So even if there is a coupon for a product you don’t buy, you might find the product cheap/free and you can donate the item.

Cons:
1.) Bulky – the most bulky method.
2.) Not really portable. You will not walk into the store with this method in your hand/cart.
3.) When searching for a particular coupon (toothpaste), it is not easy to locate. I could be anywhere in your file system.
4.) There is a lot of “extra” advertisement paper (coupons only take up so much room on each insert.)
5.) Doesn’t leave room for loose coupons – another method is necessary to attach to this style of organizing.

Examples:
• Please share if you have/see an example to where I can link.

Additional Methods
When couponing, you will most likely want to mix in other organizational methods. Of the above methods, method 1 and 3 don’t allow you to do it all in one place. You might be able to do it all with method 2.

Accordion File
For loose coupons, it is nice to have an accordion file. You can arrange this by type of coupon. You organization can be as specific ad dairy or as broad as grocery. Other tabs include health and beauty, baby, cleaning, household goods, etc. The accordion file is VERY easy to carry in the store. It can be as small as an envelope size or as large as a piece of paper (in width and height comparison- not depth.) This is a great place to organize peelies, catalinas, blinkies (store dispenser coupons), etc.

Envelopes
When shopping in a store, I plan my lists ahead of time. Like I have shared before, I do not walk in with my large coupon binder. Instead I carry in envelopes (and usually my accordion file mentioned above.) My envelopes are arranged by store name. For example, when I organize my CVS list I carry instead my envelopes coupons I need for THIS trip, Extra Care Bucks, My CVS Card, and rain checks. At the end of my CVS shopping, the envelope will be 95% empty from what I came in the store with.

Smaller Binder
My particular grocery store, Publix, often has a lot of additional coupon flyers/booklets. When I have extra booklets, I hole-punch the booklets and arrange them in a smaller binder. This I call my store coupon binder. If you desired, you could add some photo/baseball card inserts and place additional store coupons inside this binder as well. These would be coupons earned through rewards cards, food/baby clubs, etc. They usually are mailed, printed, or acquired in the store.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Themed Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, New Year, Valentine’s Day, Easter & more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next party.

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I am a wife, mother, daughter, blogger, teacher, friend – a woman of many different hats. My delights are my husband, my five kids, reading, shopping, and spending time with friends and family. I am a Florida girl transferred to the heart of the DC-Metro area. I'm glad you're here! Learn more about Ashley.

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