It's a painfully small and quiet shop, and it has much the same variety as all the other bargain…read morestores scattered around Auckland. I gave 1,2,3 Plus 3 stars though for the exceptionally friendly owner. A sweet Chinese man with a big grin, he has more than the typical 'Hi' & 'Thank you' to offer you. He goes out of his way to wish you a 'Happy Easter' and plays some great tunes, such as the 'Phantom of the Opera' suite. I was immediately warmed by his big heart and wanted to stay a bit longer. I'm not a huge fan of discount stores, but I'm usually dragged in by my bargain hunting mother. At least I wanted to stay in this one for a while, and sing along to 'All I Ask of You'.

Passing on your old stuff is such a relief, otherwise you'd feel awful to throw it all out when…read morethere's someone out there who may find treasure in your junk. This Salvation Army is big and filled with interesting odds and ends of all kinds. They have a rack where you donate, and then you can scope the place for yourself. Cheap as chips clothes, furniture, ornaments, books, DVDs, costumes, trinkets, paintings and anything else you'd usually find in someone's treasure trove of an attic. This is a fabulous idea, and the folks there are super friendly. They'll even bring a truck to pick up your huge items that don't fit in your car for a small price. A real life saver!

This is a good-sized Salvation Army store and I always get heaps of sweet deals here. I don't know…read morehow this works, but every time I go there I always pay less than what I expect. I think it's because of the random sales they seem to have going on all the time on various items. The best part is they have a $2 clothes rack and I have come across some pretty sweet finds on there. Also you really can't go wrong with two bucks. There's a lot of older-lady style clothes but still heaps of goodies. I like this particular SA because it seems to have a selection of stuff in much better condition than other stores I've been to and the store is always tidy and well laid out. They have quite a good furniture selection and usually a bunch of couches so check out next time you're on a sofa search.

A2Z is probably my favourite dollar store in the mall, simply because they sell some pretty good…read morestuff and the staff here great. On my last-minute shopping trips to pick up ribbon, crepe paper or something similar I usually stop by here. The prices are awesome and a little cheaper than similar stores in the mall. It's quite a big store too, with two sets of aisles (front and back of the store), with the back wall just filled with children's toys. They're not the best quality but what you'd expect given the cheap price. There are great little knick knacks here for stocking fillers, prank gifts or that difficult Secret Santa gift for your co-worker. These things take a bit of a hunt through the store to find though, so I'd suggest a couple of extra minutes out of your shopping time to see what you can find. In all my experiences here, the staff have been awesome. If you're in a rush and don't have time to look for what you're after, they'll know exactly what aisle and where to find it. I've found this to be pretty rare in retail these days.

Any vintage or retro lover out there knows that to get the real deals, you've got to leave the…read morecity. To find quality vintage at cut price items can be a chore, but it's made all that more enjoyable if the little places you visit are clean, well laid out and staffed by friendly volunteers; Papatoetoe's hospice shop is all of the above. The shop is often inhabited by a lot of older people who bring clothes in and take more out, I think it's only fair to warn you that there is a large contingent of Miller's shirts in this store... much like there is in many other stores of this nature! The Miller brand isn't always the most desirable pick for a vintage shopper, but if you can dig through the collared nightmares, there are gems to be found. Amazing dresses, skirts and shorts for just a few bucks each. And because it's out of the hipster radius of 10km from the city, there's always plenty of vintage/retro stuff to choose from.

David's emporium is your one stop shop for everything! Here they have tools, paint, art supplies,…read morecrafts, material, nick-nacks, appliances, wigs and my favourite.....dress-ups! It's at David's you are able to find anything and everything suitable for a party, or if you're after something on the cheap. Located on Cavendish Drive in Manukau, it's only really convenient if you're in the area. There is plenty of onsite parking available. I have been here a number of times to pick up bits and pieces with my boyfriend, who is really in to art. He finds that they always have great sales on their canvases, sketch books and cheap paint brushes that he might need for touching up. Here I have managed to purchase lint rollers and a foot exfoliator, both of these cost next to nothing, I was very impressed.

I don't think this is the most well stocked 2 and 5 dollar shop (if you head up to Look Sharp on…read moreLunn Ave, you're probably more likely to find the obscure item you are looking for there). However for the closest 2 and 5 dollar shop to me, they do a pretty good intermediary job when I don't have time to head out anywhere else. I usually peruse the stationary, plastics and costume sections, however they also stock a variety of other items, ranging from makeup to candles to vases. As the name suggests, most of the prices range between the 2 and 5 dollar mark, so don't expect anything of the highest quality; however I have to say I still own a lip liner that I got from there years ago as part of a costume and it surprisingly does just as a good a job as any of the more expensive ones I own.