Shopping can be one of the most exciting, yet stressful things to do in New York City. Deciding which stores to go to, what to buy and realizing how expensive everything is makes for an extremely tiring and aggravating trip. However, once you find a good store and find something affordable, shopping can be one of the most exciting things.

On our trip, the first store we went to was the Disney store on Times Square. Taking a trip down memory lane to the fairytale characters and princesses was one of the most magical memories I have of New York City. On the first level, the merchandise was sectioned off based on movie or story. Cinderella was on one side, Frozen was on another and any other Disney princess you can think of was on the first floor. On our way up to the second floor riding the escalators, lanterns hung mimicking the Disney movie “Tangled.” On the second floor, there were mostly sections for younger boys, but “Oaken’s Trading Post” from Frozen and a gigantic princess castle took up most of the floor. Most of my pleasure came when I was buying my little sister her birthday present (“Peatey”, “Peatrice”, and “Peanelope,” otherwise known as the “Three Peas in a Pod” from “Toy Story”) and a worker called me up to the register by saying, “Next magical guest please!”

My favorite store was one of the local “I love NY” stores. Being obsessed with t-shirts and key chains probably didn’t please my wallet, but it was all worth it in the end. The store overflowed with New York t-shirts, hoodies, hats, key chains and knick-knacks  a tourist can’t resist buying. My obsession with crime shows set in New York City urged me to buy an overpriced NYPD shirt and key chain at the store.

We also visited the four story H&M on Times Square. The prices weren’t bad and the store had so many items, anybody could find something to buy. The first floor had men’s clothing, the second and third floor had women’s clothing and shoes, and the fourth floor had home improvement items. It was also one of my favorite stores we visited in New York.

One of the most memorable stores we went to was Saks 5th Avenue. The very first item we saw when we walked in was a large white hat that had flowers on it. The price said $6,000, but we assumed that we read the tag wrong. After looking at the price tag again, we realized the price really was $6,000. Scarves cost $400, shoes cost $2,000, and dresses cost a couple thousand dollars. Although we did not buy anything, we used the luxurious bathrooms on the second floor.

Everything in the Big Apple, even food, is overpriced. Meals are costly, about $20, but if the food is good, it’s all worth it in the end. The same thing applies to shopping. A t-shirt costs around $20, but if you find a something you like, each dollar is a dollar well spent.