HOUSTON—Most people know Spec's as a warehouse stocked full of wines and spirits, but personal shopper Sarah Shah calls it one of her best-kept shopping secrets.

“This is one of my favorite places because I can get beautiful things that people enjoy without having to spend a lot of money,” she said.

The gifts you’ll find inside range from alcohol gift sets, to cigars, to international jams.

“Spec’s is really known for cigars. And here you’ve got eight Cusano cigars. An assortment for $23. You can even get them pre-wrapped,” said Shah.

“They (jams) are really inexpensive. They range from $2 to $5. And it’s the best jam you’ve ever eaten,” she said.

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Finding gifts under $50.

If you’re looking for something different Shah says you should visit any of the stores on Harwin Drive.

“Our goal today is to find things under $50. It was hard to find something under $50 here ‘cause the prices here are usually between $4 and $20,” said Shah.

Another of Shah’s best-kept secrets is the retailer J.S. Collections.

She said you can get an enamel and crystal picture frame there for about ten  percent of what you’ll pay at retail stores.

Palmer Packaging on Richmond Avenue is another money saving stop you can’t afford to miss, said Shah.

“This is a store that you’ve probably driven past a million times and never noticed it was here. And they specialize in things that make your presents look like more,” she said.

Shah said that a box, tissue paper and the right wrapping can make a big difference.

“This is some tea that we got from Spec’s for ten dollars.  And I doubled the size of it with some printed cellophane.  And so, now, a little gift looks like a big gift.  Because a big gift, of course, is an expensive gift,” she said.