We are all short on time and money, so we’ve decided to make fall shopping a little easier by rounding up 20 of the best things you can buy for $20 or less. We managed to discover some interesting pieces at boutiques and mass market merchants. The goal was to find quality items on the cheap.

There’s an adage that you get what you pay for, but we found a number of things than lend themselves to being on your thrifty list. Not everything is meant to last forever and some things just end up in the charity pile no matter how well constructed they are.

If you want our reasons to buy check out the 20 under $20 story.

So without further ado, our top 20:

1. COLORFUL CARDIGAN. Teal cardigan, long-sleeve ($19.95) at H&M, Chesterfield Mall.

2. BRA AND PANTY. Gilligan & O’Malley lace balconette padded push-up bra, dark red ($14.99) and bikini panty in dark red dot ($4) at Target.

3. TIGHTS. Mixit tights in gray circle print ($14) and Worthington control top tights ($14) at J.C. Penney; black bodyshaping Terrific Textured Tights from Assets by Sara Blakely ($16) at Target.

4. LONG-SLEEVE SHIRT. Merona tuxedo bib shirt, purple with long sleeves trimmed with a tiny ruffle ($17.99) at Target.

5. HEADBAND. Purple origami flower headband or chunky rhinestone headband, ($16.50 each) at Express, pictured above.

6. SCARF. Navy and black geometric print wide scarf ($12.95) and chunky knit scarf, blue ($9.95) at H&M, Chesterfield Mall.

7. PARTY BLOUSE. Sheer, antique pink, sleeveless ruffle blouse flecked with silver ($19.80) at Forever 21 (XXI Forever), West County Mall.

8. JEWELED TANK TOP. The “Sexy Basic” tank top from Express, in purple, black or jade with studs and crystal embellishment ($19.50) at Express.

9. LONG-SLEEVE TEES. Route 66 long-sleeve layered tee in gray and turquoise (2 for $14) at Kmart.

10. DRAMATIC WRIST WEAR. Stretch band bracelet in gold with beads and lattice work ($20) at J.C. Penney; both bracelets with a trio of huge faceted stones ($19.99 each) at Taste of Luxurie, 364 North Boyle Avenue.

11. BROOCHES. Bead and wire pins ($14.99) at Taste of Luxurie, 364 North Boyle Avenue.

12. MIXED METAL NECKLACE. Jumble of pearl, chain and steel ball ($19.95) at Taste of Luxurie; tiered, metal necklace ($8.99) at Target.

13. EARRINGS. A dangling circle in a rustic bo-ho silver ($18) at J.C. Penney or a hoop of crushed gold-colored nuggets (two for $20) at Francesca’s Collections, West County Center.

14. NAIL POLISH. Lippman Collection, Call Me Irresponsible purple and Happy Birthday confetti ($18 each) at Nordstrom, West County Center.

15. SKIRT. Purple pencil skirt ($19.95) at H&M, Chesterfield Mall.

16. PUFFY VEST. Reversible puffy vest in brown with plaid lining ($15) at Target.

17. JAMMIES. Green, flutter short-sleeve loungewear with long pants ($19.99 for set) at Kmart.

18. KNEE SOCKS. Knee socks and above-the-knee socks, including two-pack pair of argyle and black or red stripe and black ($9.95) or brown stripe ($12.95) at DSW, 8502 Eager Road, Brentwood.

19. CLUTCH. Purple metallic clutch ($19.95) DSW, 8502 Eager Road, Brentwood.

20. FINGERLESS GLOVES. Fingerless arm warmers, black chunky knit ($6.99) at Kmart and black and gray knit with suede palm pads ($7.95) at H&M, Chesterfield Mall.

Photos by Stephanie S. Cordle/PD