Many women proclaim that they live for fashion, but for Lilliana Vazquez, fashion literally is her life. The Dallas native, who has called Philadelphia home since 2006, is the founder and editor in chief of The CheapChica’s Guide to Style blog; a style expert on TV, a fashion consultant, a former accessories designer and an all-around go-to girl for advice on how to look your best with limited funds. But it is Vazquez’s new gig, as a regular fashion contributor on the Emmy-nominated The Nate Berkus Show, that is poised to make this petite powerhouse a household name.

  Liliana Vazquez at NBC Studios

“I just love everything about fashion,” she says. “The shoes, the clothes, the accessories, the bags and, most importantly, the fact that it’s such a personal expression of who you are. To me fashion is the first impression you put forth—it is a reflection of how you feel and how you want the world to view you.”

Vazquez is a reporter for New York Live and LX 1st Look on NBC, and she has appeared as a style expert on numerous shows (whose networks include ABC, FOX, the Style Network and TBS, to name a few) and has done work for world-renowned fashion magazines (Elle, Glamour, WWD and Marie Claire among them). But her primary claim to fame remains her aforementioned blog. Through daily entries featuring budget fashion and styling tips, Vazquez has coached her loyal readers to dress like they shop at Neiman Marcus even if they are on a T.J. Maxx budget.

“I think people have really changed their shopping habits for the better—we are becoming more educated consumers, smarter with our money and really demanding more from our purchases,” says the self-professed consignment and discount retailer devotee. “I have always been a ‘cheap chica,’ and I am one of those women who loves telling people how much I saved on something versus how much I paid for it. There is nothing better than finding a great deal. In my opinion, being a smart shopper isn’t some trend or fad—it is a way of life.”

Philadelphians have also come to rely on her weekly NBC-10 segment for advice on how to look fabulous within the framework of their budget. “When I first started, there were countless editors on TV talking about the latest trends and showing you how to put together outfits, but no one was speaking to real women with real budgets. I filled that void,” she proudly proclaims. Her latest (and biggest) gig to date is certain to propel her popularity beyond the city limits of Philly. Now bargain seekers nationwide can watch as she doles out advice to Nate Berkus (Oprah’s former interior design guru) as his fashion contributor. “They have really embraced my message and point of view when it comes to fashion,” she says happily. “And they understand that cheap can also be chic—which I love.”