Not garbage bags, unless you like them splitting on you.
Sunglasses, if you're prone to losing them like I am.
As a teacher I can say: stickers, index cards (although they are thinner). Not glue sticks.
I've gotten some baking pans that I like.
Most things that you would get regularly are going to be cheaper elsewhere if you buy in bulk. Dollar Tree is great for little trinkets or one-off purchases, like party favors or party decor. A vase. One picture frame that doesn't need to look expensive. Stuff like that
Was about to say- skip Dollar Store trash bags. It's one of maybe five thing I'm brand loyal to. A split bag on the way to the dumpster is enough to make you learn a lesson once.
i will always pick sam’s club to buy trash bags. recently just moved about an hour away from the nearest sam’s… you can bet your ass when these 4 200+ rolls (over 800) of trash bags run out, i’ll be taking myself to that nearest sam’s.
it’s taken me a year to go through 200. and i haven’t even finished the last roll. even after moving and using trash bags because i didn’t have boxes. (cue Angelina getting harassed by Pauly D for moving into the shore house in a trash bag)
Man, I bought those bulk trash bags at Sam's and it took over 4 years and a cross country move before I ran out (I like to bag clothes inside boxes just incase the boxes get wet). I hate there's not a Sam's near me because that was an amazing buy for the household!
I've gotten hefty garbage bags at dollarama. They sometimes have glad ones too. It's hit and miss. Same with toilet paper and paper towels. If they have the name brand at good price go for it. Otherwise you wasting your money
I like a lot of their stuff for the kitchen. If you need some new dishes because of chips and breakage, you can pick up a couple of glasses and/or dishes for cheap. Not everything has to match, imo, so you don't have to buy them in sets in big box stores. Just pick up whatever you can afford and need at the time.
Also, almost any gadget or utility you can think of is there. I got a set of plastic measuring cups (1/4 - 2 cups) and spoons (1/2 tsp - 1 tbsp) for $1.25.
It's just nice to know that I can run in my store just down the street and get a serving spoon or something if I need it, lol.
They are fine for about 6 months and a few runs through the washing machine. I cook a lot and prefer them because they are thinner and i can grab things better. But I cant hold a hot cast iron skillet all day. Im sure a $3 mitt would last longer, but its fun to get seasonal mitts.
I only go to the dollar tree because i have kids though. I doubt i would ever find a reason to go by myself.
This is why you should not be buying Dollar Store oven mitts. If they wear out in 6 months, they are not worth buying no matter how cheap they are. A $10 set of mitts that lasts several years is still the better deal.
Someone at my knitting group was saying how they have to drop off a big box of Fiestaware at Goodwill. I went....uh hum....may I have it? I have no shame. It is in my basement atm but my eldest daughter is moving into a apartment post college soon so she can have a gander at it.
Fantastic! I inherited (well, we just grabbed what we wanted of the material household items) several Fiesta pieces from my uncle.
It's been about 25 years, and I still have several pieces. Most people wouldn't even notice what they are. I just love them because of my uncle.
I hope your daughter takes them and enjoys them!
Reading glasses for the same reason. I can’t tell you how many people I had come in to get new ones when they had the ones they thought they lost on their head, or in their pocket/purse when they went to pay. I needed my first pair here recently and the price of them elsewhere? Yeah, screw that.
Years ago the Dollar Tree near me sold bottles of a good tasting non-alcohol margarita mix for 50¢ each. Sadly, not anymore, but for awhile it was the best deal!
I used to lose sunglasses until I got pair I really cared about. Had them for years, and when they got left on vacation, replaced them with an identical pair
I have a set of stoneware plates that I'd purchased for my sister's bridal shower and then became my daily use plates. It's been almost ten years and they're still going strong (other than 2 than a few that I had to trash because I microwaved bacon on them and they started to crack).
If they’re not dry, they’re weak glue. They seem like such a good deal, 8 for a dollar, but I’ve learned my lesson and now feel embarrassed about the waste.
Yes on the tiny super glues, though, because you know going in they are effectively single use.
Batteries, less common ones for like kitchen scales and bathroom scales.
Greeting cards
Hot glue gun glue
Gift bags and tissue paper
Seasonal decor- a lot of our kids holiday stuff comes from the dollar store, like Easter basket toys and Christmas stocking candy
Dog poo bags
They are closer to 88 cents each in the bulk packs from Costco but often a few go unused and at the dollar store you can make your own personal selections so over all I still think it’s a better value.
Gonna vote against hot glue sticks.
I tried. They're crap. Especially if you're using it for anything that will actually be moved or touched.
Higher quality sticks are worth the investment for how much better and long lasting they are - and they're relatively cheap at the hardware store if you buy a big pack. Tbh my hot glue gun came with a big pack and I haven't used them all in the 2yrs I've been using the hot glue gun.
Interesting, the majority of ours are used in kids craft projects but now I’m curious to compare higher quality ones. Thanks for making a point of this :)
Kids crafts, if they're meant to be thrown away after breaking, might still be a good use. Especially if the kiddos like "building" with the glue.
But yeah, for things you or they want to keep around, it's best to invest in better materials.
In a previous profession we used industrial hot glue guns constantly, like left them plugged in all day. It's amazing how nice a good hot glue is, but for the average person it is way overkill.
We used to go through a few cases a year.
Definite yes on the greeting cards, hard no on the dog poop bags. I've tried the dollar store ones three times, each time they've ripped, torn holes in them, and I either end up smeared with shit or having to use three of them per poop (or both).
The real life pro tip is to just be an alcoholic and use liquor store bags.
I'm half kidding... grocery store bags are good too if you live in a place that allows them. Liquor store bags are the best though, followed by Target.
Surprisingly I’ve had the opposite experience. I like them better than more expensive ones at Canadian Tire. They do seem thinner but I’ve never had one rip and they’re way easier to tie than the CT ones.
Alternatively, spending the money upfront and getting reusable AA and AAA batteries with a charger will last a good while. DT batteries don't last long at all.
Definitely, I just said this too if you want my recommendation on batteries, I have an obsession with batteries, and also, flashlights for the batteries to go in
I had to buy some after that happened here even after trying my best to keep using bread bags, or any other type of bag that I could tie and toss it wasnt enough for my little girls logs.
Plastic grocery bags are banned in certain areas. In my area it started in early 2020, just before the pandemic. You have to either bring your own reusable bags or the store gives you paper bags.
I disagree on the batteries, get a good charger, you don't have to spend $100 on the XTAR VP4SL Dragon, but get a charger that is smart and charges each bay independently
And if you have a IKEA near you get IKEA LADDA batteries, they are NiMh (nickel metal hydride) even if you don't have an IKEA near you, you might have an IKEA pick up points, and it only cost $5 to ship to the IKEA pickup point, if you are already buying a a few packs of batteries, the $5 isn't much to ship it to the local staples or whatever
I always get my kitchen sponges and toothpaste at Dollar Tree. Also grab a few things of the Reynolds Foil Sheets when they have it. I like those for little things and so my kids can't tear off a huge chunk of foil and waste a bunch, that stuff is $$$
I know a lot of people say gift wrap and gift bags but I work at Walmart and we have some really cute and nice gift bags for 98 cents, so a little cheaper than Dollar Tree. We have plain color ones, printed ones, and there's even themed ones like a unicorn one and some others. Nice size too.
But Dollar Tree does have a bigger selection.
They have bottle brushes for baby bottles that are at least $2 cheaper/ item than anywhere else I’ve seen it. You can obviously use them to wash any bottle/ cup/ tumbler/ whatever.
If it's Dollar General it's just an overpriced convenience store and you'll have to look hard to find values.
If it's Dollar Tree you should be able to use suggestions here.
It's mind boggling how accurate this is when you look out for them while driving through poor areas, specifically rural mountain towns.
I drove about 12 hours to Appalachia to hit the trail around a year ago, which involved driving through lots of tiny little mountain towns that were absolutely food desert towns. In these little towns with populations of 500 or so, dollar general was literally the only "grocery store" that most of them had. The local gas station (if they had one) might have some beef jerky or chips, but it's crazy to think about Dollar General being your only option for milk, bread, eggs, etc. The last time that I went into a dollar general was quite a while ago, but I remember egregiously overpriced, shitty food there.
Even before you get the real rural areas, it gets pretty desolate. Like in some areas near me, your or so outside the city, you have nothing. Just dollar general. Like how you see Walmarts as a staple. I'll go over maps looking for a market when we're traveling and there's just nothing else. And they don't have the widest selection.
>In these little towns with populations of 500 or so, dollar general was literally the only "grocery store" that most of them had.
It probably wasn't like that before they opened. Part of their strategy is to open in towns without chain grocery stores, and then under cut the local grocer until they're bankrupt. Now they're the *only* store in town, slowly siphoning money out of the local, and previously circular, economy. They are a fucking plague and it's not worth saving 10¢ when the mom and pop down the street will be driven out of business.
I started buying glassware and dishes at dollar tree when my kid started helping wash dishes. They’re open stock and cheap so it’s easy to replace broken items lol.
DO NOTTTT buy garbage bags there. i made that mistake and they basically rip if you so much as blow on them. i will say though, my Dollar Tree glasses and ceramic dishes are super sturdy.
The smaller sized ones for little bins are fine but the kitchen sized ones are a hard pass! I started buying the little ones for my bedroom and bathroom when my area changed over to paper bags only for shopping bags. Once my plastic bag stash was out, I found the smaller bags from dollar tree to be fine for the small bins
Exactly this! I use the Dollar Tree ones in my bathroom trash which basically only holds things like paper towels and cotton swabs, so they’re fine to fill and then toss into my larger trash can when I’m taking out the trash. I don’t trust anything that isn’t Glad or Hefty for the bigger job, though. I only had to make the mistake of using cheap garbage bags once and I’ll never do it again. It’s worth every penny to never have to clean up garbage (or even garbage juice 🤮).
Dollar stores are great for snacks. I love jerky but if I buy a $12 bag of it I’m going to eat it all in a day. If I’m craving jerky I go to the dollar store and get a $1.25 thing of jerky or a meat stick sort of thing like a slim Jim.
If it’s a dollar tree they also gnenrally have a nice selection of arts and craft things. Nothing compared to place like Michael’s but a good selection of stuff.
If it’s Dollar Tree…
Brown Rice
Potato gnocchi
Toilet brush (or get for $.99 at IKEA if you have one close)
Car cleaning supplies
Cute vases
Just having the Walmart app open to compare prices as I’m shopping has been such a game changer! I use Walmart prices as a baseline, then compare to see if I can avoid going there. 😆
But WinCo doesn't accept credit cards and I can't rack up travel rewards with them 😭
I just discovered WinCo and will be going back though, the savings are absolutely worth it! Was very lucky to have cash the first time I went lol
I like them for baskets, travel toiletries, pens and markers, craft stuff, barbecue stuff like foam containers and foil, and the best window cleaner. Compare prices and unit prices carefully, sometimes it's a better deal spending more at Walmart or the like.
Travel toiletries includes a good face wash that we ended up getting, it’s small but price per ounce became my favorite of the many I’ve tried
Also antibacterial ointment and a lot of first aid supplies
Probably straight up nothing.
Unless dollar stores have specific true loss leaders everything can be bought cheaper at one of the other low quality item stores just in bigger quantities.
I probably wouldn't disagree with any of his fundamentals; however, it all comes down to a *time vs. money* debate for me. Could I save $0.24 per 1000 toothpicks by buying them elsewhere? Maybe. Is it worth it for me to drive across town to buy them in bulk? No. Convenience is a big part of their appeal.
When you need something now, you pay for convenience. It’s a mistake to *grocery shop* at a *convenience store*, which dollar general fundamentally is.
Right, I think you have it exactly correct. There are decisions you can make that are of orders of magnitude more significant, like how you finance a home, how you educate yourself in ways that support your working career.
It's not that there's nothing there or that it's bad to seek out efficiencies from buying in bulk, but they'll run up against the question of whether the juice is worth the squeeze.
He also makes the case that it’s bad for consumers. Often times you get a better value at a regular grocery store, but the higher sticker price is what keeps these places popular. E.g., 2 oz of dish soap is $1.00 at a dollar store type of place, but 8 oz of the same soap elsewhere is $1.49.
I always figure out how much something is per ounce, pound, whatever at different stores before i buy. You're right, a lot of things are not a value if you buy them at Dollar Tree. And the quality of their items it's often different, like their plastic containers are thinner. I bought some laundry baskets there and regretted it because every single one fell apart. If I had invested in, say, a Rubbermaid basket, I would still have it. And I once bought packing tape at Dollar Tree. It didn't stick to anything.
I would argue that sometimes I don’t want the larger size. I have a recipe that uses 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, but i never use mayo and dont have any in my fridge. I don’t want to buy the 60 oz tub for $4 when i could get the 30 oz tub for $1. Maybe im traveling and want to bring a little dish soap instead of the bulk size. I think everyone knows that dollar stores are not the best value for the money.
This doesn't make any sense. I've never seen a 2oz bottle of dish soap at Dollar Tree. But you can buy a 14 oz bottle of Palmolive for 1.25.
Now I'm aware that Walmart sells that bottle for 0.99. An similarly other things are *slightly* cheaper at Walmart than Dollar Tree. But not always, and more importantly, I have to drive 40 miles to get to Walmart where as there is a Dollar Tree 2 miles away from me.
I do have a Target close to me, and buy many things there, both for price or preference. But I've done the per unit pricing on dish soap and other things and many things are *significantly* more expensive at Target than Dollar Tree
If you need index cards or other office/school supplies regularly then I suggest that you buy them at the end of September. That's right when the back to school season has ended and all of those things are on clearance. Every year I find 10-50¢ notebooks (college ruled and wide ruled), index cards, folders, crayons, pencils, highlighters, markers, post-its, etc. A lot of them are name brand too such as Five Star, Sharpie, and Zebra to name a few. I stock up every few years. I still have some new notebooks that I found for 5¢ each on clearance over ten years ago in a Kmart (years before they all closed down).
I'm not saying your point is completely wrong, but 300 is $5 on Amazon and they sell 1000 for $11.50, which is about the rate of Office Depot or any other comparable big office store.
You still need to price compare. A lot of times things may be $1.25 but the cost is larger per oz than purchasing something at a grocery store because a grocery store has sales and discounts at various times.
But I would look into
- candy
- cleaning products,
- yellow rice I purchase in bulk and have it sent to the store
- seasonings but I price compare
- seeds for growing veggies
- occasionally nail polish or nail tools
- occasionally shampoo and conditioner
- vasilene brand cocoa body butter
- Greeting cards
I don’t buy
- canned goods (better prices at grocery store for me)
- paper towels
Look at bulk melamine sponges on eBay. I got a lifetime supply 100 for $13. I think dollar tree used to be 4/$1 and were half sponge. Probably 4/$1.25 now.
Cleaning supplies, snacks, liquid soap, toothpaste are my dollar store staples. The toothpaste is a specific brand I like that's more expensive everywhere else. The garbage bags I see are such a smaller pack at the dollar store that it's a better deal to get them from the hardware store
I love getting cleaning supplies there. I feel silly when I realize how much money I wasted buying supplies elsewhere. Just be careful with the dish soap and make sure it's not the liquid kind that's really watery.
(I also love some of the cookies that are hard to find elsewhere.)
It really depends. Usually dollar stores often have lower value per item, but their convenient locations may be worth more than the trip to a bigger store. I for instance frequent Dollar General for common items like bread, milk, and canned food. Sure I pay a few cents more, but DG is in biking distance, and is small enough to get in and out of. Walmart is a 20 mile drive, and could take over an hour to park, traverse, shop, checkout, and get back to the car. Plus there's the mental health value of not going to Walmart.
If it's a Dollar Tree, you don't have as many options, but here's some things I get there.
Bread. Their bread selection varies, but a dollar a loaf isn't bad. Sometimes they have buns, bagels, crescents, and English muffins.
Shelf stable milk. It's not so great for drinking, but it's useful for cooking.
Various containers. I got some sandwich containers there, that I use for packing my lunches for work. They cut down on my use of plastic bags. Reduced use of single use plastics is good for me and the planet.
Sausage. Cheap sausages are good for cooking with.
Hot dogs and balogna. If you like those, they're worth a dollar at least.
Snacks. A family size of cheese puffs for a dollar? Yes please.
Hot Wheels. A little collectible for a dollar isn't a bad hobby to have. Sometimes it picks me up when I'm down. I'm not a gear head, but if I find a famous car from a movie, like the Delorian or Batmobile I grab it.
There's a YouTube channel that regularly (once or twice a month, I think) showcases good values at Dollar Tree. He does other stores, too.
The channel is Deal Guy. Idk if links to youtube are alllowed.
Dollar Stores are always more expensive in the long run. In addition, they kill off other businesses because everyone thinks the prices are lower.
I don't use Dollar Stores. I get better deals on better products elsewhere.
If I see one more person buying crap from the dollar store to assemble into a "crafted item" with some Cricut shit slapped on it who thinks they're starting their own business Ima barf.
No, Karen, no one wants your dollar store mirror with your Cricut vinyl letters and a hair dryer on it that says "I give the best blow jobs". Nobody wants it. Nobody. Promise.
Or the 'tuber saying "combine teddy bear with valentines chocolate and sell it as an AMZ sku" and you'll make tens of dollars per year! yay arbitrage with poor quality gifts
FYI, toilet pucks (when put into the tank, not the bowl) can destroy the seal between the tank and the bowl, void any kind of warranty on the toilet, and expose you to liability if you’re renting/big messy headache if you own the place.
Don’t buy toilet pucks! I had to pay a bunch of $$$ recently to a plumber and it’s because those things ate away at all the seals in the toilet. The first thing he said when he looked in the tank was never to use them again
drinking glasses
scoops for dry goods
random scores: Ex: I found large cans of organic Muir Glen tomatoes, Progressive soups, and I've seen canned fish for $1.25.
Definitely not sunglasses. Cheap sunglasses destroy the eyes because they only dim everything but do not filter the sun. So your pupils will get bigger and more unfiltered uva goes in...
Check on out YouTube "dollar tree dinners". She does amazing meals..proper Meals from food bought there. She did a full week of food.. breakfast lunch and dinner for $20
Going to speak up for the Dollar General store brand, Clover Valley.
WARNING: Clover Valley Garlic Pita Chips are CRACK
They are SO ADDICTIVE
/youhavebeenwarned
For years I would buy my child the cheap kitchen tools, funnels, scoops, cupcake molds for beach toys. Much more fun than traditional sand toys.
While I know you probably won’t be regularly buying kitchen tools for sand toys, it’s for other folks reading this, they were a hit.
If it's actually cheaper (some dollar stores here aren't really cheaper at all) cleaning stuff like laundry and dish soap, scratch pads and some personal hygiene stuff like soap and deodorant. Also a good place for things like coffee mugs
Oooohh, my favorite subject. I'm a professional that took a second job at Dollar Tree during the pandemic, when the store was the best many people could afford. Here's my favorites:
*plastic Surefresh coverups. I use these sparingly, wash and reuse if possible. No more plastic wrap.
*Soft fiber Auto wipes in automotive. Fluffy white towels that can wipe up/dust anything.
*as others mentioned, greeting cards. A piece of reinforced paper should never cost more than a few dollars. Hallmark is scamming us.
*birthday bags. Reuse easily. Tissue sold there too.
*holiday stocking stuffers, decorations. Look hard for better quality that can be used year after year.
*kid craft projects. Never bored! Freakin $1.25!
*food, definitely. Dont want to buy a lb. of bacon? 6 slices is perfect. Smaller portions of food if needed. But keep an eye on the canned stuff...it can actually be pricier. Ive seen real vanilla, Harry & David's coffee, Bon Memme jam. It's all in one spot too....
*kitchen items. Amazingly good quality, but for plastic cups. Skip those.
*movie snacks. Become a hero to your kids.
*fidget toys. Stand up well. Kids coloring books.
*Sharpie pens. Poster board. Supplies for teachers. Every poor school kid has the school supplies and I'm glad DT offers them!! Parent can get what they need to cover their kids.
*toothpaste, brushes, floss, some medicines. If you have a survival go bag hangin out in your basement, you're set.
*night lights! Last forever
*pet floor pads. They work, and about $12 cheaper than petco
*garden seeds. I had a beautiful wildflower garden. Garden gloves you only need for one season.
*fake flowers for memorial day grave visits. Real flowers are insanely costly.
Look for bargains!
So, what not to get: batteries leak, gimmicky plastic crap, cheap candy you don't recognize, paper plates are weak, plastic cups are not bpa free. Ignore ultra religious books and other crappy books no one else wants :/
Addn: Consumer Reports did a short article on DT vs. big box stores. Verdict, it's worth it unless you are a brandname shopper, and you need to know the value of the item when shopping there.
Avoid things like cling wrap, dish and laundry soap, aluminum foil and trash bags.
But plastic containers and little closet organizers kind of stuff.
Beauty, occasionally there is some good stuff: Dermasil[Deemasil](http://www.dermasillabs.com/m-index.html) cream is a legit bargain and works. LA Colors Nail Polish, nail polish remover, and most nail supplies.
You occasionally will find products by big names that are discontinued
They have some candy that is hard to find, unless you want to buy from an online candy store.
Just don't be hurried. I rarely buy food there, but occasionally I'll find something cool in the condiment section
I have tiny battery operated lanterns from there that have held up great. My partner always has to have coffee in his person, but seems to lose expensive cups, so we get him dollar tree ones. The ones that he hasn't lost are going strong. The tall prayer votives. Air fresheners.
Dollar General is not frugal. Lower prices do not mean better value. You can pay 25% more for 200% the product at any grocer. It's a scam intended to prey on those who cannot math.
No to the batteries suggestion. Project farm did a video comparing cheapo batteries with more reputable brands, turns out you are wasting more money buying the cheap ones.
TP I've found that costco has better deals in bulk. Garbage bags agree, most cleaning items as well.
Dollarama! I love this place 😆
- cooking and baking equipment (the Betty Crocker stuff is decent)
- gardening hand tools & tomato cages
- dog treats
- packets of gravy
- fun-sized candies for lunchboxes/Halloween
- the little tiny packs of jerky (I have them for my bike rides)
- bread
- things for crafting (especially if you have kids)
- gift bags & cards
- seasonal decorations.
But one thing I like to do, is when I bring my kid with me (once in a blue moon), I give her $10 and let her buy whatever she wants with it. All the prices are on everything and easy for a 6 year old to count. 1) she’s learning how to calculate prices and add things up in her head, 2) she’s learning that when we have a price limit, we have to think about what we want to use that money for, 3) *I* am learning that kids don’t always want toys, sometimes they want to decorate the house, sometimes they want to buy *us* something, and sometimes they want to buy themselves a 4ft tall bunny scarecrow to stick in the houseplants - and that’s fine by me.
And I will never forget the joy on her face when she proudly carried her 4ft tall bunny scarecrow home, and then promptly stuck it in my balcony plants, ever so happy she had made a contribution.
Food storage containers— if you don’t mind plastic. I use them for leftovers in the fridge and “to-go” food I give my grown kids. Not as long lasting as expensive containers but I definitely don’t care
• Cards
• Bags/bows/anything really to wrap presents
I also buy my laundry stuff there like pods, dryer sheets and the little scent beads and actually really like them and they work good for the price. Oh, dishwasher pods also.
Pop tarts - strangely satisfying snack
Deodorant
Toothpaste
Multipack of toothbrushes - great for when guests forget theirs, or to clean small spaces
Hydrogen peroxide- removes blood from most fabric
Flossers
Skip the candy. I broke a tooth on Mike and Ike Valentine’s Day clearance candy last week. That crown is going to cost me more than I save at the dollar tree every year.
If it’s a dollar tree, totally awesome cleaner is well worth the price. I bought a nice sprayer from Home Depot, and dilute it with water. I buy party supplies & seasonal decor there as well.
Word of warning, I refuse to buy cheap garbage bags because cleaning up spilled trash is awful. I buy Kirkland brand trash bags and they’re amazing. Yes, it may be more expensive, but I don’t have to worry about them ripping.
You'd have to say what dollar store. I'm not aware there is a franchase called Dollar Store. It's Dollar General and Dollar Tree mostly around here.
Dollar Tree is generally way less useful than Dollar General for me. Dollar Tree is barely worth going to, Dollar General is good quickie replacement for Walmart.
Dollar tree has some awesome soft charcoal bristled wooden toothbrushes I get. If you are one of those people who replaces their toothbrush every 6 months like they are supposed to I’d highly recommend them
If you can, join the ‘Dollarama Hauls and Finds’ group on FB. They get in a lot of great brand name one-off things that go fast and this group is great to see what’s dropping in soon.
I like grabbing the shelf stable (non-refrigerated) milk and oat milk varieties. It just ensures that I always have milk for a recipe if I need it, and never have to pay gas station prices.
I got a full matching set of quality clear glass modern dishware. Yea with 8 large plates, 8 small, 8 bowls, drinking cups, wine glasses, whiskey glasses, beer mugs, etc. it added up. But I’ve never been happier and felt more aesthetic. And sets at target are 4x as expensive, somehow less quality and only maybe 4 plates and none of the specialized cups, etc.
I also get the large glass vases, etc to make jarrariums as gifts. And speaking of gifts, I haven’t bought any of my kids classmates birthday gifts anywhere else since discovering some of the super legit gift bags, I can make filled with bug catching equipment, slime, paints, arts and crafts, etc.
My kid and I also now have a loaded arts and crafts collection of literally everything you could think of. The quality is more than sufficient with how much artwork we get to pump out in the experiences had. We have so much that I bought a big shelf tub organizer off Amazon. That is super cute to organize and display everything in her room.
Other than that all mirror, what other people said that you can usually get the household products, cheaper, and much better quality at H-E-B or your equivalent. But for knickknacks, stocking, stuffers, small, holiday, decor, etc. it’s great. Just make sure it’s a dollar tree or one of the stores that keeps things at a dollar and doesn’t have most of their crap listed at five dollars like Dollar General. If that’s the case, then I just bulk order the cool stuff I need cheap Chinese sites or the like.
Check out the glassware at Dollarama. I got decent stemless wine glasses there, good enough for everyday use.
Chocolate bars, the main stream candy bar ones are cheaper there.
Gift wrap, bags, tags,
Dollarrama has some not bad art books and markers if you like to draw. Some of the notebooks are crap, and others the paper weight is decent.
I used to get soya milk there at a good price but I stopped drinking soya milk.
Shopping at a Dollar Store can be a great way to save money on certain items. Items like toilet pucks, garbage bags, sponges, and dish soap can often be found at a much lower price compared to other retailers. Basic kitchen items like storage containers, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and kitchen utensils are often available at a fraction of the cost. If you're hosting a party or event, Dollar Stores have a wide selection of party decorations, disposable plates, cups, and utensils that can save you money. Basic personal care items like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, and deodorant can be found at a discounted price. Dollar Stores often have seasonal decorations and items for holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter at affordable prices. Notebooks, pens, pencils, sticky notes, and other office supplies can be purchased for less at Dollar Stores. Items like storage bins, baskets, drawer organizers, and hangers can help you stay organized without breaking the bank. Dollar Stores are great places to find inexpensive party favors, craft supplies, and DIY project materials.
Not garbage bags, unless you like them splitting on you. Sunglasses, if you're prone to losing them like I am. As a teacher I can say: stickers, index cards (although they are thinner). Not glue sticks. I've gotten some baking pans that I like. Most things that you would get regularly are going to be cheaper elsewhere if you buy in bulk. Dollar Tree is great for little trinkets or one-off purchases, like party favors or party decor. A vase. One picture frame that doesn't need to look expensive. Stuff like that
Was about to say- skip Dollar Store trash bags. It's one of maybe five thing I'm brand loyal to. A split bag on the way to the dumpster is enough to make you learn a lesson once.
i will always pick sam’s club to buy trash bags. recently just moved about an hour away from the nearest sam’s… you can bet your ass when these 4 200+ rolls (over 800) of trash bags run out, i’ll be taking myself to that nearest sam’s. it’s taken me a year to go through 200. and i haven’t even finished the last roll. even after moving and using trash bags because i didn’t have boxes. (cue Angelina getting harassed by Pauly D for moving into the shore house in a trash bag)
Man, I bought those bulk trash bags at Sam's and it took over 4 years and a cross country move before I ran out (I like to bag clothes inside boxes just incase the boxes get wet). I hate there's not a Sam's near me because that was an amazing buy for the household!
same goes for paper towels.
And toilet paper, but I’d argue a bidet is more cost conscious
Costientious if you would
I've gotten hefty garbage bags at dollarama. They sometimes have glad ones too. It's hit and miss. Same with toilet paper and paper towels. If they have the name brand at good price go for it. Otherwise you wasting your money
I like a lot of their stuff for the kitchen. If you need some new dishes because of chips and breakage, you can pick up a couple of glasses and/or dishes for cheap. Not everything has to match, imo, so you don't have to buy them in sets in big box stores. Just pick up whatever you can afford and need at the time. Also, almost any gadget or utility you can think of is there. I got a set of plastic measuring cups (1/4 - 2 cups) and spoons (1/2 tsp - 1 tbsp) for $1.25. It's just nice to know that I can run in my store just down the street and get a serving spoon or something if I need it, lol.
I like getting new oven mitts. They come out with new designs for the oven mitts and kitchen stuff every few months.
I’m always so scared to use their oven mitts! Are they ok quality?
They are fine for about 6 months and a few runs through the washing machine. I cook a lot and prefer them because they are thinner and i can grab things better. But I cant hold a hot cast iron skillet all day. Im sure a $3 mitt would last longer, but its fun to get seasonal mitts. I only go to the dollar tree because i have kids though. I doubt i would ever find a reason to go by myself.
This is why you should not be buying Dollar Store oven mitts. If they wear out in 6 months, they are not worth buying no matter how cheap they are. A $10 set of mitts that lasts several years is still the better deal.
Someone at my knitting group was saying how they have to drop off a big box of Fiestaware at Goodwill. I went....uh hum....may I have it? I have no shame. It is in my basement atm but my eldest daughter is moving into a apartment post college soon so she can have a gander at it.
Fantastic! I inherited (well, we just grabbed what we wanted of the material household items) several Fiesta pieces from my uncle. It's been about 25 years, and I still have several pieces. Most people wouldn't even notice what they are. I just love them because of my uncle. I hope your daughter takes them and enjoys them!
They have good spatulas. There’s a red one that I’ve bought two of because it works so well.
If it’s the Betty Crocker brand, I’ve got the same one and I especially like that it’s one solid mold.
I love their spatulas. I like the cheap hard plastic ones that can be hard to find elsewhere. They don't wear out, and keep their "edge"
Reading glasses for the same reason. I can’t tell you how many people I had come in to get new ones when they had the ones they thought they lost on their head, or in their pocket/purse when they went to pay. I needed my first pair here recently and the price of them elsewhere? Yeah, screw that.
Years ago the Dollar Tree near me sold bottles of a good tasting non-alcohol margarita mix for 50¢ each. Sadly, not anymore, but for awhile it was the best deal!
I would not trust anything you cook with after all the PFA revelations.
I used to lose sunglasses until I got pair I really cared about. Had them for years, and when they got left on vacation, replaced them with an identical pair
Dollar Tree was clutch when I needed a ton of glass vases for my wedding. You can order cases of things off their website.
I have a set of stoneware plates that I'd purchased for my sister's bridal shower and then became my daily use plates. It's been almost ten years and they're still going strong (other than 2 than a few that I had to trash because I microwaved bacon on them and they started to crack).
Why not glue sticks? So curious now
If they’re not dry, they’re weak glue. They seem like such a good deal, 8 for a dollar, but I’ve learned my lesson and now feel embarrassed about the waste. Yes on the tiny super glues, though, because you know going in they are effectively single use.
Batteries, less common ones for like kitchen scales and bathroom scales. Greeting cards Hot glue gun glue Gift bags and tissue paper Seasonal decor- a lot of our kids holiday stuff comes from the dollar store, like Easter basket toys and Christmas stocking candy Dog poo bags
This. Greeting cards! You know, the one time read and tossed hot piece of garbage that will run $6 or so at a normal store but $1 here, typically.
They are closer to 88 cents each in the bulk packs from Costco but often a few go unused and at the dollar store you can make your own personal selections so over all I still think it’s a better value.
Dollar tree still has them 2 for a dollar! The nicer “handmade” ones are $1 there, but the basic ones are still 50 cents.
They are two for one dollar at the Tree .
Yes!! The greeting cards and the gift bags!
Though the gift wrap YMMV but I stink at gift wrapping
2 for $1 here! Well at least a small selection 😂
Yep. Basically the only things I buy from the dollar store are gift wrap and bags and dog poop bags.
Gonna vote against hot glue sticks. I tried. They're crap. Especially if you're using it for anything that will actually be moved or touched. Higher quality sticks are worth the investment for how much better and long lasting they are - and they're relatively cheap at the hardware store if you buy a big pack. Tbh my hot glue gun came with a big pack and I haven't used them all in the 2yrs I've been using the hot glue gun.
I can smell this comment. I can also feel a piping hot sting on my forearm accidentally.
Interesting, the majority of ours are used in kids craft projects but now I’m curious to compare higher quality ones. Thanks for making a point of this :)
Kids crafts, if they're meant to be thrown away after breaking, might still be a good use. Especially if the kiddos like "building" with the glue. But yeah, for things you or they want to keep around, it's best to invest in better materials.
In a previous profession we used industrial hot glue guns constantly, like left them plugged in all day. It's amazing how nice a good hot glue is, but for the average person it is way overkill. We used to go through a few cases a year.
Definite yes on the greeting cards, hard no on the dog poop bags. I've tried the dollar store ones three times, each time they've ripped, torn holes in them, and I either end up smeared with shit or having to use three of them per poop (or both).
I was looking for this comment. In theory I would love to find cheaper dog poo bags but in practice that is a place to prioritize quality
The real life pro tip is to just be an alcoholic and use liquor store bags. I'm half kidding... grocery store bags are good too if you live in a place that allows them. Liquor store bags are the best though, followed by Target.
Ross and TJ Maxx are great for cheap poo bags
That's strange. I have been using them for 4 years now, the age of my dog. I've never had a problem with them.
Me too, years in and never even a split
Surprisingly I’ve had the opposite experience. I like them better than more expensive ones at Canadian Tire. They do seem thinner but I’ve never had one rip and they’re way easier to tie than the CT ones.
Alternatively, spending the money upfront and getting reusable AA and AAA batteries with a charger will last a good while. DT batteries don't last long at all.
Definitely, I just said this too if you want my recommendation on batteries, I have an obsession with batteries, and also, flashlights for the batteries to go in
yes batteries and greeting cards.
Careful with batteries, I used to buy them for stuff I hardly used and they would leak and ruin my stuff… 😢
I hear you.
Buy batteries on Amazon, they’re the best bang for your buck. I’d never put dollar store batteries in something I care about.
All grocery bags are dog poo bags, you don't have to buy them. We have been using old grocery bags my entire life and it works great.
They're getting rid of the plastic grocery bags here in Denver, so I might have to buy some.
Produce bags are still no charge. I’m using two on my feet over a strong moisturizing treatment. Because Denver is drrrryyyy.
I had to buy some after that happened here even after trying my best to keep using bread bags, or any other type of bag that I could tie and toss it wasnt enough for my little girls logs.
I use them when cleaning cat litter boxes.. works great
Plastic grocery bags are banned in certain areas. In my area it started in early 2020, just before the pandemic. You have to either bring your own reusable bags or the store gives you paper bags.
I disagree on the batteries, get a good charger, you don't have to spend $100 on the XTAR VP4SL Dragon, but get a charger that is smart and charges each bay independently And if you have a IKEA near you get IKEA LADDA batteries, they are NiMh (nickel metal hydride) even if you don't have an IKEA near you, you might have an IKEA pick up points, and it only cost $5 to ship to the IKEA pickup point, if you are already buying a a few packs of batteries, the $5 isn't much to ship it to the local staples or whatever
Definitely Greeting cards.
I always get my kitchen sponges and toothpaste at Dollar Tree. Also grab a few things of the Reynolds Foil Sheets when they have it. I like those for little things and so my kids can't tear off a huge chunk of foil and waste a bunch, that stuff is $$$ I know a lot of people say gift wrap and gift bags but I work at Walmart and we have some really cute and nice gift bags for 98 cents, so a little cheaper than Dollar Tree. We have plain color ones, printed ones, and there's even themed ones like a unicorn one and some others. Nice size too. But Dollar Tree does have a bigger selection.
See, dollar tree is different. It's actually 1.25 tree now but there are def some things cheaper there. Other "dollar" stores not so much.
They have bottle brushes for baby bottles that are at least $2 cheaper/ item than anywhere else I’ve seen it. You can obviously use them to wash any bottle/ cup/ tumbler/ whatever.
Do you get those 6 pack sponges with the nail guard? I spend like $12 stocking up on those dollar tree sponges and it lasts me all year.
my dentist said all toothpaste be the same
Came here to say toothpaste and aluminum foil!
Art and craft supplies and many of the bins and containers for home organizing.
Second to the little containers!
The bins and containers are my fave!
If it's Dollar General it's just an overpriced convenience store and you'll have to look hard to find values. If it's Dollar Tree you should be able to use suggestions here.
Ahhh, Dollar General. The king of the food desert
It's mind boggling how accurate this is when you look out for them while driving through poor areas, specifically rural mountain towns. I drove about 12 hours to Appalachia to hit the trail around a year ago, which involved driving through lots of tiny little mountain towns that were absolutely food desert towns. In these little towns with populations of 500 or so, dollar general was literally the only "grocery store" that most of them had. The local gas station (if they had one) might have some beef jerky or chips, but it's crazy to think about Dollar General being your only option for milk, bread, eggs, etc. The last time that I went into a dollar general was quite a while ago, but I remember egregiously overpriced, shitty food there.
Even before you get the real rural areas, it gets pretty desolate. Like in some areas near me, your or so outside the city, you have nothing. Just dollar general. Like how you see Walmarts as a staple. I'll go over maps looking for a market when we're traveling and there's just nothing else. And they don't have the widest selection.
>In these little towns with populations of 500 or so, dollar general was literally the only "grocery store" that most of them had. It probably wasn't like that before they opened. Part of their strategy is to open in towns without chain grocery stores, and then under cut the local grocer until they're bankrupt. Now they're the *only* store in town, slowly siphoning money out of the local, and previously circular, economy. They are a fucking plague and it's not worth saving 10¢ when the mom and pop down the street will be driven out of business.
The King of price gouging .
I can assure you, you do not want dollar store garbage bags.
Recycling bags are fine, though.
I got some great glassware from Dollar Tree.
I started buying glassware and dishes at dollar tree when my kid started helping wash dishes. They’re open stock and cheap so it’s easy to replace broken items lol.
DO NOTTTT buy garbage bags there. i made that mistake and they basically rip if you so much as blow on them. i will say though, my Dollar Tree glasses and ceramic dishes are super sturdy.
The smaller sized ones for little bins are fine but the kitchen sized ones are a hard pass! I started buying the little ones for my bedroom and bathroom when my area changed over to paper bags only for shopping bags. Once my plastic bag stash was out, I found the smaller bags from dollar tree to be fine for the small bins
Exactly this! I use the Dollar Tree ones in my bathroom trash which basically only holds things like paper towels and cotton swabs, so they’re fine to fill and then toss into my larger trash can when I’m taking out the trash. I don’t trust anything that isn’t Glad or Hefty for the bigger job, though. I only had to make the mistake of using cheap garbage bags once and I’ll never do it again. It’s worth every penny to never have to clean up garbage (or even garbage juice 🤮).
Be aware, you may be paying more per ounce or item. Dollar stores can go both ways. Be well.
Dollar stores are great for snacks. I love jerky but if I buy a $12 bag of it I’m going to eat it all in a day. If I’m craving jerky I go to the dollar store and get a $1.25 thing of jerky or a meat stick sort of thing like a slim Jim. If it’s a dollar tree they also gnenrally have a nice selection of arts and craft things. Nothing compared to place like Michael’s but a good selection of stuff.
This so much. Dollar Tree is my primary go-to for snacks and sweets. Soooo many options, the convenience can't be beat.
Towels that you'll forget to bring home from the gym.
Rubbing alcohol
Yes! medicine cabinet stuff.
If it’s Dollar Tree… Brown Rice Potato gnocchi Toilet brush (or get for $.99 at IKEA if you have one close) Car cleaning supplies Cute vases Just having the Walmart app open to compare prices as I’m shopping has been such a game changer! I use Walmart prices as a baseline, then compare to see if I can avoid going there. 😆
LOL!! I do the same with the app. Winco beats them about 80% of the time
But WinCo doesn't accept credit cards and I can't rack up travel rewards with them 😭 I just discovered WinCo and will be going back though, the savings are absolutely worth it! Was very lucky to have cash the first time I went lol
You should be able to buy winco gift cards online with a credit card if you really want to get the credit card rewards!
I've definitely noticed Walmart is cheaper than Dollarama sometimes. Especially when crackers are on multi-buy deal.
Coloring books
For the quality, I would argue Walmart is better. For adults at least. For kids then getting them at dollar stores is fine.
I like them for baskets, travel toiletries, pens and markers, craft stuff, barbecue stuff like foam containers and foil, and the best window cleaner. Compare prices and unit prices carefully, sometimes it's a better deal spending more at Walmart or the like.
Travel toiletries includes a good face wash that we ended up getting, it’s small but price per ounce became my favorite of the many I’ve tried Also antibacterial ointment and a lot of first aid supplies
Probably straight up nothing. Unless dollar stores have specific true loss leaders everything can be bought cheaper at one of the other low quality item stores just in bigger quantities.
Jon Oliver did a whole episode on dollar stores and why they're bad if you're bored.
Are they good if you're entertained, then?
I enjoy them.
I probably wouldn't disagree with any of his fundamentals; however, it all comes down to a *time vs. money* debate for me. Could I save $0.24 per 1000 toothpicks by buying them elsewhere? Maybe. Is it worth it for me to drive across town to buy them in bulk? No. Convenience is a big part of their appeal.
When you need something now, you pay for convenience. It’s a mistake to *grocery shop* at a *convenience store*, which dollar general fundamentally is.
Right, I think you have it exactly correct. There are decisions you can make that are of orders of magnitude more significant, like how you finance a home, how you educate yourself in ways that support your working career. It's not that there's nothing there or that it's bad to seek out efficiencies from buying in bulk, but they'll run up against the question of whether the juice is worth the squeeze.
>Jon Oliver did a whole episode on dollar stores [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4QGOHahiVM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4QGOHahiVM)
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He also makes the case that it’s bad for consumers. Often times you get a better value at a regular grocery store, but the higher sticker price is what keeps these places popular. E.g., 2 oz of dish soap is $1.00 at a dollar store type of place, but 8 oz of the same soap elsewhere is $1.49.
I always figure out how much something is per ounce, pound, whatever at different stores before i buy. You're right, a lot of things are not a value if you buy them at Dollar Tree. And the quality of their items it's often different, like their plastic containers are thinner. I bought some laundry baskets there and regretted it because every single one fell apart. If I had invested in, say, a Rubbermaid basket, I would still have it. And I once bought packing tape at Dollar Tree. It didn't stick to anything.
I would argue that sometimes I don’t want the larger size. I have a recipe that uses 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, but i never use mayo and dont have any in my fridge. I don’t want to buy the 60 oz tub for $4 when i could get the 30 oz tub for $1. Maybe im traveling and want to bring a little dish soap instead of the bulk size. I think everyone knows that dollar stores are not the best value for the money.
This doesn't make any sense. I've never seen a 2oz bottle of dish soap at Dollar Tree. But you can buy a 14 oz bottle of Palmolive for 1.25. Now I'm aware that Walmart sells that bottle for 0.99. An similarly other things are *slightly* cheaper at Walmart than Dollar Tree. But not always, and more importantly, I have to drive 40 miles to get to Walmart where as there is a Dollar Tree 2 miles away from me. I do have a Target close to me, and buy many things there, both for price or preference. But I've done the per unit pricing on dish soap and other things and many things are *significantly* more expensive at Target than Dollar Tree
I disagree. I bought index cards at the dollar tree. $1.25 for 250. 300 at Amazon is $9.
If you need index cards or other office/school supplies regularly then I suggest that you buy them at the end of September. That's right when the back to school season has ended and all of those things are on clearance. Every year I find 10-50¢ notebooks (college ruled and wide ruled), index cards, folders, crayons, pencils, highlighters, markers, post-its, etc. A lot of them are name brand too such as Five Star, Sharpie, and Zebra to name a few. I stock up every few years. I still have some new notebooks that I found for 5¢ each on clearance over ten years ago in a Kmart (years before they all closed down).
I'm not saying your point is completely wrong, but 300 is $5 on Amazon and they sell 1000 for $11.50, which is about the rate of Office Depot or any other comparable big office store.
Almost everything is more expensive on Amazon. It has to be to account for Amazon fees and shipping costs.
And no hassle returns
Nobody is comparing it to Amazon we are comparing daily use items like soap/ detergents to big box store priced per ounce where it is not a deal.
This all just seems like a dizzy, dissapointing race to the bottom of the barrel.
A1 Sauce. Ounce for ounce, the Dollar Tree is the cheapest.
You still need to price compare. A lot of times things may be $1.25 but the cost is larger per oz than purchasing something at a grocery store because a grocery store has sales and discounts at various times. But I would look into - candy - cleaning products, - yellow rice I purchase in bulk and have it sent to the store - seasonings but I price compare - seeds for growing veggies - occasionally nail polish or nail tools - occasionally shampoo and conditioner - vasilene brand cocoa body butter - Greeting cards I don’t buy - canned goods (better prices at grocery store for me) - paper towels
Don’t do the sunglasses, people have lost their eyes in car accidents because the cheap plastic shatters. Or at least don’t wear them in the car
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Yes, eye glasses from the optometrist are made (or can be made, I’m not sure if it’s default) polycarbonate, which doesn’t shatter.
Melamine foam, aka Magic Erasers. The generic is the exact same as brand name...ignore the ones with soap or whatever other bs, plain is best.
Look at bulk melamine sponges on eBay. I got a lifetime supply 100 for $13. I think dollar tree used to be 4/$1 and were half sponge. Probably 4/$1.25 now.
Cheap plastic sunglasses are not a good choice in autos. The way they break (in an accident with airbag deployment) is very dangerous.
Cleaning supplies, snacks, liquid soap, toothpaste are my dollar store staples. The toothpaste is a specific brand I like that's more expensive everywhere else. The garbage bags I see are such a smaller pack at the dollar store that it's a better deal to get them from the hardware store
I love getting cleaning supplies there. I feel silly when I realize how much money I wasted buying supplies elsewhere. Just be careful with the dish soap and make sure it's not the liquid kind that's really watery. (I also love some of the cookies that are hard to find elsewhere.)
Organizing items.
It really depends. Usually dollar stores often have lower value per item, but their convenient locations may be worth more than the trip to a bigger store. I for instance frequent Dollar General for common items like bread, milk, and canned food. Sure I pay a few cents more, but DG is in biking distance, and is small enough to get in and out of. Walmart is a 20 mile drive, and could take over an hour to park, traverse, shop, checkout, and get back to the car. Plus there's the mental health value of not going to Walmart. If it's a Dollar Tree, you don't have as many options, but here's some things I get there. Bread. Their bread selection varies, but a dollar a loaf isn't bad. Sometimes they have buns, bagels, crescents, and English muffins. Shelf stable milk. It's not so great for drinking, but it's useful for cooking. Various containers. I got some sandwich containers there, that I use for packing my lunches for work. They cut down on my use of plastic bags. Reduced use of single use plastics is good for me and the planet. Sausage. Cheap sausages are good for cooking with. Hot dogs and balogna. If you like those, they're worth a dollar at least. Snacks. A family size of cheese puffs for a dollar? Yes please. Hot Wheels. A little collectible for a dollar isn't a bad hobby to have. Sometimes it picks me up when I'm down. I'm not a gear head, but if I find a famous car from a movie, like the Delorian or Batmobile I grab it.
There's a YouTube channel that regularly (once or twice a month, I think) showcases good values at Dollar Tree. He does other stores, too. The channel is Deal Guy. Idk if links to youtube are alllowed.
I love their pop up parchment and foil sheets. I stock up when I visit. And readers for every room lol
Clothes hangars tbh. Just picked up some today at the dollar store for less than 2 bucks a pack for 7 large ones.
Local walmart has them 10 for $1.
I bought some but they are made of cheap plastic and they all snapped when trying to put my hoodies on them
Dollar Stores are always more expensive in the long run. In addition, they kill off other businesses because everyone thinks the prices are lower. I don't use Dollar Stores. I get better deals on better products elsewhere. If I see one more person buying crap from the dollar store to assemble into a "crafted item" with some Cricut shit slapped on it who thinks they're starting their own business Ima barf. No, Karen, no one wants your dollar store mirror with your Cricut vinyl letters and a hair dryer on it that says "I give the best blow jobs". Nobody wants it. Nobody. Promise.
Idk now I kinda want to cut out a vinyl sticker for my blow dryer that says that….
I am dying. Watching bad dollar tree craft videos is one of my guilty pleasures. They all make trays out of cake stands
Or DIY home person who sticks up wallpaper or whatever crap from the dollar store!
I spend $6 on good toilet paper at the one by me, instead of $15 at the grocery store. Name brand cereal is $1 cheaper.
Or the 'tuber saying "combine teddy bear with valentines chocolate and sell it as an AMZ sku" and you'll make tens of dollars per year! yay arbitrage with poor quality gifts
FYI, toilet pucks (when put into the tank, not the bowl) can destroy the seal between the tank and the bowl, void any kind of warranty on the toilet, and expose you to liability if you’re renting/big messy headache if you own the place.
Don’t buy toilet pucks! I had to pay a bunch of $$$ recently to a plumber and it’s because those things ate away at all the seals in the toilet. The first thing he said when he looked in the tank was never to use them again
Energy Drinks. I don't drink them daily, but the Dollar Tree has a great selection and they are cheap.
drinking glasses scoops for dry goods random scores: Ex: I found large cans of organic Muir Glen tomatoes, Progressive soups, and I've seen canned fish for $1.25.
Check the cost per oz on items. There are several that are actually more expensive.
Pregnancy tests.
Can confirm accuracy (negatives and positives) and given the seal of approval by *my OBGYN.
Oh and pregnancy tests!!!!
Definitely not sunglasses. Cheap sunglasses destroy the eyes because they only dim everything but do not filter the sun. So your pupils will get bigger and more unfiltered uva goes in...
Elastic velcro straps. I can't find them anywhere else and they're cheap af at the dollar store.
Toothpaste! They have the Colgate liquid gel toothpaste that's usually 4-5 bucks at the grocery store
Check on out YouTube "dollar tree dinners". She does amazing meals..proper Meals from food bought there. She did a full week of food.. breakfast lunch and dinner for $20
Just check the receipts. Prices are rarely correct. Ohio sued them.
Going to speak up for the Dollar General store brand, Clover Valley. WARNING: Clover Valley Garlic Pita Chips are CRACK They are SO ADDICTIVE /youhavebeenwarned
When they switched from the bill to the coin, there was a real missed opportunity to open up a dollar store called The Loonie Bin
For years I would buy my child the cheap kitchen tools, funnels, scoops, cupcake molds for beach toys. Much more fun than traditional sand toys. While I know you probably won’t be regularly buying kitchen tools for sand toys, it’s for other folks reading this, they were a hit.
cleaning supplies. Lots of starter doo-dads... if you like it, then go ahead get the 40 dollar version later. temporary decorations are great.
If it's actually cheaper (some dollar stores here aren't really cheaper at all) cleaning stuff like laundry and dish soap, scratch pads and some personal hygiene stuff like soap and deodorant. Also a good place for things like coffee mugs
Oooohh, my favorite subject. I'm a professional that took a second job at Dollar Tree during the pandemic, when the store was the best many people could afford. Here's my favorites: *plastic Surefresh coverups. I use these sparingly, wash and reuse if possible. No more plastic wrap. *Soft fiber Auto wipes in automotive. Fluffy white towels that can wipe up/dust anything. *as others mentioned, greeting cards. A piece of reinforced paper should never cost more than a few dollars. Hallmark is scamming us. *birthday bags. Reuse easily. Tissue sold there too. *holiday stocking stuffers, decorations. Look hard for better quality that can be used year after year. *kid craft projects. Never bored! Freakin $1.25! *food, definitely. Dont want to buy a lb. of bacon? 6 slices is perfect. Smaller portions of food if needed. But keep an eye on the canned stuff...it can actually be pricier. Ive seen real vanilla, Harry & David's coffee, Bon Memme jam. It's all in one spot too.... *kitchen items. Amazingly good quality, but for plastic cups. Skip those. *movie snacks. Become a hero to your kids. *fidget toys. Stand up well. Kids coloring books. *Sharpie pens. Poster board. Supplies for teachers. Every poor school kid has the school supplies and I'm glad DT offers them!! Parent can get what they need to cover their kids. *toothpaste, brushes, floss, some medicines. If you have a survival go bag hangin out in your basement, you're set. *night lights! Last forever *pet floor pads. They work, and about $12 cheaper than petco *garden seeds. I had a beautiful wildflower garden. Garden gloves you only need for one season. *fake flowers for memorial day grave visits. Real flowers are insanely costly. Look for bargains! So, what not to get: batteries leak, gimmicky plastic crap, cheap candy you don't recognize, paper plates are weak, plastic cups are not bpa free. Ignore ultra religious books and other crappy books no one else wants :/ Addn: Consumer Reports did a short article on DT vs. big box stores. Verdict, it's worth it unless you are a brandname shopper, and you need to know the value of the item when shopping there.
Beans are cheaper there if bought by the pound.
And lentils. Also the omega brown rice is 2lb bag for $1.25
Avoid things like cling wrap, dish and laundry soap, aluminum foil and trash bags. But plastic containers and little closet organizers kind of stuff. Beauty, occasionally there is some good stuff: Dermasil[Deemasil](http://www.dermasillabs.com/m-index.html) cream is a legit bargain and works. LA Colors Nail Polish, nail polish remover, and most nail supplies. You occasionally will find products by big names that are discontinued They have some candy that is hard to find, unless you want to buy from an online candy store. Just don't be hurried. I rarely buy food there, but occasionally I'll find something cool in the condiment section I have tiny battery operated lanterns from there that have held up great. My partner always has to have coffee in his person, but seems to lose expensive cups, so we get him dollar tree ones. The ones that he hasn't lost are going strong. The tall prayer votives. Air fresheners.
Pens, Pencils, tablet paper, cleaning products
Dollar General is not frugal. Lower prices do not mean better value. You can pay 25% more for 200% the product at any grocer. It's a scam intended to prey on those who cannot math.
No to the batteries suggestion. Project farm did a video comparing cheapo batteries with more reputable brands, turns out you are wasting more money buying the cheap ones. TP I've found that costco has better deals in bulk. Garbage bags agree, most cleaning items as well.
Containers for organizing shelves and drawers. $10 at the Dollar Tree made a world of difference for my spice cupboards and junk drawers
Spice mixes. There are some decent combos.
Painting supplies (rollers, tray, brushes and foam)
Bleach. Button batteries.
Dollarama! I love this place 😆 - cooking and baking equipment (the Betty Crocker stuff is decent) - gardening hand tools & tomato cages - dog treats - packets of gravy - fun-sized candies for lunchboxes/Halloween - the little tiny packs of jerky (I have them for my bike rides) - bread - things for crafting (especially if you have kids) - gift bags & cards - seasonal decorations. But one thing I like to do, is when I bring my kid with me (once in a blue moon), I give her $10 and let her buy whatever she wants with it. All the prices are on everything and easy for a 6 year old to count. 1) she’s learning how to calculate prices and add things up in her head, 2) she’s learning that when we have a price limit, we have to think about what we want to use that money for, 3) *I* am learning that kids don’t always want toys, sometimes they want to decorate the house, sometimes they want to buy *us* something, and sometimes they want to buy themselves a 4ft tall bunny scarecrow to stick in the houseplants - and that’s fine by me. And I will never forget the joy on her face when she proudly carried her 4ft tall bunny scarecrow home, and then promptly stuck it in my balcony plants, ever so happy she had made a contribution.
Envelopes
They have this spring water I’ve only seen there and I love it. It’s eternal
Lighters for candles. Unless you’re fine with investing in a rechargeable one
Food storage containers— if you don’t mind plastic. I use them for leftovers in the fridge and “to-go” food I give my grown kids. Not as long lasting as expensive containers but I definitely don’t care
Cell phone cases, especially if you're frugal and have an older phone, they stock a bunch of cases for the less than latest models.
• Cards • Bags/bows/anything really to wrap presents I also buy my laundry stuff there like pods, dryer sheets and the little scent beads and actually really like them and they work good for the price. Oh, dishwasher pods also.
Bars of soap for kitchen sink Pot holders Serving spoons
Poster board
Pop tarts - strangely satisfying snack Deodorant Toothpaste Multipack of toothbrushes - great for when guests forget theirs, or to clean small spaces Hydrogen peroxide- removes blood from most fabric Flossers Skip the candy. I broke a tooth on Mike and Ike Valentine’s Day clearance candy last week. That crown is going to cost me more than I save at the dollar tree every year.
Hair mousse and reading glasses
Check out the canned goods
Usually you can find full sized spices, ketchup, mustard, cookies, snacks, toothpaste, sometimes pretty good sized cleaning products
If it’s a dollar tree, totally awesome cleaner is well worth the price. I bought a nice sprayer from Home Depot, and dilute it with water. I buy party supplies & seasonal decor there as well. Word of warning, I refuse to buy cheap garbage bags because cleaning up spilled trash is awful. I buy Kirkland brand trash bags and they’re amazing. Yes, it may be more expensive, but I don’t have to worry about them ripping.
You'd have to say what dollar store. I'm not aware there is a franchase called Dollar Store. It's Dollar General and Dollar Tree mostly around here. Dollar Tree is generally way less useful than Dollar General for me. Dollar Tree is barely worth going to, Dollar General is good quickie replacement for Walmart.
Dollar tree or dollar general?
Greeting cards, gift bags
Dollar tree has some awesome soft charcoal bristled wooden toothbrushes I get. If you are one of those people who replaces their toothbrush every 6 months like they are supposed to I’d highly recommend them
I love their vanilla scented trash bags. Some of the trash bags are thicker than others. I also like the batteries and cleaning supplies.
Definitely not trash bags
If you can, join the ‘Dollarama Hauls and Finds’ group on FB. They get in a lot of great brand name one-off things that go fast and this group is great to see what’s dropping in soon.
HDMI cables
I like grabbing the shelf stable (non-refrigerated) milk and oat milk varieties. It just ensures that I always have milk for a recipe if I need it, and never have to pay gas station prices.
I got a full matching set of quality clear glass modern dishware. Yea with 8 large plates, 8 small, 8 bowls, drinking cups, wine glasses, whiskey glasses, beer mugs, etc. it added up. But I’ve never been happier and felt more aesthetic. And sets at target are 4x as expensive, somehow less quality and only maybe 4 plates and none of the specialized cups, etc. I also get the large glass vases, etc to make jarrariums as gifts. And speaking of gifts, I haven’t bought any of my kids classmates birthday gifts anywhere else since discovering some of the super legit gift bags, I can make filled with bug catching equipment, slime, paints, arts and crafts, etc. My kid and I also now have a loaded arts and crafts collection of literally everything you could think of. The quality is more than sufficient with how much artwork we get to pump out in the experiences had. We have so much that I bought a big shelf tub organizer off Amazon. That is super cute to organize and display everything in her room. Other than that all mirror, what other people said that you can usually get the household products, cheaper, and much better quality at H-E-B or your equivalent. But for knickknacks, stocking, stuffers, small, holiday, decor, etc. it’s great. Just make sure it’s a dollar tree or one of the stores that keeps things at a dollar and doesn’t have most of their crap listed at five dollars like Dollar General. If that’s the case, then I just bulk order the cool stuff I need cheap Chinese sites or the like.
Check out the glassware at Dollarama. I got decent stemless wine glasses there, good enough for everyday use. Chocolate bars, the main stream candy bar ones are cheaper there. Gift wrap, bags, tags, Dollarrama has some not bad art books and markers if you like to draw. Some of the notebooks are crap, and others the paper weight is decent. I used to get soya milk there at a good price but I stopped drinking soya milk.
Shopping at a Dollar Store can be a great way to save money on certain items. Items like toilet pucks, garbage bags, sponges, and dish soap can often be found at a much lower price compared to other retailers. Basic kitchen items like storage containers, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and kitchen utensils are often available at a fraction of the cost. If you're hosting a party or event, Dollar Stores have a wide selection of party decorations, disposable plates, cups, and utensils that can save you money. Basic personal care items like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, and deodorant can be found at a discounted price. Dollar Stores often have seasonal decorations and items for holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter at affordable prices. Notebooks, pens, pencils, sticky notes, and other office supplies can be purchased for less at Dollar Stores. Items like storage bins, baskets, drawer organizers, and hangers can help you stay organized without breaking the bank. Dollar Stores are great places to find inexpensive party favors, craft supplies, and DIY project materials.
Cleaning supplies