I’ve written previously about how much I love the dollar store. I recently had a few minutes to sit down and catch the new Clark Howard TV show. He had a really neat feature on the dollar store and showcased his own $10 shopping spree.
My favorites from the dollar store include party supplies like plates, tableclothes, napkins, tableware, gift wrap, gift bags, and seasonal decor items. Clark pointed out some good buys that I wasn’t aware of. Here are some from his list of good dollar store buys:
Generic version of Drano. I hadn’t thought to buy that at the dollar store. He said the ingredients are exactly the same as those in the brand name found at other stores. For a buck a bottle I would say that is definitely a good buy.
Generic OTC meds. He chose generic versions of ibuprofen and an antacid saying that the ingredients were exactly the same as the name brands which cost lots more. I’ve found good deals by using Target sales combined with manufacturer coupons sale to get anything we use OTC at pretty inexpensive prices.
Umbrellas. For a buck an umbrella you can’t go wrong. It seems we are always losing, misplacing, or breaking our umbrellas. You know how it goes with kids.
Toothpaste. Clark pointed out top Crest brands like the special whitening kind. Seems like it would be a cheap way to try out some of the new flavors without spending a lot of dough.
Candy. There are lots of great bargains to find on the candy aisle. The favorite in our house are the bags of Dum Dum lollipops. Clark chose the tootsie rolls. These are the exact brands and not generics. Definitely a good buy.
Sunglasses. I never thought of buying my sunglasses at the dollar store. I plan on investigating both the selection and the quality at my next visit.
Shaving cream. Clark said he found his favorite name brand at the dollar store and for a buck a can it was a good value. I’ve found brand name disposable razors on occasion at our dollar store.
Hair brushes. I’ve found lots of great hair brushes, combs and hair accessories for the kids.
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Dollar stores are great. You just want to make sure you keep an eye on what you’re buying. A dollar or two for something that normally is $4 seems like a great deal. Unless you’re getting a quarter or less of the “normal” amount. Such as with cleaning supplies. Make sure that dollar for a bottle of generic drain cleaner is worth is. Is the bottle close to the same size or less than half the size of the name brand one?
Wrapping paper and gift bags!
My dollar store has a huge selection of brand-name cleaning products, laundry detergent, etc. at great prices.
Most places you can get floss as well for very cheap.
Plackers brand dental flossers are my number one item I buy at the Dollar Tree. These are close to $3 at Target stores, and only a buck – yeah! When my babies were younger, they went through diaper rash medicine like crazy – I found the “generic” stuff I bought at the Asian 99 cent store worked perfectly – again, this stuff is at least $2 a tube if not more at other stores.
Can’t say I agree with the OTC meds, but overall, I think you found some real gems there. I had to link to this post from my blog, CrapForABuck.com.
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