I’ve written several times in the past how I save money by purchasing certain items at the local dollar store. I used to think those types of stores just carried junk merchandise but after checking out my local dollar store and comparing prices, I don’t think that way anymore. (Note: I am talking specifically about stores that only charge $1 for each item; Not Dollar General or Family General type stores.).
Party supplies.
If you’re throwing a party, you really can’t beat the prices for party items that you’ll find at a dollar store. You’ll be able to purchase plastic tableclothes, paper plates, plastic utentils, napkins, and more at a fraction of the cost of what you would pay at a party store or even at a discount store like Walmart. When we are throwing a birthday party for the kids this is where we shop to maximize our budget. My local store even carries a huge selection of themed holiday party supplies including Halloween, New Year’s, Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, etc.
Gift wrap.
Year round you can find a great selection of rolled gift wrap at $1 per roll. Occasionally I’ve found theme based paper (such as for a birthday or a baby gift) but I can always find a nice selection of solid color wrap that is perfect to use for any occasion. Similar rolls of gift wrap at discount stores are priced anywhere from $2.99 to $3.99. The gift wrap choices are even better during Christmas when all sorts of themed paper come out including wrap with popular characters. I’ve found themed paper for the Disney Princesses, Winnie the Pooh, Cars, etc.
Candy.
We don’t eat a lot of candy in our house but when we do I buy it in the large bags at the dollar store. I’m not talking a “generic” type of yucky candy either. This is the real brand name stuff like Dum Dum Lollipops, Sweethearts, etc. At only $1 per bag it is a much better value than the prices at Target or Walmart and certainly much cheaper than buying it individually at the local 7-11.
Gift bags.
Gift bags can be found for any occasion and all are only $1 each. Some of the smaller bags are 2 for $1. This is a great deal as compared to the gift bags in discount stores which can run from $1.99 for a small bag all the way up to $4.99 for a large bag. Again, at Christmas time I’ve found decorative gift bags with a variety of Christmas themes. I have even used these bags for decorating because they were so pretty!
Kid’s Coloring Books.
At $1 per coloring book, you can’t really go wrong here. I’ve found all the popular character books including My Little Pony, Disney Princess, John Deere, etc. These coloring books are $2.99 and up at the local discount stores.
Mylar balloons.
My local store has mylar balloons for all occasions including birthdays, new baby, and seasonal balloons for graduation, July 4, and Memorial Day and other holidays. You just can’t beat a buck for a mylar balloon!
Generic version of Drano.
This is one I hadn’t thought of until I had watched a Clark Howard episode. He pointed out that the ingredients of the generic version are exactly the same as the name brand product. I don’t think you can find Drano at $1 per bottle!
Umbrellas
With 4 children you can imagine that our umbrellas takes a beating. We either lose them or break them so replacing them at $1 each is not a big deal.
Now on the flip side, there are things I’ve found that are not good deals at the dollar store.
Crayons.
I have found the dollar store version of crayons to be really lousy. They seem rather “greasy” and don’t color well and break very easily. I have never found the “brand” name crayons there but maybe that is just my store.
Batteries.
The kids have tried buying the cheap batteries a few times but have found they drained really quickly.
Food sandwich bags.
Sure these are only $1 per box but you don’t get near the amount of bags that the larger discount stores carry. By comparing prices, I found the dollar store bags actually cost more.
Toys.
Most toys I’ve found are very cheaply made, fall apart easily and quite likely could contain high lead levels. We avoid them entirely.
Toothpaste.
While I have found name brand toothpaste, I avoid any of the off label or generic versions.
Do you shop at a dollar store? I’d love to know what items you have found to be deals and which ones are definitely duds.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I was always turned off by Dollar Stores too. One recently came to my town so I decided to give it a chance. It happened to be around Christmas time and I ended up getting all of my decorative paper Christmas napkins and they were really nice. Once I got them home and opened them up, I saw that they were actually from Target and had been shrink wrapped as a 2 pack so I got loads of great Christmas napkins for only $1. I picked a few varieties along with some paper dessert plates. I also got some tealights that I was a little leary of but they turned out to be just as good as any other tealights. They were vanilla scented and worked out pefectly for the holidays.
I mostly just get greeting cards there. Occasionally I find canned goods with a decent ingredients list or whole-grain pasta.
We are fortunate in that our “Dollar store” is right next to our grocery store (Walmart). So we economize by going both places in one car driving trip!
My wife and kids buy alot of what you buy their too (wrapping paper, gift bags, mylar balloons, coloring books and party supplies… my son loved the mini foghorn!)
But my personal favorite is the box of Wyler pink lemonade (and a few Hawaiian punch) “to go” packets for bottled water (which I don’t buy, I fill up a glass at work and home!). It comes as 8 per box, but I sweeze extra out of them by only use half a package per drink so I get 16 servings per box. This enables me to make a glass of pink lemonade for a grand total of 6 cents per serving! This is much cheaper than drinking pop! I blog about this trick on my site: 6 cent Pop replacement
Keep up your great frugal ways!
I just purchased several bottles of the off-brand of Drano from my Dollar Store today. I also buy all of our party-ware when the occasion arises. I also purchase the lime and lemon squeeze flavoring when I can find it as it lots cheaper than at Walmart.
Things I’ve liked:
hairbrushes, hangers, breakfast cereal (occasionally), cookies (fake oreos, for example), Hunts spaghetti sauce, artificial vanilla, mustard, garlic powder. Occasionally scored a great $1.00 tool. Little packs of tuna with crackers for snacks.
Disappointments:
fake cleaning supplies, fake shampoo. Alum foil on the 25 sq ft roll. Not-too-stretchy bungee cords.
The Dollar Tree near us has some strange but excellent deals. For example, a 4-pack of frozen Icees is $1, whereas the boxes of 6 or 8 cost $4 a pop. (No pun intended.)
Also, quality salami slices that look and taste just like the expensive name-brand ones.
On the other hand, you want to be careful of getting “steals” on name-brand items at these places. A lot of times it seems like a good deal because you’re getting the brand for so little, but the quantities are adjusted. Smaller packages of Red Vines, Nature Valley bars and the like often mean that you’re paying more.
But hangers, spices, extra cereal bowls, cheese graters and dish towels are great grabs for $1.
Two things I’ve read about that are recommended from dollar stores are some (and you need to search carefully) gourmet food items. A friend read the same article and was able to find a jar of reallly nice roasted red peppers in olive oil, nowhere near expired. Pretty good for $1. The other thing is laundry detergent. For those folks who aren’t completely sold on the cleaning ability of the high-priced name brands and just want a decent detergent, paying $1 for a bottle of liquid clotheswashing detergent is a pretty good deal.
You definitely need to pick and choose what you buy there. Assuming that everything there is cheaper than things at your grocery store is an incorrect one.
I miss the dollar store for party supplies and gift bags. There are some where I live now but they are horrible and carry mostly terrible merchandise. I wouldn’t buy batteries, either from there. The only insurance for a long life battery is to buy a name brand. I’ve learned that a time or two. I do think the umbrellas is a good deal. My next trip may lead to me picking up a new umbrella for $1.
Be careful with Name Brand toiletries such as toothpaste. Some items, if you look closely, are made in different countries. I am not trying to be a U.S. only buyer, but off-brands made in the U.S. may be safer.
We just have to look closely. And check the expiration dates!!!
I buy my paper towels and bathroom tissue at the Dollar Store. I llive in a one bedroom apt. So, I don’t have a lot of room to buy paper products in bulk. The paper products at the Dollar Store are pretty good qualify and $3.00 goes a long way.