Best Dollar Store Deals

You know them but you probably overlook them during your weekly shopping trip—well, it is definitely time to check then out—the ‘Dollar Stores.’

Though there are others, two Dollar Stores that are widely known are “Dollar Tree” and “Dollar General”—and they sell merchandise typically for $1.00, thought occasionally something might be priced higher—you are still very often looking at up to 70% less than the same item at a supermarket, drugstore and even large discount stores.

There are many surprising deals to be discovered at a ‘Dollar Store.’  Yes they sell basic household supplies, but because many of the items they sell are wholesale remnants you can also find items that you would consider trendy and the latest style or fashion in a particular category especially items like hair accessories, stationary goods (such as journals, school supplies, greeting cards, giftwrap), and even candles that are nice enough to give as a hostess gift!

For example, a friend of mine bought the most beautiful luxe gift bags for her wedding to place in each guest hotel room so that upon their arrival, guests had snacks and other welcoming items. These premium gifts bags not only had the visual perception of costing much more than the $1.00 each she spent, she saw the exact same gift bags elsewhere for just shy of $9.00 each that same week!

If you have a Home Office as I do, and you don’t want to pay ahead and invest your money for large amounts of office supplies and store them to save a few dollars in the long run—such as 150 of the same memo pads or 2 million staples which will take you 10 or 20 years to use—then like me, you want to consider buying your small amounts of inexpensively priced home office supplies at a Dollar Store.

Now these stores do sell food, especially snacks, but though you will probably recognize many brand-named snacks, they are still generally snacks that are less healthy to eat, and not so nutritious, and since I advocate optimal health I don’t recommend that category in this article.  Though you can at times find a good jarred Pasta Sauce and Spaghetti!

Yet I have interviewed many people for this article who are thrilled with their purchases in the Food Category that they made at their local ‘Dollar Store’—and realized significant savings on the same products they would have typically thought to purchase elsewhere—such as Potato Chips which were about 50% less than the same brand at the Supermarket where they usually shopped.

However, as health-conscious as I am, I must divulge that I have a sweet tooth and I will buy my movie theater candy for up to 50% less cost at a Dollar Store prior to a Sunday evening date with my husband at the big Silver Screen! Often they will have 2 for $1.00 on Candy Bars.

By the way, if you give out Seasonal Candy—check out the Halloween and Christmas candies there during the holidays.

So here are some more “Secrets For Money” when it comes to shopping at ‘Dollar Stores.’

I would like to recommend to you that when you make your weekly shopping list that you make sure that you go to your local ‘Dollar Store’ for any of these following categories, which large ‘Dollar Stores’ always carry, I have given you a few examples of some of the items you would find in each category, but there will be many more items to consider so that so that you can stretch your dollar!

Home Office Supplies and School Supplies:
Notepads, calendars, highlighters, scissors, journals, 3M Post-it products, paper, textbook covers, file folders, pens, pencils, erasers, and 3-ring binders.

Cleaning and Storage Products:
Most all types of cleaning products, mops, brooms, laundry detergent, fabric softener dryer sheets, plastic wrap, baggies, and aluminum foil.

Craft Supplies:
You can find scrapbooking items, craft kits, and other assorted crafting goodies from beads to sequins and much more in between.

Gift Wrap:
Greeting cards, gift wrap, gift bags, ribbons, and bows.

Kitchen and Household Items:
A wide array of kitchen gadgets, glassware, barware, plates, cups, utensils, platters, can openers, cheese graters, containers of all kinds, pans, glass jars, baskets, and much more.

Beauty:
A plethora of hair accessories from bobby pins to hairbands, cotton balls, soaps, shampoo, bath sponges, scented oil, body powders, and mani/pedi items from emery boards to name-brand nail polish.

And do know, you can find items one week that may not be there the next, such as glassware, backpacks, clocks…the list goes on.  So you most probably will find some great buys not on your shopping list too!

Copyright © 2009 by Mara Rogers of Secrets for Money http://www.SecretsForMoney.info

Photo Credit: This photograph “Dollar General Sign, Port Henry, N.Y.” by NNECAPA Photo Library. For more of this Photographer’s work: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nnecapa/ and http://www.flickr.com/people/nnecapa/

For more “Secrets” to making money, saving money, and managing your money go to the Archives at Secrets For Money http://www.SecretsForMoney.info/blog

This article is featured at The Festival of Frugality at Student Scrooge http://www.studentscrooge.com/2009/02/24/festival-of-frugality-166/