Greeting Cards, a good Dollar Store buy:
Holiday
Birthday
Wedding
$0.50 a card can't be beat.
Getting it Done at Dollar Tree
Photo: Morissey
While dollar-priced retail chains are nothing new, the Dollar Tree stores in particular have caught my attention as having a few categories of coolness. So what do I find there that I can't necessarily put my hands on at some of the other stores? Read on.
- Crafting supplies, including glass pebbles and river rocks to create your own spa candles or table-scapes.
- Children's art materials to celebrate creativity in your home, classroom, or homeschooling environment. We're talking paint brushes, craft sticks, colored art foam, pipe cleaners and more.
- Square storage baskets with handles. I found these in fun colors and a size that is actually conducive to storing things in an organized fashion. Great for organizing your shelving or pantry.
- Very affordable manicure items. OK, so the selection isn't going to rival Sally's Beauty Supply. But there are still a fair number of decent quality cheapies to help you create that at home spa bathroom affordably.
- Various sizes of affordable scrub brushes (including bottle brushes for any canning jars you use to store leftovers) for easy housework hacking.
- Dirt cheap personal care products, including Pepsodent and triple antibiotic ointments. (Remember, this brand of toothpaste scored well on the EWG toxicity scale. Here's the article, for your reference.)
- Decent gift wrapping supplies. If you weren't able or interested to stock up on this stuff during post season sales you can easily get the gift wrapping job done at this store throughout the year.
Got another great bargain idea you can pull off at the Dollar Tree? Clue us in with a comment post!
Best of Wise Bread
You're right. Even with making your own, depending on how much effort and how many materials you want to put into the project, fifty cents is a pretty slamming price. Thanks for stopping by to share.
Quick and easy goody bags for parties (kids and adults), cleaning supplies, and Halloween, Easter, Valentines and other holiday candy. Last year I did Valentines' goody bags for a class of twenty four first graders for eight dollars and two teacher's gift for four dollars more!
To save money, you can also go to Costco, Sam's, etc. and split up food and costs with some neighbors.
...the majority of things in dollar stores are items that no one would normally pay a dollar for elsewhere. That's how they make their money, I'm sure.
Not to say that there aren't deals to be had (Myscha's list is spot on), just keep in mind that things like Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are .88 for a 2-pack at Wal-Mart while the off-brand equivalent at Dollar Tree still costs a buck. I find cleaning supplies in general to be sketchy at Dollar Tree.
Danger from LEAD,
If you check the CPSC web site for Recalls, you will see that the Dollar Tree has frequently sold mdse that does not meet US law for lead. If you buy craft supplies, charms or jewelry, make sure that children don't put items in their mouths. Make sure that people wash their hands after contact, and don't allow food to intermingle.
Danger from Contamination
Health and Beauty aids might be exported from another country. They might have been "dumped" by a major retailer because of contaminiation. I think the toothpaste with melamine contamination was sold at Dollar Tree.
A few years ago I found myself in a bad spot during Christmas, so to get presents I could afford I went to the Dollar tree. It took a good amount of creativity, but there was plenty to work with. This is by far the classiest dollar store around.
Yes, some of the items do cost more, so it's important to be aware. For example, I've seen certain items at Dollar Tree sell for about 20 percent less at Big Lots across the street. That being said, some items are just a flat out bargain no matter how you look at it. Those are the items I was trying to highlight. Thanks for stopping by, and for sounding off.
Love the Dollar Tree! I was particularly impressed by their collection of very cute Christmas gift bags this year--all sizes, and sometimes 2/$1.
I love the gift and wine bags. And I agree with what Gdub said, Dollar Tree does have some classier and more useful items than some of the other ones. The one in Tucson used to carry (for a buck a pop - holy cow) the nice wooden bath brushes, loofahs, etc. Very spa-like, non plastic and classy. A great way to treat yourself to some spa atmosphere at home.
I was just at the Dollar Tree today, and bought Christmas wrapping paper at 25 cents a roll (40ft roll, extra long length). Usually the day after any major holiday the stuff is marked down 50% off and then if you wait a week or so it goes to 75% off.
I also am hesitant to buy much food there, but I found gingersnaps there that are better than any other brand that I can find, and their pretzel rods are good too (and make good gifts when you cover them in chocolate and sprinkles).
I bought a plunger there when I moved into an apt with sketchy plumbing. It was by far the best buck I spent! :)
Zip-loc bags, trash bags, scrubbies, Brillo, gifts bags, organizers, Luigi's Italian Ice (only place that it is sold here!), kosher salt, and scrapbooking supplies. I am pretty aware of prices so I won't buy the things that are cheaper elsewhere.
I buy lots of varieties of mailing labels there. They also have bubble wrap envelopes for shipping which I stock up on whenever I am there. I also buy 3M brand scotch tape ( the dollar store brand sucks with regard to tape).
As you said, I tend to stock up on wrapping paper - usually the white tissue paper which can be used all year long inside gifts and gift bags.
I LOVE THE DOLLAR TREE! They just opened a brand new - and might I add - spacious one close to home.
I wanted to add that in addition to the many items already mentioned - I adore this store for their gardening stuff in the early spring as well as the outdoor decorations like windsocks and yard decorations. You can't beat them for a buck. You can also get cheap seed packages and other stuff that has grown quite expensive- even at walmart.
The only thing is you have to get there early or you will lose out on the good spring stuff...
I will also admit that I bought all of my wedding invitation paper and thank you cards at the dollar tree for a grand total of $18!!! They were beautiful!!
sad about the lead concerns tho...
Some of the beauty supplies found at the dollar tree are amazing deals. While the Dollar Tree in my neighborhood often times stocks discontinued drugstore items (Revlon, Covergirl, etc.), they also have some decent quality off brands. In particular, the LA colors eyeshadows (with mixing medium, they can rival MAC shadows!) and the Aziza foundation. I even ran into a dollar store that once stocked discontinued L'Oreal Feria haircolor!
There's also some good health deals. I used to buy those big generic bottles of Tylenol PM there, in lieu of Lunesta. Also, as I'm sure many of you already know, the dollar store pregnancy tests are a perfect equivalent of the $13 dollar ones you buy at Target.
My local dollar tree also has a frozen food and cooler section. Pay close attention to the expiration dates, and realize that these items are usually better deals if you're single (whereas I could buy a 24 pack of eggs cheaper somewhere else, the $1 four pack of LOCAL eggs I can buy at the dollar tree is a fantastic deal if you're a college student). I also found the coffee filters and the occasional snack to be a great deal as well.
I survived off dollar stores (but mostly the dollar tree) throughout my first two years of college. Although I did run into credit card troubles due to tuition and rent, I could not of survived buying basic necessities anywhere else.
/end rave
I love dollar stores, but you do have to be a thoughtful shopper at these places.and not all dollar stores are created equal, you have to really be creative. but if you put in some effort and learn your basic prices there are real gems to be had in almost every category.
i love this blog for ideas (not mine)
http://dollarstorecrafts.com/
OK, as a yurt freak, I am LOVING the doggie yurt from chopsticks at the dollar store crafts blog. . . It's just a unique project. The stuffed animal from a glove also looks like a great idea for a homemade dog toy.
Actually lead containing products have been found at many stores off and on through the years, including Dollar General and Wal-Mart. I know the staff at my local Dollar Tree, and they do pull items immediately when they are notified one is unsafe or has some other issue.
I love the Archway gingersnaps as well. They also carry many of the name brand candies from "long ago" such as Necco, Whoppers Malt Balls, Airheads, Sugar Daddies and Sugar Babies, etc. If you will look at your package labels from any grocery store, many of our food products are being manufactured overseas or using ingrediants from overseas and face the same concerns.
I like their selection of toys, when my children were younger, they loved to spend their allowances at Dollar Tree. They have a good deal on the light up sticks for instant. We once went to a community function where these same "glo-sticks were sold for $3 each-the same ones found at Dollar Tree in packages 2 for $1.00.
Actually, this is my "decision tree" when shopping for household items:
1. Check Dollar Tree
2. Check Big Lots
3. If Grocery Item, check Sav-a-lot
4. As a last resort, check Wal-Mart
Unfortunately I do not have a nearby Costco, but they would be on the same place on the list as Wal-Mart.
http://InvestRequest.com says not only do you save on many bargains, but you also save money from time saved by shopping there vs. the big box stores...
I buy my Crossword, Word Search & kid's puzzle books there - at WalMart the same books are $2.95-$4.95.
Also the cards at 2/$1, stem glasses for everyday (makes it special) at $1 each, packages of assorted saftey pins, small sewing kits for the car & desk. Lots of stocking stuffers at Christmas and for the grandkids' birthdays - girls' hair accessories, fancy soaps,etc. They seem to like more rather than one gift. I'm careful of what I buy for both cost and to make sure of safety as much as I can.
And I only shop at Dollar Tree - I've found Dollar General to be more expensive than WalMart and of course, not everything there is just a dollar.
I used to buy my Pepsodent at the dollar stores until I read this:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/toothpaste.asp
It is easy enough to find it for a dollar or less elsewhere anyway.
I also saw a tv news report on staying away from buying BATTERIES (name brand or not) from dollar stores as they had a higher rate of leaking when they did their test to see if they lasted as long as ones bought elsewhere.
Our dollar store doesn't have much in the way of food other than candy & snack type stuff but one thing I do buy there is the GRAHAM CRACKERS for a dollar. I never see the generics go less than 1.99 around here and Nabisco usually goes on sale for 2.49-2.99. They taste exactly the same and are identical in every way on the ingredient/nutritional label as the others. And they are made in the USA. I eat a lot of grahams...it is my comfort food.
:-)
Either Dollar Tree or 99cents only, can't remember which one, (maybe both) has generic Swiffer-type duster things, both the floor and the wall kind. Big savings over the name brand. Also generic versions of Mr. Clean magic eraser pads. Dog collars and leashes, pet toys. Cheap tools that work in a pinch, like entire sets of screwdrivers. Umbrellas and socks. Good scissors.
And best of all, reading glasses and sunglasses!!!
Old fashioned candy, ginger snaps and graham crackers. You know, I've noticed all those as well. What's cool about the snaps and grahams is you can break them down for other sweet treats such as the topping on those pumpkin apple pie cups and making your graham crumbs for pie crusts and rolling cherry balls in. The old fashioned candy would be cool I think if putting together a movie gift basket for someone. Toss in some popcorn and a cool flick and use some sort of retro tin that could be used to hold the popcorn afterwards and you've got a cool theme there. Retro entertainment package on the cheap.
The link to the toothpaste article from the web site Snopes.Com was interesting. I did check the ones I bought there, and they are packaged in New Jersey so I'm feeling confident. Thanks for the link, though.
I once got an OXO pizza cutter at a Dollar Tree store for, well, a dollar. Several weeks later, I was browsing through Bonton, I believe, and saw the exact same pizza cutter for an unbelievable $15.99! So you really can get some deals if you know what you're looking for.
That's a very cool score, Jewel. I'm personally on the lookout for a pizza peel right now, so I don't have to dish out the full price for one. Not having much luck though.
You can get the Sunday newspaper there. So its cheaper than anywhere else, and you get all the coupon circulars with it.
Often there is nothing but junk in the book aisle, but I have scored some excellent hardcover finds.
I also love their kitchen timers. Helps me stay on track and not spend the whole day at the keyboard!
I have found their can openers to be dangerous and difficult to use.
The one I bought required extreme effort to actually open a can, inflicting damage on both (leaving bent cans and often jagged metal edges exposed) the can and my body.
After a couple months of tortuous use, the thing broke apart and I was glad to be rid of it.
The $1.97 can opener from Walmart has worked flawlessly for me ever since.
another commenter mentioned it, I must second that any of the dollar stores are the place to go for pregnancy tests AND, at some, ovulation predictor kits. That way you can get 2 or 3 (or 7 - really, who takes just one, regardless of the desired outcome?) at 1/15 the cost at your local drugstore or superstore.
Every year around Christmas time, I make it a point to go to Dollar Tree for stocking stuffers, etc. It's also a great place to purchase picture frames and kitchenware!
I was disappointed recently to find that Dollar Tree no longer carries small pans; I guess they're no longer able to price them at one dollar.
I work at a Dollar Tree in the southernish area of VT, and our store has the small pans. Personally they are a little too weak for my tastes, but i guess my point is as far as merchandise goes, it all depends on what distribution center your store is receiving from. Different DC's get different merch usually. Also in response to others, Dollar Tree does follow state laws according to what is sellable as far as lead levels go on products. There are a lot of things not availble in CALI stores because of proposition...65? i think it is, and VT stores are not allowed to carry the jewelry or any metal attractive to children. DT had to stop selling these items because VT state said so. So yes while some of their products may be questionable, because most is manufactured over seas, the company does abide by state laws. And as someone else said, there are other discount retailers that carry products that are questionable as well. Anything sold at a discount is usually sold that way for a reason, HOWEVER not ALWAYS because of contamination or bad reasons, a lot of times some closeout products just don't sell elsewhere. I've heard a lot of rumors about contaminated products, but whenever there is a problem with something we are instructed to pull it from the shelves, and unless your fave DT operates poorly it is pulled immediately. Also, same goes for food. I know my store is good about pulling food when it is expired, it all depends on your store's operations and how well the team does, but the food DT sells is actually very decent. A lot of it actually, from snacks to drinks (Mr Pure orange juice is SOOO good and for a freakin buck!). The cookies are good, crackers are awesome as well (especially the entertaining crackers that come in the long boxes), the pickles and other condiments are good, spices are excellent, canned vegetables are excellent, same with fruit...i guess i could go on about what's good to try to help some people's decisions but that may be a bit redundant lol. In truth most of the food MY dollar tree carries is just as good as any other more expensive brand, honest truth. As long as you check your dates you'll be fine. And a tip, if you notice your fave dollar tree with a lot of out of date food on the shelf, talk to the store manager about your concerns about it, if that doesn't work, find out the store number and e-mail dollar tree's website the store number and the issue. Their district manager and regional director will receive it directly and will be more than happy to know that their store is slacking :) Happy shopping everyone and i really hope you all enjoy your experiences at Dollar Tree!
I agree with the commenter who says if you know base prices of things, then you know what is and what isn't a good deal at Dollar Tree. They have fancy yarn skeins there (presumably bought as overruns?) from Bernat and other companies that retail for $5.
Some things, like pipe cleaners, cost about $2 at regular craft stores (same amount in package).
You can't find everything there, but there are definitely some deals to be had at the dollar store!
+1 for the gift wrapping supplies, stocking stuffers, and glow sticks.
I think my favorite item from Dollar Tree is their California's Awesome Cleaner/Degreaser. I use it on my car's floor mats and rims, pots and pans, anywhere I need to scrub. It's concentrated so a little goes a long way. Oh, and here's the kicker: it's nontoxic. Safe for the little ones.
My local home and garden store was selling those battery powered votive 'candles' by the box only for something north of 15.00. Dollar Store had 2 in a pack for 1.00.
And I have to say there is nothing more depressing than watching Senior Citizens combing through the aisles made of stacked pallets to pick out their seven dollars of discresionary spending for the week from overpriced third world delicassees. I was in line and some old lady bought 235 dollars woth of stuff at the dollar store. Everything looked about three months away from a tag sale. That said, I'm going to the dollar store tommorrow, I need a 2009 calender.
My favorite thing at the dollar stores is their "fake" Woolite. It's absolutely the same thing! I love it! Try it once and you'll never buy the "real" version again.
Good for you, Lisa! That's a cool score. I definitely like some of their pharmacy items there. They have some items there that are seriously cha-ching in other places.
The Dollar Tree has items similar to the 99 Cent Store - but in the past few months they have had GREAT deals in hair goods. I have bought fantastic hair bands that would cost $5 elsewhere for 99 cents. They have had special ones and even sequined ones for the holidays! As with all dollar stores you have to pick & choose - as some are over the top - but what a deal! Also have gotten vitamins (?) by Bayer - and lavendar spray (I am looking for more of that) and lotions for my hubby. And reading and sunglasses -
Some staples - but mostly goodies I can treat myself with - like little angel figurines - around Xmas I also got some cards - but watch it - dollar stores can be addictive - I knew a woman who called them "$30 stores" because no matter what, she spent at least $30 on a visit. When I am broke, I restrict my visits to when we have run out of paper towels, bottles of salad dressing, cleaning supplies and the like.
I like the 8 AAA Batteries for $1 at Dollar Tree. They work
pretty good. Just use them soon after purchase.
I love DT I usually stop there before I hit the grocery store and purchase household items like paper towel, bathroom cleaners etc and i feel like im saving tons! lol/ they have really stepped their dollar game up and have a great choice of stuff in this economy i know a lot of people are shopping there with me.
I found some Sunday School decorating materials at the Dollar Tree. I work at a small church who has no budget to decorate and I can do a couple of bulletin boards for under $10.00
My son was recently diagnose with Autism Spectrum Disorder (and I recently lost my job), and I am SO grateful to have discovered Dollar Tree. We decided to implement a home-based ABA program (very costly- anyone who has a child in a similar program can testify to that) at the recommendation of his neurologist. I use some of their classroom decors (posters) to hang around our house, bought a couple of different toys every week (he loses interest easily & they make great "reinforcers" for his program), plastic containers to store all his little toys (by category- the same containers cost $2-3 each at Target), and just little things here and there. They have great craft ideas and various different things that I can use to keep his interest every week (can you imagine how much that would have cost me elsewhere?!). I'm still hesistant to try any food items, but like all their other items that we've tried. So to some it all up, I heart the DollarTree!
That's great to know that such a program can be implemented affordably. I'm sure others will benefit from your advice.
My Dollar Tree sells Nature's Own whole wheat bread for $1! Beef jerky for $1. Cleaning cloths are another good buy. I organized my kids' toys with Dollar Tree containers.
They used to sell things like tub stoppers cheaper than anywhere else, but it seems they have stopped carrying those (right when I needed them, too).
I bought melamine bowls 2/$1 recently for breakfast cereal and we use them every day. I buy Epsom salts to soak in on achey days. I buy the little zippered makeup pouches 2/$1 to use as pencil pouches in my kids' backpacks, or to organize my purse.
I buy all our birthday party supplies there. I cannot find balloons any cheaper. Single bottled Cokes are $1, and the only place cheaper I can find singles is at Costco (.75 from the vending machine). Those are usually my "treat." I second the crackers--Saltines are cheaper there than at the other stores I've shopped.
The ear buds for MP3's and the LED reading lights didn't last long, though. I won't buy those again.
I worked at a Dollar Tree store and I quit because it was such a stressful job. I do warn though, a lot of things in there you should always double check and I am not joking. As a cashier there for only about 5 months, I found a lot of defective items that my own fellow employees do not even remove from shelves (dent cans, open cereal boxes) and some people do not realize a lot of these things are opened.
1) Do not buy the toys. Their toy cars and trucks, and most (not all) of their toys are made of flimsy plastic and break easily. It's a choking hazard to children, and a possibility of lead paint, though that was a while ago.
2) Do not buy any health care products like medicine, toothpaste, vitamins, and body/hair wash unless you know the sources of them. Some of their Crest or Colgate toothpaste was known to be from South Africa which contained a lot more fluoride and not approved by the ADA. Vitamins could also be partly digested or expired, and medicine, you should NEVER take medicine from untrusted sources. Always buy medication approved by the FDA and these are usually name brand ones at local pharmacies.
3) ALWAYS look at the frozen food bag, packages and boxes before you purchase!!! 4/10 times, the packaging of frozen food have very tiny holes that corn and pieces actually fall out, and some customers do not even know because $1 is such a good deal, and tend not to pay attention. Always check your sugar packages for holes on the bottom too, as such as pasta boxes, cereal, leaky bottles of soda and drinks, bread, etc.
I've actually seen some employees that scotch taped sandwich bag boxes up when they were half empty from customers opening them and pulling the bags out.
4) I don't mean to be snobby, but most stationary supplies are also not in good quality. If you're picky like me who must have that Pentel RSVP pen or that good plastic folder, the buys here are not that decent. However, they do happen to sell Crayola products. The looseleaf and notebooks feel very cheap.
5) I highly .. do NOT recommend buying baby products here. I have yet to research any stories about a child's health being damaged by bad quality baby products such as diapers, bottles, pacifiers, but I do not recommend buying anything plastic from a Dollar Store. The plastic is flimsy, and usually cheaper plastic tends to have chemicals that could leech into your drinks or food. I know most parents won't care whether the bottles here are cheap, but on the safe side, I would rather someone buy a trusted brand baby bottle, than something unknown made in China in the dollar store.
Overall, in popular dollar stores like Dollar Tree you should always check for defected or broken products very carefully, but like what was mentioned here already, Dollar Tree has awesome buys on party supplies, paper plates, gift wrap, cards, and snacks.
@Comment#47, I know this doesn't speak for all Dollar Tree stores, but the one I worked in is very irresponsible actually. A customer was yelling at me because I told him the toy his son wanted was recalled. Since I worked only a few days I week, I am least up-to-date with recalled items, but this toy happened to be tossed somewhere in the toy aisle and my manager apologized to the customer about that saying that these were recalled a while ago and one must've somehow still been out. HOWEVER, his son mentioned that the entire row of them is still in the aisle, and to my surprise, I checked and he was right.
I think some stores really need to pull recall items off the shelf asap, because as a parent or a customer, I'd be pissed off to know a product is recalled when I wanted it. I have never had this happen to me in any stores, but this happened so often when I worked that I even got sick of it.
Between Dollar Tree for necessities and Aldi for groceries, you can save lots of money without really trying. Again, prices at both places can occasionally be beaten by sales at the local chains, but day in and day out, Dollar Tree provides exceptional value.
When the Dollar Tree first came to Moultrie, GA, they had these jars with screw on lids that could sit on their sides, just wondering where I could possible find some. I had 4 of them but the last one finally broke
