A visit to the dollar store is a little like a treasure hunt, and it’s easy to load up your basket. But consumer advisors note that while some items at these discount stores are well worth stocking up on, others are sorely lacking in quality. Here are the best values to be found at the dollar store—and a few things better left behind.
Do Purchase:
- Hair Accessories – Scrunchies, barrettes, headbands and other hair accessories often get lost and don’t usually last long anyway. Buying them on the cheap makes sense.
- Greeting Cards – Prices at the drug store or food market are outrageous, but we love to send and receive them. Buying them at the dollar store is the answer.
- Cleaning Products – Brand names and knock-offs in soaps, detergents, and other household cleansers, as well as sponges, rubber gloves, plastic buckets and more are among the best values at the dollar store.
- Disposable Bakeware – From turkey-sized tin foil bakeware to disposable pie pans, lasagna pans and more, buy them here at less than half the price you’ll pay for them elsewhere.
- Gift Wrap and Party Goods – Most dollar stores stock a huge array of gift bags and wrap, tissue paper, ribbon, and party paper goods and plastic ware at the lowest prices you’ll find anywhere. Stock up.
- Picture Frames – If you’re big on framing family photos, the dollar store is the place to buy a variety of sturdy, attractive frames at amazingly inviting prices.
Steer Clear of:
- Electronics – In general, electronics such as headphones, HDMI cords, and USB chargers purchased at the dollar store won’t survive daily use, and may even lead to safety issues.
- Food Storage Containers – When dealing with food storage, you should be careful about materials and ingredients. According to some reports, unless they are major brands, they may contain possible harmful chemicals.
- Toys – When it comes to toys, you mostly get what you pay for – and toys at the dollar store tend to be poor quality and break quickly. An exception may be picture puzzles, because pieces tend to get lost easily, so you might as well buy them cheap.
- Batteries – While they may be packaged as branded ones, they tend to be poorly manufactured and may empty quickly, or worse, may leak.
