With prices rising, even dollar stores are adding a few cents to most items. But if you know what to buy there, and what to steer clear of, you can pretty much be assured of getting good quality while dramatically paring your household spending.
What to Buy:
- Greeting cards – They’re not the fanciest, but most greeting cards end up in the trash anyway. Get your messages across to your loved ones without spending a fortune,
- Gift bags, tissue and wrapping paper – These disposable beauties are expensive at most retail stores, but at the dollar store, they are always affordable. That’s also true for mylar balloons!
- Food storage and paper items – Save a bundle on aluminum foil, wax paper, sandwich and food storage bags, as well as trash bags, paper plates and napkins, tissues and more. Sometimes, even name brands can be found among the generics.
- Home décor supplies – Keep an eye out for picture frames, baskets, colored glass jars and other items that can prettify your home décor without busting the budget.
- Pet supplies – While you may want to stay with the pet food you like, you save money at the dollar store on things like dog treats, bowls and other supplies.
- Snacks, candy and boxed foods – You’ll find many brand names and some good generics on sweets, chips and other snack foods as well as on dry goods like cereal, rice and more.
- Cleaning supplies – From buckets and rubber gloves to spray cleaners and liquids, you can’t go wrong on most dollar store products.
What NOT to Buy:
- Children’s toys – Apart from coloring and puzzle books, dollar store toys are typically flimsy and tend to break easily.
- Earbuds/electric accessories – This is another area where you get what you pay for, and dollar store electronics are typically low quality.
- Vitamins – Generic aspirin and ibuprofen are probably fine, but steer clear of dollar vitamins, which may not be quality-controlled.
- Off-brand foods – Dollar stores stock shelves full of off-brand canned goods, bakery items and more. Most are lower quality than branded equivalents, although a dedicated budgeter may wish to try a few to judge the bottom-line difference.
