Ninety-nine cents, One Dollar, Do I Hear Two
By Amber
@AmbiePam (86009)
United States
June 28, 2023 8:06am CST
I’m sorry I can’t convert dollars in my head to the kind of money you each use, but I know you understand what I’m talking about. Growing up, we used to have a 99 Cents store, where everything was under a dollar. Sure, it was full of cheap items, but kids loved it. Now, we have the Dollar Tree, where everything is a dollar. The quality is somewhat better than the 99 cents store, but some things are the same wherever you shop, like basic wrapping paper (notice I said basic), gift bags, water, soda, trash bags, some foods, books, coloring books for kids, cards for every occasion, tissue paper for gifts…
Recently, I heard because of inflation the Dollar Tree will be raising the prices to two dollars an item, but I don’t know if that has been implemented yet.
Do you guys shop at those kind of stores? Do you have them at all?
36 people like this
35 responses
@snowy22315 (171277)
• United States
28 Jun
Dollar Tree raised its prices to 1.25 in most stores about a year or year an a half ago. I don't know about the two dollar thing, I predict that will lose them business. One thing though I have noticed is that they have added alot more items that cost more than a 1.25. I never buy them. If I wanted to pay more, I would go to another store.
9 people like this
@snowy22315 (171277)
• United States
28 Jun
@AmbiePam If they do that...I definitely won't be in there as much. It was bad enough when they went to 1.25.
4 people like this
@Laurakemunto (12862)
• Kenya
28 Jun
They have changed to increasing the price since they know people have confidence in them but unfortunately just like you, many will opt to buy the same thing from a different store
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (157918)
• United States
28 Jun
Young lady, when I was a child we shopped at "the five and dime" which is what they called TG&Y. Also Woolworths, or Duckwalls. Dime store for short.
5 people like this
@Treborika (17394)
• Mombasa, Kenya
5 Jul
I am not familiar with that stores in my country
2 people like this
@hotsummer (13835)
• Philippines
28 Jun
It's hard to convert by mind from one currency to another. What may seem cheap like a dollar can be more in our local currency. That's why when we win a million bucks in our currency it isn't as big if it's in your currency. It'll be 60 times less.
Anyways, we have some sort of thrift store also and I buy some items from them from time to time like plug adaptor. Some screws and drivers though not of quality but it's still enough for my needs
3 people like this
@Hannihar (129686)
• Israel
28 Jun
@AmbiePam
In Israel we deal with shekels so we have 1 shekel stores. One shekels is equivalent to 0.27 dollars. I just checked. I also use dollars to shekels online to convert when I get paid from My Lot. I grew up in the States so I think I remember the 99 cent store. Dollar Tree came along after I left the United States to live in Israel.
5 people like this
@FourWalls (62755)
• United States
28 Jun
They should know better than to name stores after prices. Eventually inflation will price the name of the store out of relevance. 
Don’t believe me? Motel 6 and Super 8 motels were so named because that’s how much it used to cost to stay there: six buck and eight bucks, respectively.
And hey, this is Dollar General Store land…and guess where that name came from? 
Don’t believe me? Motel 6 and Super 8 motels were so named because that’s how much it used to cost to stay there: six buck and eight bucks, respectively.
And hey, this is Dollar General Store land…and guess where that name came from? 2 people like this
@AmbiePam (86009)
• United States
28 Jun
@FourWalls 
Someone from overseas showed me a picture of one they stayed in, in California. I was like, how did you find a nice one that was clean?! I had never seen one that decent, borderline very nice!
Someone from overseas showed me a picture of one they stayed in, in California. I was like, how did you find a nice one that was clean?! I had never seen one that decent, borderline very nice!2 people like this
@FourWalls (62755)
• United States
28 Jun
@AmbiePam — oh, they started in the 60s. I remember we stayed at one when I was a kid…and I’m not joking, you had to put a quarter in a box to watch TV for an hour! So it was beyond the no-frills reputation they have today. (But, back then, it was a little on the clean side. )
)2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
28 Jun
Dollar Tree is supposed to raise some prices to $2, some to $3 and some items will be going up to $5 in a new price rollout in 2023.
These new price points have already been implemented in 1/3 of their stores.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (86009)
• United States
28 Jun
@DaddyEvil I didn't even realize we had a Five Below close by until someone mentioned it a couple of years ago. It had been there for ten years, and I had never noticed.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
28 Jun
@AmbiePam I've never seen a Five Below store.
I don't mind them charging $1.25 for their stuff but I don't buy things that are more expensive than that in Dollar Tree. If they charge the same as Walmart, I might as well get all my shopping done at one time instead of switching to a different store for part of it.
3 people like this
@1creekgirl (40650)
• United States
29 Jun
Our Dollar Tree now has things up to 5 dollars and the things that used to be a dollar are now $1.25
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40650)
• United States
29 Jun
@AmbiePam I don't remember what they were, but buying things for a dollar was the whole point of the store.
1 person likes this
@Metsrock69 (3506)
• United States
28 Jun
I still go to dollar tree. I also go to Five below where everything is under $5.00 .
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (86009)
• United States
28 Jun
@Metsrock69 Yes, just recently! Have you? I love it!
1 person likes this
@Metsrock69 (3506)
• United States
28 Jun
@AmbiePam At first I did not like it but I took a liking to it. Have you ever checked out Temu?
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (82330)
• Rupert, Idaho
28 Jun
Oh yeah I remember 99 cent stores, those were great. Even dollar tree was not bad because it was only a penny more. Now it is 1.25 and they have a frozen section in mine where you can get things $3 to $5. I hope the base price does not go up to $2. Probably would stop shopping there and go to only shopping on Temu lol
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (86009)
• United States
28 Jun
@MommyOfEli2013 What did you buy from them that you would recommend? I'd love to know what is good since Coral actually got a few bad items. I recently ordered a non clothing item, but it hasn't come in yet.
@MommyOfEli2013 (82330)
• Rupert, Idaho
28 Jun
@AmbiePam Well that is good to try them out, I have only bought one clothing item...but that is great you like their clothes! I want to buy more of their clothes but I need to make more $ online LOL
1 person likes this
@Laurakemunto (12862)
• Kenya
28 Jun
We have some stores of that kind and they are great gets flocked with people and if you ain't early enough, you won't get what you want !
2 people like this
@Treborika (17394)
• Mombasa, Kenya
29 Jun
We don't have those kinds of shops or stores for now in my country.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129686)
• Israel
5 Jul
@Treborika
That is too bad. They do have some nice things in their stores.
1 person likes this
@Treborika (17394)
• Mombasa, Kenya
5 Jul
@AmbiePam That so bad then if they sell some low quality goods
@Jenaisle (14079)
• Philippines
28 Jun
We have a P99 pesos store here where you can buy items there all priced at 99 pesos. This is cheap and one can buy some good things there too. But I stopped going there because it was far from where I lived. I don't know if it still exists.
There are certain pieces too at our local supermarkets that are grouped together under one cheap price. I often go through these items and see if I can get a good buy.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53941)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Jun
All those stores charge more now - by another quarter or so. There is a Japanese store called Daiso . . . their stuff used to be $1.50 . . . but now it's more +. I used to love going to all of 'em and just toss things in the cart . . . but now I am ultra picky about what I buy. If those items become $2, I'll get even pickier.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (48658)
• Canada
28 Jun
We have Dollarama here in Canada.
They do not have many items at a dollar, they start at 1.25 and go up from there.
The quality of most of their items is poor, but that isn't so bad depending on what you are buying.
I will get a loaf of whole wheat bread for when the babies are here for $1, but there isn't much there for that price.
I stopped getting anything really of substance when there it was brought out that the paint in the items, most of which were imported from China and other places, contained lead. That did me in for buying much from there.
Our dollar stores do not compare with yours, I have been to some in Michigan.
They have coolers and cold food and drinks, ours do not.
I used to be a Dollarama-Mama, but before the lead paint issue.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (158796)
• United States
29 Jun
We don't shop at the dollar stores. We do quite a bit of shopping at Walmart; but their prices have risen quite a bit lately.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (158796)
• United States
29 Jun
@AmbiePam Yes, I ran into some Great Value items that were more expensive than the name brand!!!
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
29 Jun
Our Dollar Tree raised it's prices to 1.25, but 2.00 seems a bit much. I love Daiso dollar store. Everything is from Japan, and most things are a 1.75 but there's some that go way higher. I try not to go there too often because I spend way too much money.
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
29 Jun
@AmbiePam Hopefully, one will come into your area soon. We are about to move in August and there aren't any around that area. 
1 person likes this
