The almighty dollar store....

We have The Dollar Tree here in town and I like it for the stuff you can get for a dollar. I also use this for prizes, swaps, household chores, good sock deals, etc etc. I know of folks who buy in there and stock gift baskets with the stuff from there.

I buy a lot of my puzzle books at various Dollar Stores. Within a 10 mile radius of my home is maybe 10 different types of dollar stores so I have a choice to visit and shop. I get other things there as well. Small gifts for the grandkids etc are always available there. I don't buy food itmes from there. I buy candles and incense there as well. But I do avoid the food products. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~

Let me see if I can count the number of dollar stores in our town of 26,000 people (probably fourth next to pizza places, coffee shops and hair salons). 99c Depot, Everything for a Dollar Store, Dollorama, and a new one I can't remember the name of. There is also a discount store which sells items pretty cheap. My problem with the dollar store is although it is a great place for kids to spend their own money on themselves and not spend a lot, the products are cheap. They break soon after they are purchased - less than a week usually. I think they are better for the younger set (toddlers and pre-schoolers). I do like buying greeting cards in there. Sure is better than paying $5 for one measly greeting card. I don't care for real dishes as they get chipped or broken so I like buying the plastic type plates and bowls you can get in the dollar stores, as well as their storage containers. I find you have to be careful with products like pens and pencils. They are cheap and don't last long, if at all.

There is one actual Dollar Store in my area~ this store where everything is 1 dollar. Then we have Family Dollar stores and Dollar General Stores. These are more like discount stores. I agree that you have to be careful with what you buy at these stores. Sometimes you can get a great deal, but other times you can get the same thing at Walmart for a better deal. I don't ever buy food from these stores, but I do buy cleaning supplies and laundry soaps.

I don't go to dollar stores too often. I certainly don't go to the dollar store and buy any food. That's just not my cup of tea. Really I just buy simple things like towels for my kitchen or something like that. I probably should go more often as you can find some decent things there, but I don't. WE don't have too many around me.

I have been a few times, but I do not shop there regulary. There just isn't a whole lot I need from there. I do like to go there for batteries and other electronical needs, they have some good deals on that stuff.

I try to stay away from dollar stores because it's too easy to get carried away and spend so much money. It's amazing how fast the items add up. I visit them at least once during the holidays though. I can usually find some nice items for those unexpected guests, so no one goes without a gift, not to mention teacher gifts.

I shop about once a week at a Dollar Tree down the block from where I live. They have a fairly decent selection of food, frozen, refrigerated, and canned goods, so I save a lot of money on groceries. I will try just one of an off-brand to see if it's any good, but they also have quite a few well-known brands from time to time. I also buy most of my paper goods and cleaning supplies there. It's a good idea to keep an eye on where food comes from, and the expiration dates. I recently bought a pack of cheese that was four months out of date. It looked okay, but I decided not to take a chance on it, and threw it away.

We have a couple. One is Dollar tree and I just love it. I buy tons of stuff there to make crafty items out of. We also have family dollar but thing's aren't really a dollar there so I don't know if it counts. You are right. You have to watch some of the stuff and I ususally don't buy groceries there. But paper plates....napkins....and candles etc. I love the dollar store.

the amazing thing is sometimes, i buy something from the dollar store (it's called the 1.99 store here cos of exchange rate differences i guess) and it's more expensive than the price it's being sold at outside in a normal sundry store. this has happened with laundry bags that are meant to contain delicates in the washing machine. but of course there are quite a few good buys too. just have to know which they are!