(Dollar Store) Deal or No Deal?

I shop the dollar stores all the time. My greatest finds include "Awesome" cleaner, its non-toxic and works just like the name says on everything, its somewhat concentrated too so you can dilute it to make it last longer. I also love to get scrapbooking supplies at dollar stores, stamps, die cutters, papers, embellishments, you name it and my local dollar store carries it. I save a ton in this category. We can also get helium balloons for parties, where other stores will charge you an arm and a leg for a bouquet of these floating treats, the dollar store carries them and fills them for you for a buck a piece. Sure you don't get as many choices, but who cares there's always something to make the kids happy. Paper products are usually a good buy as well, but not toilet paper, its almost always one ply and very small roles, its cheaper and last longer if I get mine from the grocery store. Oh, I could go on forever, but this is a general list of what I do buy, and I must say, I didn't know that about the vitamins and things, thanks for sharing!

You asked for deals that the dollar stores have. How about Dollar Tree's "Rip It" Sugar free energy drink? I believe it is around 16 fluid ounces and it's just a dollar. It actually tastes good. Another good deal is their fabric refresher, their shower mist (to prevent mildew), their candles, their gift bags, their sugar free candies (SweetnLow Brand), their toothpaste called "Natural White Sensitive". It is made in USA and the company's name is Loramead Brands, Inc their website is www.naturalwhite.com It supposed to be like Sensidine or Aquafresh Sensitive, but it just costs a dollar. That is a real discount because Sensidine costs nearly four dollars! Bad prices I found in Dollar Tree is some of their soap they will sell one or two bars (not speciality soap either) for a dollar. That's too much when you can buy a bigger size for less money per bar. Pablo

A lot of the snacks and foods I have seen at the Dollar Store were stale and outdated.

I love shopping at the dollar store. Except now you can't get much for a dollar. I avoid toothpaste and some cleaners but their flyspray is great....cheap, does the job and doesn't stink. I buy grocery lines at a fraction of the price but the choice is small but that's okay. I can get luscious choc coffee wafer treats for $1.50. And I've scored some good videos for $2. Office stationary is great too.

I usually buy a lot of my sons art stuff from dollar stores - mostly paper, paint, glue, scissors, stencils, crayons, chalk, and other artsy stuff. On occasion I buy envelopes and the occasional hair bands when I need them.

Yup , I agree with you. We need to be very careful with the medicinal items and food products sold in dollar stores. The items I find quite acceptable and certainly worth the price are stationary and metallic products.

Yes, Shopping at the dollar stores can be a Fun and great thing to do. Sometimes like you have said I have seen Food or other things there that I know are a bargain, and other times I have seen it cheaper elsewhere. We tend to sometimes get items that can be used as small gifts for people and such all of the time there, as when you spend only $1 on someone compared to $5-10 the savings can sure add up. So all I can recommend, is when a person decides to check out the Bargains at their local Dollar store they need to check Dates, and try to remember not everything is as good as what they might be elsewhere. But we found some Shower Gel one time at the Dollar tree that was some of the best we have ever had, and are out, and really miss that kind.

I always find my stocking stuffers and easter basket items at the dollar store. There are alot of good deals but then there are some that aren't so good too, like you mentioned. Although I didn't know about the vitamins, toothpaste, or the vinyl food containers. I will have to keep that in mind.

I love to buy there bath stuff like bubbke baths and shower gels. I also love their body sprays they are cheap and smell fairly good most the time.

Modestah, as frugal as I try to be there are things I would never by at dollar stores. Toys, because most of them do come from china and they are so cheap they break easily. Clothes, they never stand up to the washing machine. What I do buy are name brand items, laundry soap when on sale, Pyrex dishes and Christmas ornaments....Not lights. I was buying cat food, but then every bag they sold was on the list of tainted pet food. The dollar stores give us options.... we have to be smart shoppers and discern what is a good buy for us and what is not.

This is a great list to be aware of. Thank you. We take the kids to the dollar store and let them but small toys before we go camping. The toys get broken so fast when we take them out in the dirt so it is nice to have toys that we can throw away when they get beat up and still have our nice toys at home. The store by us also has a great supply of gift wrap.

we buy a lot of great scrap booking stuff at our local dollar stores and we also get some food (sometimes it is cheaper at the grocery stores, so you have to be careful of that!) but a no deal would be candles from the dollar store (i have heard some stories about them in regards to not melting properly and fires!)

I do like the dollar stores too..for artifical flowers etc...they are way cheaper then JoAnn's or Michaels. And they are just as pretty! I also get my napkins there....in the grocery store they can well be over two bucks for the same amount...it's that they are brand names.

I used to shop at the dollar store way more thando now. I couldn't go into a dollar store without spending at least $30. Then, I paid attention to the fact that a lot of things at the dollar store were not worth the dollar ... such as dish washing liquid (really Dawn is the best most long lasting, definitely not the dollar store brands), magic markers (which would be dried out before I ever even bought them), light bulbs (which will blow out so frequently that you'll remember the last time you changed the bulb.) Dollar Dreams was my fav dollar store until almost everything rose, in price, to over a dollar. Same thing with Family Dollar, its hardly a dollar store anymore. Generally, when you buy things at the dollar store, it's trial and error. But, it is fun to look at all the different things that have. It's kind of a cheap way to test a product in your home. Things that I do think are worth it are snacks such as certain bags of candy or trail mix. Instant coffee, also. You have to watch for really temporary items. I used to love to buy my Sobe from the dollar store where I could save over thirty cents. Books - for kids and grown ups. They had Tussy cream deodorant, for my sensitive underarms, which really works and retails for $2.29 at Walgreens.

I'm in school to become a early childhood teacher and have started using the dollar store for my teaching supplies. The Dollar Tree in general has some great flashcards with numbers, words, and some small games on them for a dollar. They also have workbooks with great teaching ideas in them. Some of the teaching materials they have are sold at stores like Walmart and big name bookstores for pretty expensive prices. I can get them all for a dollar.

small food items i've found to be a deal,ours has name brand spices and things like hamburger helper that would be more pricey elsewhere. i pass on the extension cords too-the ones ours sells..ah,no.i doubt they'd run a can opener safely. they look flimsy.