Dollar stores – don’t you just love them!?!?!? Well even if you don’t, I do! (Even though things aren’t really a dollar anymore I’m still going to refer to them as dollar stores.) Whenever I’m in a neighborhood that I don’t frequent very often and I see a dollar store (and I have time) I will stop in and browse. And when I refer to dollar stores I generally mean Dollar Tree because I have found that Dollar Trees have the best selections and store layout. Also, I have found that not all dollar stores carry the same items.
I was a little shocked when the Dollar Tree raised their prices from $1.00 to $1.25. They completely skipped every other incremental price in between and went straight to a 25% markup!
I was initially going to put together a top ten list but I had trouble deciding which ten of the many great things that I have purchased at the dollar store. So my list of items is made of up my favorite things that immediately come to mind. I reserve the right to change these favorite items at any time – because it is my blog and I can do that.
My favorite items to get from a dollar store are (pretend you hear a drum roll):
Seeds or plant/flower bulbs – packets of seeds are 4 for one dollar or a ($1.25 now)! You have to get there in the Spring, as soon as they are put on display, as they typically sell out very quickly. I can have a garden of beans, peas, squash and tomatoes for less than five bucks every year. A few years ago I spent about $5 to $10 on flower bulbs and now I have a lovely garden filled with gladiolas so much so that I had to thin them and give away some of the bulbs. I have a friend who diligently begins his summer garden inside planting basil and zinnias indoors and when they’re big enough, he replants them in his garden.
Reading glasses – I have a pair in almost every room in my house; and when they break, because they do eventually break, I’m only out a dollar (well $1.25 now).
Bins and baskets – the bins/baskets come in all kinds of beautiful colors, shapes and sizes. I have them literally all over my house, organizing all kinds of stuff. The big green basket in the photo holds all of my opened bags of snacks. I just put the basket on top of the refrigerator (I have a small kitchen with limited cabinet space). I use them for organizing the shelves of home-improvement miscellaneous in my basement. When I open a box of protein or breakfast bars I dump the bars into a basket/bin and throw away the box. I even have one in the freezer holding all of my opened bags frozen veggies. Some of these baskets even make great little beds for my foster kittens!
Greeting cards – look beyond all of the cheaper looking greeting cards and you’ll find some lovely cards especially around certain times of the year like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduations. Some of them even have raised artwork and plastic packaging.
Pet food bowls – of course I had to slip something in here about cats. I have purchased many good quality plastic, ceramic and metal feeding bowls for my cats and foster cats and kittens. And many of the women in my foster groups also use similar bowls purchased at a dollar store.
Microfiber cloths – I love these cloths! I use a microfiber cloth to dust and clean. I use them as a substitute for napkins. I also keep one in the bathroom and use as my makeup washcloth so I don’t ruin my good washcloths. They are light and easy to travel with. I always throw one in my suitcase, just in case. I also keep one in my camera bag in case I need to clean dust or dirt off of my camera.
Make up and makeup brushes – and not the standard stock of LA Colors brand. I’ve never tried that makeup actually. More often than not you’ll find other brands like Wet n Wild, Elf, Hard Candy, Milani and NYX. I have purchased beautiful small pallets of Wet n Wild and NYX eyeshadows and medium sized pallets of Wet and Wild in natural tones. I’ve also purchased makeup brushes and eyebrow pencils. I ALWAYS check the makeup aisle when I am in a dollar store! Always! Because what woman doesn’t need more makeup (for $1.25)?
Bleach – did you know bleach is $3 to $4 for a half gallon at the supermarket? I’ve been buying bleach at the dollar store for years. I use bleach mainly for cleaning and sanitizing – floors, cat cages and cat traps. Occasionally I’ll use it for a load of whites that really need to get clean but it’s mostly for cleaning the basement and lots things associated with cats.
Parchment paper – I found this out the hard way. I did not even consider going the dollar store to purchase parchment paper. I ended up paying almost $4 for a roll of parchment paper from my local grocery store. Later I saw it at the dollar store. Of course I bought an additional roll to have – just in case.
Shower curtain liners – I prefer the clear liners which are a bit more difficult to find. The liners come in a variety of colors and some of them are even reinforced where the ring is attached.
Yes I do know there are many more wonderful things to get at a dollar store and it was a little difficult choosing my absolute favorites for this list. To entice you to return I will do another post with more of my dollar store favorites.