What to Buy/What Not to Buy at the Dollar Store

The Dollar Store

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Have you ever walked into the dollar store and wondered what would be left over if you took out all of the items that are barely worth a penny, let alone a dollar?

You aren’t alone!

The truth is, the dollar store can be a fabulous resource if you know what’s a steal and what’s a rip off.

Learn more about saving money and getting GREAT deals here. 

Rachel from Holy Craft has a GREAT article on what you should buy and what you shouldn’t  at the dollar store and I have to say I agree with her entire list whole heartedly!

Especially the pregnancy tests. I found out about both of my beautiful children using a dollar store pregnancy test (dollar tree to be specific) and I find them VERY reliable. Not just reliable “for a dollar store” but reliable. Period.

Also keep in mind that not every store that claims to be “the dollar store” actually sells everything for a dollar. Most of the time, I find these stores to be overpriced and very low quality!

If you want to do it right, be sure you are going to THE Dollar Store. Some true dollar stores around us are:

  • Everything is $.99
  • Dollar Tree

Head on over and check out what you should be buying at the dollar store!

Photo Credit: Holy Craft

What do you buy at the Dollar Store?

Published by

Heather

Heather is the creator and owner of Family Friendly Frugality. She calls Texas home and is married to her best friend. With 2 children 22 months apart, she has her hands full. So full that she decided to start blogging as a hobby. That hobby blew up into a full time job. Now she's got the husband, the kids and the blog. We're not exactly sure what she was thinking, but she's too busy for us to ask. Find Me On Google +

16 thoughts on “What to Buy/What Not to Buy at the Dollar Store”

  1. Have to agree completely about the pregnancy test. My friends laugh at me, but I’m the one who save the 17 dollars on *one* test of the other kinds.

  2. That’s how I found out about my daughter & it was night for me as a joke. Surprise! Surprise! that plus sign showed up so fast

  3. I love the Dollar Store! I like to get gift bags/wrapping paper from there, along with coloring books, etc. I have to be careful though because I go in for one thing and come out with several (but I don’t feel too bad since everything is $1!) My favorite Dollar Store is in Texas called King Dollar. They have some great stuff!

  4. Heather,

    Mother of 6 here! I’m a big FAN of Dollar Tree. Dollar Tree pregnancy tests were used on my last 4 children. I don’t recall seeing these in 1995 or 1996 when I conceived my 2 older children at the 99 cent store.

    I’d like to mention that I have been purchasing (for a year) the generic (Zyrtec) allergy relief. It works very well for me, and a 14 count box is a steal for a $1.00! A 14 count box of Zyrtec retails for $11 at Wal-Mart.

    When my husband was real congested from a cold; Dollar Tree had a 15 count bottle of generic Mucinex (that stuff is expensive) for just a buck. It worked like a charm on him.

    1. Very interesting! I have not tried any of the dollar store medications to be honest. Thanks for the endorsement! That’s great to hear. OTC meds can get pretty pricey!

    2. Your comment made me giggle. It sounds like you conceived your babies while at the 99¢ store! 😉 I know that’s not what you are saying, but it gave me a good laugh that I needed today. 😉

      I’ve not seen most of the meds you’re referring to at my dollar store. They might just carry them in limited areas or something, but I’d love to find allergy (not benadryl) pills cheap since I take them daily! I’ll have to look harder next time though! At the very least, aspirin and acetaminophen are typically all the same whether you buy generic or not and even the generics aren’t cheap!

  5. I love the Dollar Tree! We buy a lot of things there: wrapping & tissue paper, school supplies, hair color occasionally, those little folded wash cloths that you put in water and they “grow”, stocking stuffers for Christmas, socks, detangler spray for my daughters’ hair, baby wash cloths (perfect for using as cloth wipes for cloth diapering! at 4 for $1 can’t beat that!). I’m planning to head over there this weekend in hopes of finding some colorful tee shirts I can cut and use the fabric to make dresses for my girls. Cheaper than buying the fabric 🙂

  6. I also got laughed at for using a Dollar Tree pregnancy test, but I found them to be completely reliable!! Why pay more??

  7. I love how you all rave about those pregnancy tests!
    When I was looking to buy a test I actually looked online for reviews before I wasted the big bucks. The Dollar Tree test actually had tons of positive reviews and the higher end generic had tons of negative reviews!
    Besides, if, by some slim chance, the test doesn’t work, you don’t feel so bad about having spent $1and tax on it. I’d be furious if I bought a higher end test that was faulty though!

    I’ve used the Dollar Tree tests twice and never had to wait the three minutes to read it. It came up clearly almost instantly. I’d definitely recommend them to any woman! I’m glad to see I’m not alone!

    1. I agree! I actually bought a digital once that was faulty. I was ticked! That’s a lot of money down the drain. I’ve never had a bum dollar tree test though 😉

  8. Odd woman out… I do NOT trust the Dollar Tree tests. With my second, I was several days late and still getting negatives. Stark white. I knew something was up, so I bought a First Response. I came home and took the test. It immediately showed a very strong positive. The $ store wasn’t registering anything and I must have wasted a good $10 on those tests.
    I DO go there for brooms, gift bags, button batteries (kids LOVE Hexbugs and those things eat batteries!), bread (name brand that other stores sell for $3), spray bottles, holiday decorations, and coloring books.

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