20 Things You Should Buy at the Dollar Store (and 10 You Shouldn’t)

Is there a bargain you could appreciate more on a daily basis? We don’t think so. Coffee should be at the top of the food pyramid. Anyway, coffee filters are an essential item for any office or home. Make sure you get yours at the dollar store.

Bobby pins, headbands, combs, brushes … all here at a bargain price.

These buckets are always handy; be they for cleaning, washing your car, carrying something…

You simply can’t be the dollar store price of these items.

You know the heart of the message you’ll write is the same no matter how expensive the card looks, right? Stop spending $5 or more on a single card when you could buy at least 5 for the same price there.

Are you crafty? Buy basic picture frames at the dollar store and improve them with a little paint or decorations.

The dollar store’s socks can be as good as the department’s store.

Get your tablecloths, paper plates, cups, straws, balloons, streamers and favours from the dollar store and save big. By some estimates, you could save up to 70% by doing so.

Drugstore tests can set you back $10 to $15, but you can find them at some dollar stores for only $1. You might think they would be less reliable, but no, they are as reliable as the more expensive options.

Buy your vase and bowls here, they have a number of styles, sizes and prices that can’t be beaten.

You’ve got deals such as 4 for $1, or an extra durable container for $1, compared to other stores, where you can easily buy 1 container for more than $5.

They will be cheaper here than at the grocery store, especially when it comes to Halloween candies.

Notebooks can easily make you go over budget if you shop at a superstore, where they are often between $5 and $10. Buy them at your dollar store and you won’t exceed your budget.

Here’s a place where you and please your inner organization freak as much as you want and buy containers for cheap in a wide variety of sizes, colours and prices.

Like vases and bowls, mugs and glasses are a good dollar store buy. Also, you can normally buy only what you need, as opposed to being forced to buy a set.

The dollar store can have a surprising selection of robust decorations, from Santas to scarecrows and Easter bunnies to your typical Canada Day decorations (or 4th of July, hello there southern neighbours).

Dishes here are simple and serviceable pieces. They’re just perfect for those on a tight budget, students or young parents with clumsy children.

We’ve arrived at an age where we start giving one about the environment, so do your part and get yourself a bunch of polyester totes at the dollar store to use them instead of plastic bags wherever you go. The Earth says thank you, and your future great-grandchildren too!

A simple pair of reading glasses is perfect as we age. No need to spend hundreds of dollars on a pair when we can get what we need here.

Let’s be real: your wrapping paper and probably gift bag too will end up in the trash. Why pay more than the dollar store price for that?

You will find many branded items in your local dollar store, such as deodorant and antiperspirant. But before you buy, check the size first. Often, a larger version is available for not much more at the pharmacy, which means it is a better value.

Dollar store toys are great if they are not going to be used much, but they will not resist regular use. Be careful with toys for toddlers, as some parts can come loose and become a choking hazard.

Cheap tools are perfect for emergency or if you only use them a few times, but if you want tools that will last for years, you’d better invest a little more to buy good quality.

Batteries in a dollar store can be poorly manufactured and empty quickly. Some do not have modern formulations and will let you down, or worse: they will leak. When it comes to batteries, choose brand names you can trust.

If you need knives that won’t be of much use to you (say for these camping trips twice a year), then go ahead. But if you plan to cook seriously, save yourself a lot of frustration and buy good knives.

For a dollar or two, headphones in dollar stores may seem like a good deal, but they usually sound very bad. You can get a good pair of headphones for 10-20$ at any major retailer or online.

If you are looking for cheap chargers for old cell phones and devices that don’t need a lot of energy, the USB chargers in the dollar store will work perfectly. But if you want to charge the latest smartphones and tablets, you may be disappointed. The charger may not have enough juice to charge your device or, if so, it will charge at a much slower rate.

The prices charged by some places for HDMI cables are indecent, so it is not surprising that you are tempted by the cheap variety of dollar stores. Yes, they are inexpensive, but they are also prone to breakage.

The best place for this type of cable is in online computer stores or websites like Amazon. You can always find a good deal and get the quality you deserve.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, some plastic utensils may contain chemicals related to health problems. Instead, they recommend buying more expensive stainless steel utensils.

Post-its that don’t stick. Leaking pens. But many other school supplies from dollar stores are very good, aren’t they? Yes, but the Las Vegas Review-Journal says you could find better offers in bulk quantities when big stores have sales.