Five Tips for Shopping at the Dollar Stores

Published on December 9, 2007 by BC Doan in Shopping
Five Tips for Shopping at the Dollar Stores

Dollar Stores are a wonderful place to shop at. These five tips will help save your money.

Dollar Stores, Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree are popping up all over the country. They are in every city, and millions people prefer to shop at these stores. You can buy any item for a buck, from household supplies, to school supplies, to almost anything you usually buy at other stores.

However, not everything in the dollar stores worth a dollar. With that in mind, here are five tips for shopping at the dollar stores that can actually save you money.

  1. Keep a High Standard

    Just because it is a dollar, doesn’t mean it is cheap. Some worth the money you pay for, some don’t. If you go shopping with your kids, avoid giving in to his/her whine to purchase the toys. Usually, the toys will fall apart before you even get home.

  2. Be There on Time

    Keep your ears open to listen for when the merchandises will come. Try to shop on those days for new products in your favorite dollar store. You will be among the many first customers to pick your choices. If you make friends with an associate, you can ask her when the next shipment will be in.

  3. Go to Different Stores

    Different stores carry different merchandises. It is always wise to shop around. You can find quality storage containers, yarn, and kitchen supplies in different stores. Keep a sharp mind on what you find at different stores. I usually buy party helium balloons at one store since they have more selection, and party supplies at another store for the same reason.

  4. Compare Prices

    Not all dollar stores have the same prices. For example, in one store you can buy 2 Snicker chocolate bars for a dollar, while at others, it will cost you a dollar for one bar. Keeping track of what offering is the only way you can truly save your money.

  5. Stock Up

    If you see something you want, stock up on those items especially if they can be kept for a long time, such as yarn, party supplies, etc. You won’t find the same things when you come back the next day. People know their prices and the value in things they found at the dollar stores, so they do stock up.

These are five easy and simple tips to shop at the dollar stores. If you want to stretch you money, give these stores a try. You will be glad you find your little “gold mines” in this new trend to shop.

If you want more information on location, go to:

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26 Comments

Judy Sheldon-Walker, posted this comment on Dec 9th, 2007

You can save considerably by following these tips. Thanks, Icy.

Sandra L. Petersen, posted this comment on Dec 9th, 2007

We usually shop for items to put in Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes at the dollar stores. We can even get decent sized plastic shoeboxes to put the gifts in at those stores. Good article.

valli, posted this comment on Dec 9th, 2007

Well… although we dont have any “dollar store” as such here, we do have something similar.. and I guess these tips will work with those shops as well. Will follow these tips next time. Thanx!

Anne Lyken-Garner, posted this comment on Dec 9th, 2007

We have the pound (euro) shops in the UK and Ireland where everything is a pound (or euro). Good ideas and tips all round.

Dee Huff, posted this comment on Dec 9th, 2007

Good tips, Icy, especially the last one. Non perishables can keep for a long time, so it’s worth stocking up on those.

Liane Schmidt, posted this comment on Dec 9th, 2007

Great, unique article. I don’t really go to $1 stores, but it’s something to keep in mind if I do!

Best wishes.

Sincerely,

-Liane Schmidt.

IcyCucky, posted this comment on Dec 9th, 2007

Thank you for all the fantastic comments.

C A Johnson, posted this comment on Dec 9th, 2007

You did a great job on your article. I agree with everything you said because I love to shop at dollar stores.

Lucy Lockett, posted this comment on Dec 10th, 2007

I like hunting in these stores, you can find some genuine bargains.

quiet voice, posted this comment on Feb 7th, 2008

Hi there,
your tips are great, you are a
wealth of information, thanks.

scrapbook momma, posted this comment on Apr 14th, 2008

I love to purchase scrapbook items at the dollar stores where they are much cheaper than scrapbook stores.

bill, posted this comment on Apr 14th, 2008

There go American jobs. Everything I’ve ever seen in those stores (and most others too) is made in China. That’s life but still makes me sad.

cheryl, posted this comment on Apr 14th, 2008

I also go to Deals, which has a lot of dollar items, or less. Plus I get a lot of deals at the Walgreens drug store. I look on the internet for any and all bargains I can find!

jayne, posted this comment on Apr 14th, 2008

Careful. This writer lumped Dollar stores into 1 catagory. Dollar Tree offers merchandise for a dollar or less. The tips noted work well there, but Dollar General and Family Dollar carry the same merchandise on a regular basis and monthly specials. Usually the highest priced merchndise is around 30-50 dollars. It is like shopping in a mini wal-mart. They are neighborhood oriented and convenient to get to. To shop in any of these stores u have to know what the best prices are and shop around. I worked at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar for the last 15 years and advise my customers where the deals are.

jammer, posted this comment on Apr 14th, 2008

Just the fact that you shop at any one of these “S” holes, prove that you probably live in a trailer. Most of the items sold here are knock off, discontinued, 2nd rate garbage. I would rather eat a bullet than walk inside one of these places!!!

Jan5Cross, posted this comment on Apr 14th, 2008

Try 99 Cents Only. Everything there is 99 cents or less.
You do need to watch what you buy, though. You might find what appears to be a real bargain and find out later that the quantity has been adjusted so it will still be profitable. Example - paper towels are 99 cents per roll, but the rolls have half as many sheets.

SOMEONE'S MOM, posted this comment on Apr 14th, 2008

I AM A COLLEGE EDUCATED WOMAN, MY HUSBAND HAS AN IVY LEAGUE EDUCATION AND WE BOTH SHOP AT OUR LOCAL DOLLAR TREE. DOES THAT MAKE US TRAILER TRASH? NO, IT MAKES US VERY SMART. WHY SPEND OUR HARD EARNED DOLLARS ON DESIGNER BRANDS AND LINING THE POCKETS OF BIG BOX RETAIL STORE EXECUTIVES.

diane, posted this comment on Apr 14th, 2008

i shop at these stores when necessary. they have the best prices on basic items - shampoo, toothpaste, etc.+

Judy Sheldon, posted this comment on Apr 14th, 2008

Icy, we have all made a grammatical error here or there, and it is somewhat amusing that some of those who protest the loudest have errors in their comments.
Having worked at Family Dollar and General Dollar for over 5 years I am aware that many items there are more than $1.00, but the idea is to have 30 % or thereabouts of their inventory at $1.00 or less.
Anyone who doesn’t want to shop at a thriftier store is welcome to spend their hard earned dollars wherever they choose. We do live in a country that offers an abundance of places where one can spend their money. The Internet also offers an abundance of places to find information, so if they feel that this article is not what they are looking for, I am sure there are other places they can browse.
Personally, I think you did an excellent job of covering the topic. Keep up the good work.
We can be found daily, so we stand by what we believe. What rock are these commenters hiding under?

Judy Sheldon, posted this comment on Apr 14th, 2008

Icy, I forgot to mention that Dollar General pioneered the dollar store in 1985. They can find that information at DollarGeneral.com. It’s true that they added more inventory with a larger price range later.

shaun ashcroft, posted this comment on Apr 15th, 2008

Thanks Icy for your thoughts and ideas. Must be inflation or the cost of freight or the exchange rate but the shops in Aussie and NZ are two dollar shops! And as you and others say, if you target what you want, you can get some great bargains.

Miss WTF, posted this comment on Apr 15th, 2008

Love the dollar store, some posts here are so dumb though…like the one that focused on the posters spelling WHO CARES! I think the tips the poster provided were great tips.
Also the one that said about “Americans loosing jobs” another reason why Americans always complain but rarely are the ones tha won’t work the menial jobs that the “foreigners” will for the pay given….then they whine about loosing jobs to foreigners, but won’t take those jobs because the companies don’t offer good enough benefits, or the pay isn’t up to their “Standards”.
Get over the loss of jobs already, so if you won’t work the job let someone who will APPRECIATE it work it!
Get a hobby…complaining about “loss of jobs” isn’t one!

The other posts about the Family Dollar, Dollar General are very accurate though. Since they are not even close to what a true “Dollar Tree” store offers. Here in Wisconsin the Family Dollar stores do carry some products for only $1.00 but more items are well below what another store would offer, but not $1.00. I have personally never been into a Dollar General Store, but my Mother has…and was disappointed when she seen that they charged almost as much for their items as Walmart and/or Target does, sometimes more without their “coupons”.

ANDREA, posted this comment on Apr 15th, 2008

I FREAKIN LOVE THE DOLLAR TREE BEST STORE EVER SO SHUT THE F UP

kafir, posted this comment on Apr 17th, 2008

nice

John Dillon, posted this comment on Apr 17th, 2008

To those that bashed this poster,

You are all dumb, but want to be loud! You all look and sound stupid! Where is your comprehension? If you read and don’t understand, then don’t comment!

Anyone can click on the link and view it, only stupid idiots leave stupid comments since they don’t understand a word they are reading! Shame on you!

jhenz, posted this comment on Apr 17th, 2008

nice article! i am very critical in my budgeting and your article helps a lot!

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