I love dollar stores. No, I mean I really love dollar stores. The lure of wonderful treasures for such a pittance is almost too much for me to resist. My idea of a fun afternoon is to just spend an hour or so browsing around and seeing what interesting things I can find. I’m lucky too, because there are a bunch of really nice dollar stores within a half hour drive from me. In Norwich there is the Dollar Tree as well as the locally owned Real Deals, in Binghamton/Johnson City/Vestal there are not only several Dollar Trees, but independently owned stores in the Mall, in the Northgate Plaza on upper front street, and next to Thrifty Shopper (a very nice thrift store by the way) also on upper front street. There are probably even more-but those are the ones that I know about and visit.
I have bought a lot of nice things in the various stores. The Dollar Tree national stores have Elixsure brand children’s ibuprophen and non-aspirin. They also have some really nice sweaters in the fall (I got-I kid you not-Jones of New York, Gap, Casual Corner and Eddie Bauer sweaters there this fall) They all have those Mylar party balloons and different colored and themed party plates, cups, forks and streamers-much cheaper than the party stores sell them for. Real Deals up in Norwich carries some very nice yarns and craft supplies, as well as socks, shoes and some kids clothing. They also now have a refridgerator section where I like to buy my packages of Armor brand pepperoni (for pizza night) and John Morrelli sausages. All the dollar stores have great things to decorate for the holidays, or to pick up as small gifts for friends. And if you are not making your own cleaning supplies, they have bargain prices on their own brands, as well as the occasional national brand. I buy all my zipper bags, cling wrap and aluminum foil at dollar stores, as well as bubble bath (which I use in my liquid soap dispensers).
So you may be wondering, what is the evil? The evil is that psychologically it is just too easy to pick up a lot of things that you don’t need because, after all, it’s just a dollar. I frequently go into a dollar store “just to look around” and wind up spending $30. Now I buy some neat stuff, and all of it is cheaper than if I bought it in a regular retail establishment, but the fact of the matter is that 90% of the stuff I buy I don’t really need. And if I don’t need it then it isn’t a savings, no matter how inexpensive the item is!
You really need to know your prices when you buy from dollar stores (which is where your price book can come in handy). Most of the Dollar Tree stores sell V05 shampoo for, of course, a dollar. What you need to know is that V05 can usually be purchased for about $.89 on sale in the local stores. So if you are buying it at the dollar store you are actually paying MORE. The same goes for many of the food items. I can get veggies for $.33 a can at Save-a-lot, why would I buy a can of veggies for a dollar (or even two for a dollar) at the dollar store?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you shouldn’t visit dollar stores-just that you need to be on your guard. Know the local prices of the items that you are looking at, and don’t succumb to temptation on items that you don’t really need. Recreational shopping is usually a waste of money, no matter how cheap the items you are buying are. Remember, if you don’t need it, then it isn’t really a bargain!
I love dollar stores, too! You really do have to know your prices, though, especially on food. Something that seems cheaper in a dollar store is actually cheaper in your local grocery if you use a coupon.