Anyone else read the article in Family Circle's August issue on Dollar Stores? I thought it was pretty good. Fun seeing what the 3 staff members bought with $20. Now I can't wait to get by Dollar Tree. :whirly: Love it when magazines run articles on bargains & such. :tay:

no i didnt, but now im curious as to what the employees did purchase.

i worked at walgreens for five years and boy did i have prices and competitors prices memorized. i knew exactly what were deals and what were duds. im gonna have to pick up a copy of that issue.

Hi JanieD,
I actually read the article yesterday, and that's why I started looking on the web for sites like this that offer tips on frugal living (I just joined today). I too got the itchy bug to go to my local $.99 store and BigLots.

I saw that article! I loved it! I love the Dollar Tree!

I wish we had dollar stores here!! :(

I love the dollar stores...my favs are Dollar Tree and Family Dollar.

I love Dollar Tree and Dollar General -BUT be careful because not everything at Dollar Tree would cost a dollar somewhere else. Canned veggies, for example, can often be found at less than $1.00 per can. Still, most items are quite the deal there, and also at Dollar General. Family Dollar also has some great deals, as does Big Lots. I'm not aware of any others in this geographic area, but please educate us if there are more we should look for.

I will have to pick up the magazine...I know that Dollar General was $.95 cheaper today on a gal. of 2% milk than Walmart...

I have noticed though that many items are priced a lot higher at dollar stores than places like walmart, etc. Also the toothpaste scare made me back off a bit from them

last yr when i was still living with merrick's dad we had a dollar tree near us. i would walk down there and get 2 (24 oz) bottles of shasta (i think thats what it was called) for $1.11 and here at my mom's we have a family dollar store that i walk to and get 2 store brand 2 liters for $1.49.

When ever I think of the dollar store I always think of the Love Connection. They once had a frugal guy who took his date on a shopping spree at the dollar store. She spent about 60 dollars. That will stick in my head forever.

Katy

Wow... what a dream date for frugal girls like us! :laugh:

I agree not everything is a good buy, but I love seeing whats new! Love the scrapbook supplies, kids stickers, seasonal items, gift tissue/bags/wrap, housewares (containers, kitchen gadgets), candle holders, small toys & cleaning stuff (cold water wash, liquid hand soap, softscrub). Its a good idea to compare prices before you buy... some items are smaller (less oz or sq ft). I still haven't stopped at Dollar Tree, but maybe I'll treat myself this weekend! Would love to hear what everyone finds on their next Dollar Store shopping spree!

I buy our shower cleaner there. I hate their sprayer, so I just saved my nice sprayer from the expensive shower cleaner and reused it. If I can't get a better deal on dust spray, I buy it there as well. Zipper bags are USUALLY the cheapest there (keep an eye on Walgreens--they run a better deal occasionally!).

I just bought this magazine today and when I read the article, I thought about you guys... lol

I just signed up at Frugal Village and saw your post about the Dollar Store article in Family Circle. I realized that I had the magazine out in my car and hadn't read it yet! (I got a subscription to FC and Better Homes and Garden for 5 dollars each at Christmastime)

It was a very good article! The only thing I disagreed with was getting school supplies there. If you stock up now through the beginning of the school, you will save so much more over the dollar stores! I got three 12-packs of pencils, pencil holders, pocket folders and pencil sharpeners for a penny apiece at Staples on Tuesday! They had glue for 9 cents and hard plastic
3-ring binders 3/99 cents. Walmart and the other big stores always have wonderful sales for back to school too.

I have a family-owned dollar store right around the corner from me and I get scrapbooking supplies there, household gadgets (I just got my first clothesline and clothes pins there last week!) dishwasher powder, bubble bath for the kids, and holiday decorations. I love it.

I am a Dollar Tree groupie. I have one about 2 minutes away from my house. I have gotten some great stuff from there. My dd#3's birthday was last month and I got all the goodie bags from there. For 16 goodie bags filled to the brim with stuff it only cost me $35.00. I get most of the kids school supplies there also. I just bought 4 5-subject notebooks there at $1 a piece. In Walmart they were 3.99 a piece. The $ store really helps when you are on a budget.

I love Dollar Tree and Dollar General. I worked for Dollar General once. I've gotten some great markdown buys there, because they would let us hold what we wanted to buy before it went on the markdown rack. I can't do that where I am now, and if I'm working, I just miss them.

I used to buy a lot of stocking stuffers at Dollar Tree when the kids were small. It was really a lifesaver at Christmas and Birthdays. I buy almost all my cleaning stuff at Dollar General.

You do have to be careful at the Dollar Tree, for instance, at one time (not anymore), you could buy Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce for $.89 at the grocery, and it was $1 at DT. Still, I find some really good buys there, and in Big Lots. I buy almost all my herbal teas in Big Lots, or Walgreens. Walgreens has the "Sleepytime" tea in the 40 ct. boxes right now for $3. They're almost $3 for 20 at the grocery.

I went to Dollar Tree yesterday! I got some educational flash cards, several pre-k workbooks (one of which is the exact same one I paid 3.99 for at Rite Aid a few months ago), and a new shower curtain liner (usually I pay 2.50 at Target for these once or twice a year).

Definitely deals to be had there. I stay away from HBA, partially due to the toothpaste scare, and partially because I already have so much that I got cheaper using rebates and coupons.

Luvtobfrugal aka frugal alaskin
Whats the stores you have in your area where u live? I know Alaska is big and beautiful by all the pics and the shows on t.v but I bet your grocery bill must play havoc . yikes!!! to ship the food out there.