Do you really save money by shopping at dollar stores? Typically in a dollar store, such as Dollar Tree, everything inside costs just one dollar. This sounds so cheap, but is it really? The answer is yes and no but it all depends.
Dollar Tree stores began accepting manufacturer's coupons late in 2012 and that has made a huge difference in the savings at these stores. Since everything costs a dollar, coupons for that dollar off could result in free things. That is great, so long as you can find coupons for things you actually need. Dollar Tree has a website (http://www.dollartree.com) where there products are listed and you can build that shopping list before leaving the house and losing your resolve.
How many times have you heard stories of “I went in for two things and spend $50 at the dollar store?” It happens often where the shopper is tricked by the cheapness of each item, that they buy way more than what they came in for. This will cause you to not save money and can be cured by sticking to the shopping list.
Some items can be found in other stores cheaper and are not a good deal. One of them is Softsoap hand soap. The same exact product can be found on shelves at Wal-Mart for 97 cents. While the price difference isn't such a big deal that a shopper should choose it from one place or another, that shopper should know that it is not a savings by buying it at either place.
Toilet paper is another example of a bad buy. For $1 you will get either one large single-ply roll or a four pack of smaller rolls that will not last a day. It is better to shop for toilet paper at other stores, while combining an in-store coupon or sale with a manufacturer's coupon.
Great things to buy from at the Dollar Tree are party supplies. Recently, decorating for a little boy's birthday party with eight guests cost $12 including party favors. This included 8 of the following: hats, noisemakers, cups, plates, napkins and plastic utensils in a sports theme. If we had purchased a similar set at a place like Party City, the same amount of supplies would run well over $30.
Air fresheners are okay to buy from Dollar Tree but with caution. A recent find was Airwick air freshener. The exact same can retailed at Safeway for $1.59, making this a pretty decent savings and it worked as well as Febreeze.
In a nutshell, be alert and prepared. If you stick to the shopping list, use coupons and pay attention to what these costs in other stores, the Dollar Tree and stores like it are great places to save money and find great bargains. For a more extensive of dollar store dos and dont's, check out dollarstoredeals.net's list here: http://dollarstoredeals.net/what-to-buy-and-not-to-buy-from-the-dollar-s.... This page is a great resource for couponers to find deals at Dollar Tree as well as other dollar stores.
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