I totally use to be a Target girl and I love shopping at Walmart early in the morning. When it’s super busy…not so much. Tarjay as it’s fondly known can be a killer on your wallet though. I usually go in there intending to purchase a couple of items and end up spending one hundred bucks easily! Well times have changed and thankfully Target is a little farther from my house. My wallet is much happier! BUT right around the corner a dollar store! Oh I love dollar stores and same thing as with Target, you go in there needing a couple of things and next thing you know you’ve spent $25 bucks. However, I’ve found not everything is a good thing at the dollar store, but there are some things that are great bargains and you should consider shopping there for them.
#1 Party Decorations
If you’ve been to Party City, Target, Walmart, or any grocery store lately and to buy party decorations you know a gift bag alone can be over $5.00! Most Dollar stores have great gift accessories and decorations on hand for a fraction of the price. Cups, napkins, cutlery, table clothes, banners, table decorations, you name it. Some in solid colors and others in cute designs for kid and adult parties.
#2 Greeting Cards
I love sending cards for birthdays, well wishes and holidays of course, however buying four or more can cost you over twenty dollars. At the dollar store, they are only one buck a piece. What’s cool also is there great selection and even cards for each major holiday. One thing the cards at dollar stores aren’t very fancy, but when you’re buying them for kids who cares right. They usually care only about the presents anyway or what’s inside the card. If you’re looking for cards with all the bells and whistles, like sounds and things. They usually don’t sell those at the dollar store, however for your run of the mill stuff…score.
#3 Canned Goods
I don’t know about your family, but we use canned food almost every day. There is a great selection of veggies, pasta sauce, tuna and soups at the dollar store. I recently, bought a bunch of cans of chicken noodle soup. Usually at a store like Walmart it would cost me $1.58 a can. At the dollar store since they are only a buck, you can save fifty cents. I make sure to check the expiration dates and they are way into the future as they are supposed to be.
#4 Chewing Gum
My son loves to chew gum on and off the basketball court. A package of three of Extra or Eclipse gum usually costs me three dollars at a regular store. Again at the dollar store they cost me only $1 for a packages of three. Bubbles anyone!
#5 Books
I love reading and I’m not too fond of being on a set schedule when checking books out from the library. Also I’m afraid of damaging them when reading them in the bathtub (which I love to do) or just regular use. And while they are usually on sale for a couple of bucks off at Walmart, who wants to spend $25-35 bucks on a new book that you’ll read in a week or less. Dollar store books are great and they have a great selection of subjects to choose from. Please don’t think they must be all bad. You have to pick and choose and this time I was 1/3. If you are not creating a library, you can always sell the books back to a bookstore. I would suggest taking some time and reading a couple of pages so you don’t get a dud. Dollar stores are a great place to pick up children’s books too. If you are trying to build up your child’s library, I would suggest a Dollar store over Barnes & Noble. Also bundle up a five books and tie them up with a ribbon and dollar store toy as an accessory. Poof you’ve only spent six dollars for a birthday present for a kid.
So my favorite find this week a book is called “Bloom” by Kelle Hampton. It’s a memoir chronicling the joys of motherhood and the downtimes too. This writers world was rocked to a core when she found out upon delivery that her second daughter had Down syndrome. The book is beautifully written with lots of great pictures. It received a 4 out of 5 rating at Barnes & Noble and a 3.9 out of 5 Goodreads rating. With a MSRP of $24.99 getting this gem for $1 was an amazing deal! Love it!
By Eva B