Top 10 Dollar Store Buys
We checked the Naples Dollar Tree to find bargains and came up with 10 items we think are well worth buying. Check out our suggestions for saving big bucks on everyday items.
1. Storage Containers. You know you're going to end up losing the lid anyway, why not buy the inexpensive $1.00 version and save yourself the grief? I found a variety of sizes at the Naples Dollar Tree (Carillon Plaza, 5060 Airport Pulling Road North, Naples). They may not be as fancy as Tupperware, but they work just fine for leftovers and the bonus is that I don't care if I leave one behind at a potluck.
2. Cards, Gift Bags and Wrapping Paper. Yes, a lot of the cards are cheesy and dated but I found a few simple birthday and thank you cards that I'll use. Gift bags and wrapping paper were a real find. Solid colored bags can be decorated for every holiday and the wrapping paper was a good quality and cheap enough to make stocking up worthwhile.
3. Party Supplies. I found streamers in a variety of colors in double packages. The streamers are perfect for decorating events the magazine hosts or your child's birthday party. Packages of balloons, colored paper plates and plastic tablecloths (in tons of solid colors) were another find. Buy a centerpiece or one piece of tableware in your theme from a more expensive source and then fill in the rest with cheap solids to match.
4. Coloring books and Children's Books. I've seen hundreds of coloring books in a bin at Dollar Tree. Kids go through them like water so why pay big prices for them when you can get a handful here for the price of one? They also make great favors at birthday parties. Or package a few of them with a box of Crayolas (skip the cheap crayons!) for an easy birthday gift for a preschooler.
5. Hair Supplies. I found a good selection of hair ties, barrettes, combs and brushes. If your kids are anything like mine, you know they lose all of this stuff all the time. For a few bucks you can stock up with enough extras for the car, gym bags and backpacks.
6. Cleaning Supplies. While the shelves were mostly filled with generic supplies, I also found a few name brand products including oven cleaner and dish soap at 1/3 of the retail price. The moral of the story is–if you see a name brand cleaning product, buy several, it most likely won't be there when you return. Another good buy is bleach, at $1.00 a bottle, it's less than half off of retail stores.
7. Pet Suplies. The Dollar Store frisbees were too flimsy for my dog but I did find rawhide chews, tug toys, collars and a cute water dish. The pet section wasn't too large but there were some cute toys for smaller dogs.
8. Movie Theatre Candy. Why pay $4 for a box when you can find the same size boxes at Dollar Tree for a buck? I bought a box of Dots to munch on during a recent movie and they tasted fine.
9. Cotton Pads and Rounds. Those big bags of cotton puffs are $2 and up at Target, buy them at Dollar Tree and the quality is the same for a lot less.
10. Miscellaneous Toiletries. Toothbrushes, floss, hand sanitizer (but smell it first!), baby powder, hydrogen peroxide, bandaids–all cheap and decent enough to make the savings worth a small trade off in quality.
And, finally, what not to buy: batteries. The AA batteries I bought were hit or miss, mostly miss. Buy name brand batteries and save yourself that headache.