Top 7 Steals at the Dollar Store

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I love shopping the dollar store - Dollar General or Dollar Tree depending on where you live, but beware, not everything is a great deal there.  Here are the things that do drive me to the other side of town to get to there!

1. Cotton balls/Cotton Pads - Hands down, this is a great deal compared to CVS, Walgreens, and even Target.  You pay almost half what you  normally would elsewhere at regular price.  Dollar Store doesn't cheap out on anything less than 100% cotton on both of these items.  I love them for nail polish removal, astringent and toner application.

2. Aluminum Pans, Cookie Sheets:  Normally, I don't use dispoable roasting or lasagna pans at home.  But when I'm delivering food to those who are ill, families with new babies, or to a potluck, often times it's easier to prepare without the worry and inconvenience (for you and the recipient!) of having to retrieve your prized dishes. I've seen similar pans at Target that cost $2.49 for only one.  Here, of course, you'll get it for $1.

3.  School Supplies: There is an amazing aisle of stickers, workbooks, wall borders, charts, ABC helps, tracing pages, and other workbooks that are an incredible deal compared to stores like Lakeshore Learning and of course, my favorite comparison discount store, Target.  Perfect for the Sunday School Teacher, homeschooler, and for classroom moms helping teachers.  I've personally purchased alot of the coloring and workbooks, stickers, and charts for my Sunday School students.

4. Hand Sanitizer:  Hand sanitizers are all made from the same basic ingredients the primary active ingredient being alcohol.  The dollar store often carries 10 or 16 ounce containers for about $1 which is less for more than your local Walmart or Target.

5. Gift Bags/Paper Tissue: Did you know you can get gift bags ranging from small to big enough to fit a bike at the dollar store, for only...a dollar?!  They have a variety of solid, and printed for all occassions - birthdays, weddings, and babies!  I always stock up on gift bags here, because it's so inexpensive and use them throughout the year.  I save time and energy using those compared to wrapping paper.  Again, compared to Target's own brand of gift bags that usually start with the smallest at $1.99 and move up from there depending on size and design.    Their tissue paper is also substantially cheaper for the amount in the package.  We use it for crafts, and of course, for packaging gifts.

6.  Cards and Balloons:  Did you know that many dollar stores sell and blow helium balloons?  The latex balloons are often less than a dollar, around .$69 each, and the mylar balloons are what cost $1.00!  What an inexpensive way to dress up a party or a gift you are giving to a child.  Cards, gift bags, and tissue paper are things that get thrown out once the gift is opened.  Those are the areas where you can really save your  money, or put more towards the gift itself.

7.  Pregnancy Tests:  I hesitate to mention this because it just sounds strange, but most dollar stores carry pregnancy tests.  I didn't find this out until I was already pregnant with my youngest, but I could have saved so much money using these.  Many people have reported them to be very reliable, and ones from Target cost 7 times as much per test.  This is helpful for those who are trying to conceive and go through many tests through the process.

And there it is!  The top items to buy and look for at your dollar store.  Next post I will talk about what to look out for and avoid at the dollar store...