I used to laugh at the dollar store until I found out how much good stuff you can buy there. Here are some of the best.

Cleaners

I subscribe to Good Housekeeping Magazine. Now, I am by no means the best housekeeper ever, but there are a lot of interesting articles in there and they also love to test things. Their Research Institute found that some dollar store cleaners work just as well as some of the national brands. They may be a tad diluted so you may need to use a little more, but if it’s a dollar, who cares? Honorable mention goes to sponges and scrub brushes.


Gift Wrap

I hate wrapping gifts. I suck so bad at it, so when I get someone a present, chances are it’s going to go in a gift bag and be covered with tissue paper. Instead of dropping $5 or whatever it is for a character themed gift bag that looks good on the table and then will get shoved in a closet and end up rumpled and thrown away, buy a plain one at the dollar store. Large gift bags literally cost one dollar at the dollar store. Honorable mention goes to rolls of gift wrapping paper.


Greeting Cards

Greeting cards usually go hand in hand with the gift wrap and bags, so why not buy it all at the dollar store? Cards for any occasion are usually 50 cents. You can also buy boxes of generic holiday cards for cheap, too. The postage to send the cards will probably set you back more than the cards did. Honorable mention goes to plain white envelopes.


Decorations

Think about it: You buy decorations for a short season, whether it’s Easter in the spring time, red white and blue in the summer, Halloween in the fall and Christmas in the winter. Why spend a ton on items that are only going to be up for a few weeks to a month? Check out the dollar store for holiday themed items and you can save a bundle. I bought colored eggs and plastic grass for Easter and decorated my whole main floor for about five bucks. Tinsel and evergreen sprays look good through Christmas and into the winter season. I bought a few rolls of each, plus LED candles for the window and it cost about $10. Also, when you’re decorating for a party, don’t rule out the dollar store for party ware and decorations. Honorable mention goes to birthday candles.


Grooming Items

Did you know that a Mason Pearson hair brush can set you back over $100? For a brush! Of course, the quality is unmatched and your hair will feel the best it’s ever felt, won’t get yanked through the bristles and be soft and shiny, but that’s neither here nor there. National brand hair brushes, combs, picks, accessories and hair clips are all a waste of money. The dollar store sells paddle brushes, vented brushes, rat tail combs, plain combs, picks, accessories and clips for a dollar. Honorable mention goes to shampoo. If you’re not brand loyal, you can save a bundle.

What's Your Favorite Dollar Store Buy?

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