Welcome back to another day of
Where I point out the things that are worth picking up (snag it) and mention the things you should just leave on the shelves.
If you missed the previous what not to buy posts, you can find them here:
We will be strolling the personal and food items today so grab your cup of coffee and make a list for your next trip!
Toothbrushes: Snag it
That is, if you don't get enough from your dentist.
Our family of five visits the dentist every 6 months, so we rarely have a shortage on toothbrushes, but several of my readers pointed out that this is where they stock up.
Electric Toothbrush: Snag it
I had no idea that the dollar store carried battery powered toothbrushes.
I can't rationalize the expense of buying my young kids sonicare toothbrushes, but they each have an electric toothbrush.
None of the kids has had a cavity since making the switch to electric toothbrushes two years ago (another reason we have a surplus of "regular" toothbrushes).
As a bonus, it comes with a battery, so that's even better!
Name Brand Toothpaste: Snag it
I usually shop the drug stores with coupons and can find toothpaste for next to nothing, but if you don't want to bother, $1 is a great deal on name brands from Crest and Colgate
Shaving cream: Snag it
My husband and I share shaving cream so this is a great buy for us.
It works just as good as the other brand names, especially for my husband who has sensitive skin.
Also, my kids love playing in the bathtub or shower with shaving cream.
Hours of fun for $1.
Soap Roses: Snag it
My 9 year old daughter loves bath "stuff"
It could be fizzies or special soaps, but these special soaps are her favorite.
They are fun in the tub and there are nearly a dozen of them so she doesn't mind sharing them with her brother
(oops...probably shouldn't have shared that bit of information!)
Bubble bath: Pass
Like most soaps or liquids in a large bottle at the dollar store, this bubble bath is so diluted that there aren't actually any bubbles.
Bandaids: Snag it
Pretty sure every kid goes through a phase where bandaids become fashion accessories.
These are cheap, and do the trick for most kid boo boos.
With all things at the dollar store, make sure you look at how many you are getting in each box to see if it's a good value or not.
We have several boxes of these bandaids and they do the trick even for big people boo boos.
They aren't necessarily water proof though, so if that's an issue, pass on these.
OTC medicines: Snag it
While I don't have much experience with this one of my readers does
I buy lots of medications there. (cold, flu, cough drops)
I'm no stranger to generic medications, so it's worth looking into.
Petroleum Jelly: Snag it
Several of you mentioned that this is something you pick up at the Dollar store.
We still have a jar of it from a few years ago, and it works great.
Rainbowcreek shared a recipe with me for some whipped lotion that sounds heavenly.
The Vitamin E lotion is not bad and I use a recipe for body cream that takes a bottle of Vitamin E lotion, a jar of petroleum jelly and any kind of lotion, whip it together with your mixer. It comes out looking like whipped cream and makes your skin feel so smooth.
Digital Thermometer: Snag it
We never seem to be able to find the digital thermometer when we need it, so these are worth having on hand.
I don't actually own one (however ours looks similar) but I did play around with one while I was in the store and it looked like it would do the trick.
Plastic storage containers: Snag it
First off, don't you just love this color?!
I don't think these are going to last long.
While these plastic storage containers are a bit small, they do hold up quite well.
I've had a darker blue version of the rectangle bin in our toy room and in my sons room for the past few years holding random toys. They have held up just as well as some of the other plastic bins I've bought for MUCH more.
Don't take my word on it...
I like to buy my plastic storage containers at the dollar store and laundry baskets. I have been using them for years with no trouble!
Kids Sunglasses: Snag it
My kids are constantly losing their sunglasses so for $1, this seems like an inexpensive option to protect their eyes.
Nightlight Lightbulbs: Snag it
There is nothing worse than the light in the nightlight burning out right after you have tucked a kiddo in and read them 23 bedtime stories.
We always have these on hand, just in case.
They last for years!
Watches: Pass
The batteries in these watches seem to know right when you walk out the door of the store.
They literally stop working as soon as you fork over your hard earned dollar.
There aren't many "electronics" that I will buy at the dollar store...well, probably none.
These are on my list of things to skip.
Dog Treats: Snag it
I know it's not recommended to give your dog rawhide, but once in awhile, I will pick these up for my golden retriever.
They last for about an hour (she's a chewer), and keep her busy if we have to leave her for the afternoon.
Dog Shampoo: Pass
I think my dog got dirtier after I used this on her.
It is a job just to wash our 75 pound pooch, so when I do it, I want to do it right.
This ain't right.
Hand Sanitizer: Snag it
Most school supply lists now have hand sanitizer on the lists.
It's a pretty basic "recipe" and seems to do the job.
Hand Sanitizer with lotion: ???
Because hand sanitizer is on the school supply list, the kids are using it like it's water
(literally, usually in place of hand washing, which is a bummer)
My daughter was coming home from second grade with chapped and cracked hands because the alcohol in the hand sanitizer was drying her hands out.
I haven't tried this yet, but I think it would be a nice alternative if you use hand sanitizer often.
Whales: Snag it
If you have a toddler in your life, you know that goldfish crackers are one of the four food groups.
Whales are good (cheddar knock off of goldfish crackers).
Sunflower Seeds: Snag it
Little League baseball season is upon us.
For the past 9 years we have been cheering our oldest son on in the stands.
Sunflower seeds are a staple of the game.
Foil Pans: Snag it
Lots of you commented on how you stock up on foil pans at the dollar store.
As you can see they have a HUGE selection and variation of sizes.
Cheap Soda: Pass
If you really need 2 liter soda it's usually on sale at your local grocery store for 79 cents.
"Honey": Pass
While the bear shaped bottle may fool you into thinking that this "honey" is just like what you would pick up in the grocery store, it's not.
Look closely...it's "honey flavored syrup".
Really? Honey flavored syrup? So it's just high fructose corn syrup with some flavoring and dye to make it look yellow.
Honey is a super food.
Pick up the real thing.
Sprinkles: Snag it
This size bottle at the grocery store can run you nearly $5.
It's coated sugar, you can't go wrong here.
Spices: Snag it
Our dollar store has quite a selection of spices and seasonings for much cheaper than you will find at the grocery store.
I pick up cinnamon and it looks like I'm not the only one.
I always go in there to snag gift bags, tissue peer and don't laugh, cinnamon. It is really expensive at name stores and I mix it with sugar for coffee anyway.
Canned Fish: Pass
Let me just start by saying, I wouldn't buy canned fish any where, let alone at the dollar store.
To me, it's like buying a hot dog at the gas station.
It just won't happen in my lifetime.
Canned Meat: Pass
I mentioned in my original post that you should skip the potted meat.
I had one or two of you that commented that I was wrong about the potted meat.
All due respect, I don't feel like I will ever be wrong about potted meat.
I had one or two of you that commented that I was wrong about the potted meat.
All due respect, I don't feel like I will ever be wrong about potted meat.
Sardines: Pass
I'm just trying to make my point that you should stay away from any "meat" or "fish" product at the dollar store.
Some things should just be bought fresh.
Shredded Cheese: Pass
At first glance you might think this is a good deal.
Shredded cheese for a buck...stock up, right? Wrong!
Just look at the label
"Pasteurized Process Topping"
It's not even real cheese.
Please do yourself a favor and buy real food.
You are worth it!
Steak or Pork: Pass
Let's try this one last time,
if you see meat at the dollar store, just pass it up.
Nothing in this "meat" is food that will fuel your body.
If you look at the fine print it says "contains up to 30% of a solution"
My stomach churns just thinking about what the "solution" could be.
I bought real fresh pork chops today at the grocery store for $1.99 a pound.
This "meat" is 3.5 ounces.
Is it really worth $4.50 a pound?
So what do you think?
Am I totally wrong about the canned/frozen/potted meat?
Did I miss something in the personal/food aisles that you normally pick up?
Stay tuned tomorrow for some of my general household items.
You won't believe what things you can pick up to save you money!
Love the list. Mine carries jelly bellies-way cheaper than Target too. Graham Crackers are a good deal too.
ReplyDeleteLove them again! Containers-Yes! One thing I found is butter pound cake! delish! great for eating alone or layering with fruit and pudding. Agree on the honey-found one that was made from rice?
ReplyDeleteWith the dog shampoo... I always shampoo my dog twice, once just never seems like enough. So I buy the dollar tree dog shampoo to use for the first lather, then use a name brand for the second. That way I'm not wasting gobs of extra expensive flea or oatmeal shampoo and my dog still smells great! :)
ReplyDelete