How To Find the Best Deals At the Dollar Store

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Not everything at the dollar store is a bargain, or even safe to use. Learn to spot the difference between an item that's cheap, and a cheap item.

To complete this How-To you will need:

Attentiveness
Pricing knowledge
Safety guidelines

Step 1: Make sure the item really is just $1. Some so-called dollar stores sell items for a lot more as well, which you may not realize until you get home and look at your receipt. And don't assume every item is a bargain: Some dollar store merchandise costs less in a regular shop.

Step 2: Check out the groceries. The best deals include packaged snacks, pasta and rice, canned vegetables, and other nonperishables you'd normally buy in a supermarket.

Tip: Check the expiration dates on food items. Though they likely are safe beyond that date, they might not be as flavorful.

Step 3: Pick up household tools and gadgets, from spatulas to screwdrivers. A recent consumer study found they're mostly the same items you find in retail giants, but can cost up to 95 percent less.

Step 4: Pick up some shampoo. Studies have found the cheap brands work as well as the pricey ones.

Step 5: Stock up on party goods, including wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, gift bags, paper plates and cups, and balloons.

Step 6: Buy your vitamins elsewhere. A test of a random sample of dollar-store brand vitamins found they often either didn't contain what they claimed or didn't dissolve properly.

Step 7: Leave behind the batteries and extension cords. The ones at the dollar store are usually made of carbon zinc, not alkaline, which means they'll burn out faster. And one consumer group rated the extension cords of such bad quality as to be downright dangerous.

Step 8: Don't even think about buying plastic toys or toothpaste in a dollar store. The toys often break easily and some may contain lead, and the Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning after finding toxins in some off-brand toothpastes.

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Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• HomeFamily
• house
• home
• finding
• bargains
• deals
• dollar
• 99
• cent
• store

[TatiSsj2]

U know ur poor if u use coupons at a dollar store

[gamer00341]

how to be a cheapo

[ledhit]

hi im trying to help people make some money. check out my page and join my varolo village it is free to do and only takes 10 to 15mins a day to do

[Zumehh27]

For a second there I thought they used the Smosh logo.

I was like "Oh no she didn't!".

[TheDudecof]

Finding deals at a fucking dollar store...THATS when you know that your cheap...

[100computerkid]

@TatiSsj2 XXXXDDDD omg thats so funny XD

[Marcinda123]

step one: look at the price tag

[auntbecky]

shampoo is actually one of those items that can be cheaper in the regular stores.

[mztweety1374]

i love dollar general!

[junkyturd]

TOOLS!? Fuck no! if you only want them to last for one use because they do break easy