Frugal Friday!

Today for Frugal Friday, I thought I would do something different. In my teeny little hometown, there are only 4 “major” stores to shop at. Safeway, Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid, and the Dollar Tree.

The deal pickin’s tend to be slim. But… I have not lost hope. I went to the Dollar Tree yesterday looking for some must-haves for my classroom. I had a thought… I should make  Dollar Tree Top Ten Lists! There are some things I just love to get at the Dollar Tree and somethings that I just think are a waste of money– even if everything is only $1! So, I have provided my top ten favorite Dollar Tree purchases, and my list of the five worst possible Dollar Tree purchases.

Rachel’s Top Ten Best Dollar Tree Purchases:

10. Kid’s Books- One dollar is a pretty good price to pay for a good children’s book. Sometimes you can find some great little kid’s books at the Dollar Tree. Some have adorable Bible Stories, activity books, and Disney books! Make sure you read through the whole story to know if they story is complete and has a message you agree with. I noticed some Disney books last time I was there that had some pages mixed up.

9. Helium Balloons- Why pay 3-$8 for balloons at the grocery store or florist? They have really fun balloons at the Dollar Tree. I bought three heart balloons for Nate one year for Valentine’s Day and stood with them at the bus stop when he came home. He thought that was cute.

8. Candles- Great for baby shower/bridal shower prizes! I love the tea lights they have there as well; I think you get 20 for $1!

7. Food Storage- I don’t buy food containers anywhere else. You just can’t beat $1 for 2 or 3 food containers. We are constatnly losing ours at work, or the lids are missing. I like being able to replace them for just $1.

6. Gift bags- I often reuse gift bags, so I don’t need to purchase them very often. When I do, I either get a plain one at Wal-Mart for $0.50 and dress it up with my craft supplies, or if I don’t have time, I swing by the Dollar Tree. At my most recent trip, I was looking at their wedding bags, they have cute stuff! I know someone who spent $7 on a wedding bag at Target recently. Hmm… that’s a lot to spend on something that just holds your actual gift!

5. Craft Supplies- Glue sticks for my glue gun, glue guns, stickers, packages of 200 craft sticks, sewing needles, thread, foam board, adhesive, scrapbook paper and embellishments, mini albums, you name it! I’m picky when it comes to buying craft supplies. If you can tell it came from the Dollar Tree, I don’t buy it.

4. Kitchen Sponges- I hate spending money on sponges. As soon as they start to smell funky… I toss them. (Sorry landfills, but I just can’t stand it!) So, I buy the heavy duty sponges at the Dollar Tree that come in packages of 6. You can’t beat that price! Plus, I haven’t noticed a huge difference in the performance of these sponges verses others brands.

3. Seasonal Items- Again, I am picky here. The Dollar Tree can have some tacky stuff. I steer clear of that. I have found some great Halloween decor for my door that isn’t dark or evil looking, just fun. I also have found some great Christmas ornaments there. I love the little packages of snowflakes. I think they are 4/$1 which is cheaper than the 3/$1 I have seen at Wal-Mart. The great thing about the seasonal stuff at the Dollar Tree is that if you go after the holiday, everything is 50% off! I got some cute wrapping paper for next year that way! Just $0.50!

2. Movie Candy- My hubbie will go to the Dollar Tree for this purpose only. (I did mention in my earlier post that he has expensive taste!) But you can get the exact same candy that you’d spend $3.50 on at the theater for just $1 or even 2/$1 at the Dollar Tree! We always swing by the Dollar Tree on the way to the theater on our movie date days. (Thank goodness for big purses!)

1. My all time favorite Dollar Tree purchase… Q-tips! I bought a bag of 1000 Q-Tips for $1! It lasted us about 14 months. Cannot even beat that! They don’t always have those bags, so when they do, I snatch them!

Now for my Top Five Worst Possible Dollar Tree Purchases List:

5. Cleaners- Unless it’s a trusted name, I wouldn’t go there. I bought bleach there once that was terrible. It was in a smaller container too! I would buy store brand at Wal-Mart first before going to the Dollar Tree.

4. Toys- There is a difference between getting something cheap and getting something for a great deal. When I walk down the aisles at the Dollar Tree, I look for great deals. There are so many CHEAP toys there! Save your dollar and go to a yard sale– you’ll find a better deal.

3. Cards- Some people would say that cards for $1 is great. Want to know my secret? I buy the packages of 8 thank you cards at the dollar tree for $1 and make my own cards, and use their envelopes! (There cards tend to be ugly.) If you go to a craft store, you can buy packages of envelopes for $3-$5. Not me!

2. Wedding Favors– You can truly make your own for less. I did! If the packages just come in twos or fours and you’re expecting 100-200 people, that is a lot of money! I made 150 of mine  for about $25 with Hershey’s kisses, some fabric, ribbon, card stock and plastic spoons. They said “A spoon full of kisses from the Mr. and Mrs!”

1. The number one thing I think is a waste of money at the Dollar Tree is… FOOD! You can get food with larger quantities with coupons for less than $1 at grocery and drug stores. I see people in there all the time buying teeny little boxes of cereal for $1. I buy big boxes of cereal cereal for less than a dollar all the time! You’ve just got to work the coupons! By the way, Crystal at Money Saving Mom has a weekly Wal-Mart deals list. You can get Kashi cereal for free right now with a printable coupon and Honey Bunches Just Bunches for $0.64 right now too!

So, there you have it. Its easy to walk into the Dollar Tree and think, “Wow! I am saving so much money! I’m only spending $1 each! But you take your 20 items to the check out and realize, hmm… I just spent a nice little chunk of money!” Be careful what you get! Somethings you really can get stuff cheaper somewhere else. But don’t forget the Dollar Tree when you are hunting for affordable prices on other items such as craft supplies. And please, don’t buy the tacky stuff!

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