What’s a Great Buy – and What’s Dangerous to Buy!

Dollar Store Deals: Which Ones Are Worth It?

This info is from an article posted this morning on one of my FAVORITE sites, LearnVest, and is full of some great tips to keep in mind when shopping at your local dollar store.

Every day I get new updates, filled with fun ideas, and today was one of my favorites I’ve read in awhile. I totally recommend signing up for their newsletter:

Delivered to you five days a week, the LearnVest Daily is packed with money-saving tips and financial how-tos to enrich your life.

There’s no better challenge than finding out how far your dollar can go.

What was once kitschy is now cool (the New York Times would agree), and more affluent consumers are getting in on the dollar store game. Since the recession, it’s been boom time for these stores, which specialize in imported, generic and knockoff consumer goods for prices that make Wal-Mart look like a luxury retailer.

But before you get bargain-hungry and sidle up to a shopping cart, you should know which are the best dollar-store deals—and which offerings can be low-quality, or even dangerous.

Here are some examples:

Deal: Everyday Cleaning Supplies – Go for it. Cleaners have similar—though somewhat diluted—ingredients. (Spring for heavy-duty cleaners for tougher jobs.) Also get rubber gloves, sponges and scrub brushes here.
No Deal: Vitamins – Stay away. Some multi-vitamins don’t have the amount of nutrients claimed on the label; others don’t dissolve fast enough to be absorbed by the body.
It Depends: Food – Proceed with caution. Dollar stores don’t always have the lowest price, especially on generics, and cake and brownie mixes here come in misleadingly smaller packages. Lastly, keep an eye on the expiration dates, since they may be near or past their freshness date.

What do you think?

I was really surprised by how dangerous some of the items at the Dollar Store could be – and REALLY glad to have read this article, so I’ll think twice about some of the stuff I buy. Because, heck, I LOVE me some Dollar Store shopping!! I use it most for party supplies, and crafty stuff- you can get some amazing deals!

You can read the rest of the article, and find out what other items they consider a deal, or no deal, on theLearnVest site today.

I like to DIY my Dollar Store cheap-o’s into cooler stuff- decorate picture frames, put together a great centerpiece from an cheap mirror and candles, and you cannot beat their prices for gift bags and cards! What are your favorite Dollar Store buys– and what do you think of the items on LearnVest’s “No Deal” dangerous list?

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