Dollar Store Bargains

When I was a child I hated going to the dollar store. My mother and my grandmother would always take me and spend hours looking at junk. I absolutely hated it, and yet now I completely understand why. There are so many things that I have bought at the dollar store for a fraction of the price that I would at a department store. My husband told me once "I think you're the only person I know who can spend $100 at the dollar store so easily". Well, if I had spent that much somewhere else, I am sure that I would have only got about 25% of what was in my cart. Here is my list of great dollar store bargains:

1. Spices

I use spices in everything, even simple things. The dollar store is a great place to get spices. If you go to the grocery store you're bound to spend around $4.00 just for a spice. Even pepper and salt cost over a dollar! Most of my spice collection has been accumulated from dollar stores, and big lots. Do they work good? Yes! Its not as though they're cheap or any worse off then what I'd buy somewhere else. This is one of my favorite dollar store bargains

2. Organization/Baskets

My entire kitchen is organized from with bins from the dollar store. I have my baking supplies in one, a bin for bread, a bin for spices, as well as canned goods ect. I love them. After I rid myself of shelving doors (I was very inspired by open shelving) I had to do something about the clutter. This really helps with organizing my shelves and is far cheaper then if I bought them elsewhere.

3. Candy

My husband is a fat kid. Actually, hes very fit, but he loves candy. When I was sending boxes to him in Afghanistan I always bought mass candy from the dollar store. When you're in a war zone I guess, there is only one thing you're truly craving: junk food. Dollar stores always have a very in depth candy isle. I can personally thank them for allowing my husband to gain around 40lbs while he was away (it was muscle, but still).

4. Utensils

I think Utensils are very temporary, unless they're metal. However, I don't have the money right now to buy a really nice set of utensils. So, I got all mine from the dollar store. I don't even think that they're flimsy either! They work just as good as the ones that I got from target, for 3x the price. When we re-did the kitchen I through away almost all of my utensils, as I wanted everything to match. I then in turn spent around $20 to buy new ones. Where? yup you guess it! At the dollar store.

5. Tupperware

When I say Tupperware I mean the disposable kind. That stuff that you can use a few times, but eventually need to throw away. These are good for giving left foodie gifts to friends, or sending someone home with left overs. They really come in handy, and I buy mine at the dollar store. Typically they come in packs of around 3-4, and of course-- they're a dollar.

6. Vitamins/Sleep Aid

I suffer from insomnia, and the best over the counter sleep aid I have found was at the dollar store. It was a mixture of Valerian Root and Melatonin. I think the bottle only had around 10 pills, but it was great! I continue to make trips to my local dollar store just to snag this stuff, because it really works well for me. I also have purchased bottles of Vitamin C, and other vitamins as well. You don't get as much, but it beats spending $7.00+ at your local pharmacy.

7. Soap

I have actually found some great soap at the dollar store as well. Not really body wash, I am kind of selective about that. But its great for soap in the bathroom, and kitchen. I always buy my dish soap at the dollar store, as I go through this stuff so quickly. Its funny when people tell me that the soap in my bathroom smells "So good!" and ask where I got it from. When I tell them the dollar store they always are surprised.

8. Cleaning supplies

Hi, my name is Lydia, and I am addicted to febreeze. No, really though, I am. I have two dogs, so I am constantly in need of refreshing my carpet after vacuuming. I buy this stuff in bulk from the dollar store. Its not febreeze, its an off brand, but a huge bottle of it is only a dollar and works just as well!

Well, these are the things that I buy monthly from the dollar store. With my husband getting out of the army soon, and us living on unemployment-- I've really been searching for ways to cut the bills lately. I think dollar stores are a great place to get things for the house. Personally, I'm not picky. I've never been a name brand girl, so I don't care where it comes from, as long as it works. The Dollar store is a great place to save some extra money each month.