Dollar Stores

 It's Christmas, but that is no reason to break your savings account down to precious nothings.

I have taken it upon myself to search for bargains since I have found myself making 50% of my regular income.  The US government kindly gave the state I live in money to help those who have exhausted their unemployment to keep them going.  I am thankful for the help.

So, dollar stores.  They are everywhere.  I'm not talking about stores that have the name "Dollar" in their title so much as stores where everything is a dollar.  These stores can be a total blessing in disguise.  If you have small children you can find all kinds of stocking stuffers and even the stocking for a dollar.  You can find cute little tins to fill full of fudge and cookies for your grandkids or your own children.  Don't have any decorations?  The dollar stores have all you could ever wish for.

I went into a local dollar store and saw beautiful glass stemwear, clear glass with white snowflakes on them, for a dollar each.  They had festive plates, they had napkins, table cloths, and all the decorations you could dream of.  Each for a dollar.

If you want to help your children to purchase gifts for each other the very same dollar store is a great place to visit.  Give your little one ten dollars and they can go crazy getting their siblings or their cousins pretty gifts, or fun little toys to put under the tree.  No money for wrapping paper?  No worries,  The dollar store also sells bows, tape, ribbons, paper, tissue paper and gift bags and boxes.  It is the best thing since any kind of bread at all! 

I so recommend that you visit a dollar store.  They are not full of the same junk, although you can find junk in the stores.  I found pretty beads I am using to crochet and knit into scarves and hats to give a colorful flair to the mundane.  They have candles with festive scents and candle holders.

Need a frame for the perfect gift photo?  Well, guess what?  You got it!  The dollar store has a full selection of frames for that very same dollar.

Get much of your gift shopping done for less than a hundred dollars.  Your wallet will thank you, your electric and gas bills will thank you because you'll be able to afford to pay them, and your family, friends, students will be grateful because you thought to give them something.

Go have a ball and explore the dollar store phenomenon.  It's not the same dollar store of twenty years ago.  These really do have good "stuff."