15 Items TO BUY at Dollar Tree and 10 items NOT TO BUY at Dollar Tree
If you have a Dollar Tree nearby and are looking to get the most bang for your buck, you may be wondering what deals are really great buys and what things you should avoid wasting your money on.
To become a savvy Dollar Tree shopper, be sure to check out this list of things to buy or NOT to buy at your local Dollar Tree – where everything is priced at just $1 each (keep in mind that product inventory can vary greatly from store to store).
15 Items TO BUY at Dollar Tree:
1. Greeting Cards
Why pay $3 or $4 for a single greeting card when you can purchase an American Greetings card for just $1 each at the Dollar Tree (or possibly less if a coupon is available!)?! Consider stocking up on cards for upcoming events while you’re there.
2. Party Supplies
Shop for parties and special occasions at the Dollar Tree! You can snag a huge selection of various party supplies, wrapping paper, gift bags, tableware, and more for just $1 each, which is a huge discount compared to other retail stores that sell items for 4-5x the cost.
If you’re needing to decorate for a party, head to Dollar Tree where you can snag various Helium Balloons for just $1 each. Plus, you can select the empty balloons that you’d like and they’ll even fill them with FREE Helium after checkout so they’re full of air and ready to go!
3. Bread
Select stores offer name-brand packages of bread, bagels, and more for just $1 per loaf that normally sell for $2.50-$3 each at the grocery store. Keep in mind that these items may be nearing their expiration date within a few days or a week, so consider freezing or storing in the refrigerator.
4. Best-Selling Books & Movies
You may be able to find best-selling books (by authors such as Nicholas Sparks or Janet Evanovich) and even Blu-ray movies priced at just $1 each! These books retail sell for over $10-$12 at your local bookstore, so this is a great deal to snag if you’re needing new reading material.
You may even be able to find Blu-ray and DVD movies for just a buck each! Such a crazy price!
Also, a great deal to snag for the kiddos is on coloring books. They have a large selection of coloring books and various activity books – all for just $1! These would make great stocking stuffers and additions to birthday gifts…and a great way to keep the kids entertained in the car, at doctor’s visits, or on-the-go!
5. Reading Glasses
Keep your eyes peeled for prescription strength fashion reading glasses for just $1 per pair, which normally sell for several dollars at other stores. Glasses for a buck?! Seems like a bargain to me!
6. Spices
Planning to cook or bake or just want to refresh your spice collection? You may be able to find select spices or pepper grinders for just $1 each, which is a great deal compared to the expensive prices at the local grocery store. With the holidays quickly approaching, you may be able to head on over to your local Dollar Tree and snag baking spices on the cheap.
7. Hair Accessories
Shopping for a little girl or looking for inexpensive stocking stuffers? You can often find packs of hair clips, hair ties, and hair bows priced at just $1 each!
8. Cosmetics
Keep an eye out for name-brand cosmetics from brands like Maybelline, Milani, Soft Lips, Wet ‘n Wild, and more priced at just a buck! Pair these low prices with manufacturer’s coupons and you may even be able to score Free makeup!
9. Sunscreen
If you’re headed to the beach or pool, stock up on sunscreen for just $1 each at Dollar Tree. You may even be able find smaller bottles of the normally expensive sunscreen brands like Bullfrog (most likely only during seasonal months) for just $1 that sell for much more at the grocery store. And, rumor has it that these bottles work just the same as the normally expensive brands.
10. Pregnancy Tests
Why pay $8-$10 for a pregnancy test when you can find Pregnancy Tests for just $1 each at Dollar Tree!? And, rumor has it that these tests work just the same as other name-brand tests.
11. Cleaning Supplies
Select cleaning supplies found at Dollar Tree appear to work just the same as name-brand products. One product I’ve found that works great is a 2-pack of Quick Erasers pictured above (similar to the more expensive Magic Erasers)… and they’re just $1 per 2-count box!
12. Picture Frames
Decorate your house with picture frames from Dollar Tree! Similar picture frames may cost $5 or more at other stores and look just the same. Before purchasing, be sure to check that the hanging bracket or hook is securely attached.
13. Gardening Items
If you’re planning to do some yardwork, keep an eye out for packets of seeds for just 25¢ each (4 for $1). They also offer bags of mulch, seed starters, gardening tools and more – just $1 each!
14. Drinking Glasses/Mugs
I’ve spotted super cute drinking glasses, travel mugs, and coffee mugs for just $1 each that would also make great gift ideas for teachers or family members. Or, stock up a college dorm room with glassware or dishes for just $1 each.
15. Decorative Baskets
Browse around for decorative or storage baskets for just $1 each that may sell for several dollars at other stores. Also, look for seasonal baskets that would be perfect for making gift baskets or using for home decor!
To see the items NOT to buy at the Dollar Tree, click the link below “Read More / Post Your Comments”
10 Things NOT to Buy at Dollar Tree:
1. Toys
Steer clear of dollar toys as they are often cheap quality and may not meet safety standards.
2. Gum
Gum is often repackaged into smaller packs so you’re not getting as good of a deal as you could get at a grocery store or drugstore during a sale when paired with a coupon.
3. Paper Products
Cheaper is not always the best deal, especially when it comes to household items like toilet paper or paper towels. A four-pack of 1-ply toilet paper for $1 may seem good, but you can often get more for your money at other stores or even when shopping online.
4. Batteries
The battery life may not last as long as name-brand batteries, so you’re better off buying batteries elsewhere or waiting for a sale and using coupons.
5. School supplies
Although you can get smaller packs of pencils or pens for just $1 each, you can get better deals at Office Supplies, Target, or even drugstores during Back to School sales or when paired with coupons.
6. Tools
Don’t buy your tools at the Dollar Tree unless you’re only planning to use them a couple times as the quality is not that great. Consider investing in a more expensive tool set during a sale or around the holiday season.
7. Plastic Food containers
According to a recent study, the quality of these containers are very poor and may not be safe for using with food. Unless you’re planning to use these containers to store cleaning supplies or other non-food items, consider purchasing food containers elsewhere.
8. Soda
If you drink soda, skip past the Soda aisle as you can often get name-brand bottles of soda for much less when paired with a sale at grocery and big-box stores.
9. Pet food
Shop for your furry friends at a pet or grocery store as experts warn about the lack of quality standards with dollar-store pet food.
10. Kitchen Utensils
Although they may offer a variety of miscellaneous kitchen utensils for just $1 each, the quality of these items may not stand up to what you’d find in other retail stores for a few dollars more.
A few money-saving tips:
- Looks can be deceiving! Be sure to compare sizes and prices to what you’d normally pay at your local grocery store after coupons before deciding on purchasing. As you can see above, a 3-count package of size 4 Huggies diapers or a 6-load bottle of Tide Simply Clean & Fresh for $1 each may not end up being the best price per item/ounce.
- At Dollar Tree, you can use manufacturer’s coupons or occasional store coupons for increased savings! Plus, they accept coupons for over a dollar on multiple items as long as the coupon amount does not exceed the combined retail price of the items indicated. Be sure to print the store’s coupon policy and bring it with you while shopping.
- If you have issues using coupons at Dollar Tree, be sure to contact the Dollar Tree customer service by phone at 1-877-530-TREE or via the contact form here to share your positive and negative feedback.
Pet food is not safe to buy from dollar tree
What about whitening tooth paste and sodas
Or they safe to buy from dollar tree stores
One whitening toothpaste they sell is Colgate which is great! The whitening gel and pen I’ve used- nothing went wrong- I just never got results.
Actually, the soda is Shasta, a vertly old brand, and comes in a true quart. The Mrs. Freshleys snacks are as good as Little Debbie, but only 8 to a box, instead of a dozen. I bought kitchen utensils here, the sharp knives are flimsy, the manual can opener worked twice. Toilet brushes are flimsy
The toilet paper is 2-ply and a bigger roll than Angel Soft. I think the Brim’s popcorn is better than any microwave brand and that’s why it’s always sold out. The generic swiffer dusters and swiffer wet floor mops fit the regular swiffer attachments.
The brims popcorn is always sold out it’s my mom’s favorite
Thank you!
You are right
I have foundgood deals on some plastic items at dollar tree. I love the reading glasses. I have found cook books for a buck an flashlights that work great. Cause im on a budget an have to try to save money. Thanks for the infro.
i’m a Dollar Tree addict!😵
Me 2!
I bought a Nike lock for my brother there and he’s been using it since Christmas every day. I also found that the two pack “fuzz/dog hair rollers” are obviously one dollar and they are better, WAY BETTER than the one pack for more money from dollar general.
Bike lock, not nike lock
One thing. If you buy the toothpaste, DO NOT BUY THE AQUAFRESH!!! It’s made in Taiwan and may be a knockoff!
I agree with not buying toys there because once when I was younger than I am I bout silly string and a white board plus some little doll accessories they used to have, but they instantly broke and my silly string lasted like 4 seconds. It was bad. So don’t get your kids toys from Dollar Tree get them at Wal-Mart but the party supplies are good quality just about anywhere.
The Brownberry Bread sold at Dollar Tree is in fact thrift bread. Thrift bread is bread the driver originally placed in another store (walmart, target, meijer, jewel etc) and was returned due to expiration date, defect or damage. The bread is then processed at their warehouse and picked up by another driver. This second driver delivers the bread to Dollar Trees. Although it is cheaper, you don’t know where it has been or why it was returned originally.
I work at Dollar Tree and our bread guy brings our bread to us after they take it off the shelf at the other stores because they are about to go out of date. If we refuse it then they take it to the theft store.
Great article!
I have to say a lot of there tools/paintbrushs/hardware nick nacks really arent that bad. For $1 there really is no downside. Some of there scrapers and and other miscellaneous tools have actually held up pretty well.
Great list and I agree on most of these, HOWEVER, I highly disagree with the office supply/school supply section as being one of the items to avoid when visiting the Dollar Tree, and I know many people who agree with this same statement. If you go to a well-stocked, large Dollar Tree (and even some of the smaller ones,) you can find the best gel pens and rollerball pens in a variety of colors, and although they only come in 2-4 pens at a time, they are worth it! Also, they have awesome page-markers, sticky notes of all sizes and colors, as well as colorful notepads for jotting down grocery lists or making notes. I’ve been pleased with their thick multicolored paperclips, and butterfly clips as well, and they have cute zip bags for pens and office/school supplies, and a few random nicknacks here and there–I can’t even begin to list them all. I’ve noticed in the school supply section that they have cute folders for kids, as well as accordion folders. I’ve never been disappointed with this aisle, ever… unless it’s been raided before I get there. 🙂
Another thing to mention that’s totally worth buying are the christmas ornaments! They have absolutely BEAUTIFUL christmas ornaments that sell out quickly. I’ve found amazing ornaments that looked like they cost way more than a dollar and the ones that I’ve purchased get raves every christmas.
Lastly, another steal are the plastic storage baskets and bins. They’ve been such a great help when organizing my office and grad school notes (stored in binders). They would be very useful for storing toys, craft supplies, and as an organizer/ handy portable storage container for cleaning products. –Just my two cents on the Dollar Tree!
I totally agree! The school supplies can usually be pretty nice!
I totally agree with the Christmas ornaments! I decorate our big “main” artificial Christmas tree with these and it never fails to wow at the family Christmas party! I’ve found you need to start stalking Dollar Tree just immediately after Halloween. By Thanksgiving our Dollar Tree’s are completely out of stock of the Christmas ornaments. And I’ve founds that typically if you didn’t grab enough of a certain ornament one year, the next year Dollar Tree may have it again!
Simple math can help determine if the four pack of toilet paper is a valueable purchase from the Dollar Tree. It states on the package, 275 sheets per roll @ 25 cents a roll. Its very good deal actually if you compare other brands based on both figures.
test
toilet paper shopping should be done by the square foot. Marcal and Scott are the ones to buy when their 20 packs are $10 or less (fifty cents a roll). Or the 10 packs are $5, etc. supermarkets are always having this sale.
I was at my local $ store tonight and bought a dozen eggs. I was wondering if they were good. The exp. date is 1/24, so we’ll see.
Put the eggs in a bowl of water if it sinks or stands up it is good. But of it floats to the top.no good.
How could you go wrong with eggs? Chickens don’t know who will gather their eggs so they lay the best they can. lol If in doubt, test egg in water. If it floats, it is rotten. Eggs should last a long time.
LOL!!!!
I buy eggs at Aldi
Usually 68 cents a dozen
But I do love
The dollar tree
Wal-mart has pregnancy tests for only $.88! So even cheaper! Haha.
Hi. i go to dollar tree for Plackers Dental Flossers. 50 for 1.00! i get mint flavor. Dentist is very impressed with the health of my gums!! In general , this is a very good price.
I agree I just got a pack of 30 of the Lil brush glosser for 1dollar for a few more at rite aid I think it was like 5dollars
You also have to think. While some of the toilet paper might be cheaper per roll. You are also getting the lowest quality toilet paper there is. Compared to Charmin or cottonelle. Which I found a 36 pack of cottonelle on amazon for $15 and free shipping. And it doesn’t hurt ya bum
But have been told plumbers will tell you it is the worst thing for septic tanks if that applies to your situation. 🙂
Dollar Tree has some cool cleaning products not found anywhere else. [Fabuloso smells amazing! Get the seasonal scents!] The individual sodas *are* a good deal at $1 for 16 to 20 oz. vs. now over a dollar per soda in most other places. I didn’t want to trust their frozen foods, but darn if the Nathan’s Hot Dogs and package of White Castles aren’t just a fun snack for the price! And paying $1 for a toothbrush that is over $4 in other places just makes your mouth happy! As well, the Tree saved me on a roadtrip in which I’d forgotten the charging cable for my phone . . .
Don’t buy air freshener candles at Dollar Tree, they have a little scent and burn down fast. The floor cleaner is good and really do the job. Watch the dishwashing liquid, the Dawn is not concentrated. Frozen burritos and chimichangas are same price as Smith’s or Albertsons, which those too, and Walmart put them on sale for 88¢. Paper Towels and toilet paper, are small rolls, and run out quick. The artificial flowers aren’t that bad, but close to the same price, Walmarts look more real.
I found that some of their frozen food doesn’t stay frozen. Probaby when they receive it in, it just sits around somewhere. I know this becaue for a while I was buying something frozen there at a great price, I think it was beef taco. So I asked if they had any in the back and they brought out melted stuff. what the hay. yet all the time before that i never got sick from the all the other ones (i didn’t buy the melted one).
Donna says..After shopping at Dollar Tree for 11 years that ” IF IT SAYS AWESOME ON THE BOTTLE, IT IS.
Its all good to me i mean why go there were looking for a deal
Btw soda is named brand in the tree i go pepsi and all that 1.5 1.5 liter
At the check out line they usually have cold cases of real Coke & Pepsi 20oz bottles that they sell for $2 at any other place for lunch.
their soda isn’t bad tasting. you get more than a litre for a dollar.
Their steel wool scrubbing pads, like SOS, are a great deal, but their liquid dish soap doesn’t suds up very well
I’m always happy to find Pears Soap for sale at our Dollar Tree in Novato, California. Also Aim Toothpaste and Pepsodent are standard sized tubes.
I buy the Assured Antiseptic Mouth Rinse and Assured Dandruff Shampoo. They both do the job and for the price, I tend to stock up on a few months’ worth at a time. Would love to know where they manufacture Dollar Tree’s personal producs.
Doesn’t it say on the bottle where it’s manufactured?
sometimes dollar tree will surprise you and have some stuff there that you can get for free because of a manufacturer coupon. i’ve gotten free popcorn kernals and frozen pretzels. i must say, that even though I have more coupons for the pretzels, they’re just not that good. It’s unusual for me to pass up a free food item, so the pretzel is pretty blase.
One exception to the batteries rule, which is good overall: button batteries! The Dollar Tree often has sizes that fit pedometers, small toys, or books with electronic sounds. MUCH cheaper than buying them elsewhere, and they seem to do at least $1’s worth of work.
Absolutely! Needed these fir a kitchen scale: the price was unbeatable
What do you expect just for a $1.that why it’s a Dollar tree .But they make more money then any other dollar stores
Doctor Oz did a show on the Dollar stores. And said they had urine in the cologne I’ think ugh
Urea is in a lot of expensive facial products! It was an ingredient in a prescribed ACNE medication years ago.
We buy the large cans of Friskies cat food for our large cat. It is the same food sold at the grocery store. A great deal.
I use alot of batteries and have done a lot of research into which batteries are the best and it’s my conclusion that the cheaper batteries are better than the name brand batteries and they sure cost a lot less I will continue to buy batteries at Dollar Tree and I’m very happy with them
Dollar Tree is the ONLY place I buy batteries! Have never been disappointed yet! Won’t buy cleaning supplies there again though, they’re like they’ve been watered down.
The bleach is worth it, exactly the same strength as brand name. Sponges come in larger packs than at grocery stores, and just for a dollar! Dryer sheets are a good buy, as well as plates, and drinking glasses: they have very nice ones sold individually, so you can get as many as you need. Utensils are flimsy though.
I go to my neighborhood Dollar Tree here in Phoenix on 35th Avenue and Thunderbird. I go there for my puppy pads I go there for my shampoo my body wash my toothbrushes buy toothpaste my toilet paper and some of the food snacks. Being on the tight budget I always can find what I need there. They even sometimes have items marked half-price because somebody’s poked a hole and the plastic bags or somebody’s rip the end off of a dryer sheets trying to smell it so they mark it down to $0.50 and that helps me a lot. I’ve had no issues with the awesome Brown including the dish soap. I love my Dollar Tree Dollar Store!
Oh yeah, sandwich bags and paper bags are a great deal too, as well as parchment paper and foil (the foil is thin, but I usually use it just for covering fid in the fridge)
I have to agree with the Xmas ornaments. They have some great looking ornaments for only $1. I also have to say that I love their flowers. Whenever I’m in a crafty mood I head over to Dollar Tree since their prices are much better than that of Jo-Ann’s or Michael’s.
The ornaments are amazing when I see new ones every year I buy them my son works for michaels and says they sell some of the same ornaments and there a lot more there they aren’t a dollar that’s for sure
What is wrong with the dog food sold at the dollar tree. Its name brand. I need to know. I don’t want our doggies getting sick. please advise asap. thanks!
Does anyone have advice on buying name brand dog food and snacks from the dollar tree?
i buy all my batteries at the dollar store. look for “alkaline” marked on the package and avoid the batteries marked “heavy duty”.
in my experience the alkaline Panasonic dollar store batteries will last about 75% as long as an expensive name brand battery.
Tim is exactly correct about batteries and I wanted to reinforce what he said.
It’s simlple, really–battery packages that say “Heavy Duty” are old technology batteries with little energy content and are much, much worse than alkaline batteries, very short functional lifespans, and are not worth buying. They are no bargain.
But like Tim said, alkaline batteries can be a bargain. They are much better than the “Heavy Duty” batteries, no comparison really. As Tim has noted, it seems they are not top-quality alkiline batteries (like, for example, Duracell), but they are alkaline batteries, and often have good value.
I have used Sunbeam alkaline batteries from Dollar Tree for years. No, they do not last as long as Duracell or Eveready, but they cost about 1/3 as much. Do the name brands last 3x as long. NO!! Not even twice as long. I’ll give them 25% more time. I buy Exide 9v alkalines from Rural King, a small farm-and-home chain in the midwest (the local store was an old Walmart non-supercenter). Use them for 11 smoke detectors I have in the house. $3 each would be rough, but at 4 for $3.99, I’m very happy. And they last longer than the year…another example of good quality at low prices.
Incidentally, I’m a fan of Dollartree reading glasses, but they tend to break quite a lot. I finally found for Foster Grants in a liquidation store in town that sells them for $2 each including a case and a cleaning cloth. These have the spring hinges and have a feeling that I’ll have these for a LONG time.
I used dollar store pregnancy tests when trying to get pregnant with all 3 of my kids. As with all name brand pregnanacy tests a negative could be a false negative, so try again in a day or two. I got one false negative because I was only 2 weeks pregnant, but one week later I tested again. Besides that, all three were tested positive on dollar store pregnancy tests. They work!
I buy
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Paper plate
Qtips
Cotton
Nail polish remover
Matches, lighter
Straw
Water
Cleanin products
Dishwashing liquids
Dry laundry towels
Candles
Hair rollers
Liquid soap
Soap
Suave shampoo
Hair spray
Nite lights
Sunglasses
Trash bags, plastic storage bags
Buckets, laundry baskets
Aluminum foil
My list is so much longer, but defenitly no batteries, food and toys
I buy the peach halves …Eden’s Are they safe?
the good: a 24 oz bag of dry pinto beans was a $1. a 16 oz bag of the same at kroger was $1.19. the $ tree beans cooked well, and were delicious.. the bad: $1 jar of sweet pickles was terrible.. i like $ tree mostly. hafta scour around.
I love the Dollar Tree. The frozen salmon is the freshest and best I have ever had. It comes from the north Atlantic. I lightly steam it and put it together with 1 package Ramen noodles – 5 packages $1.00. You can add frozen peas to it or go all out and add anything. Found frozen Birdseye asparagus at one Dollar Tree. Large bagels from Brooklyn good toasted, always sell out fast. New item refrigerated almond milk in quarts. The balloons make the day, school supplies are huge when school starts.
I’ve used the spices over the years; however, do not use the nutmeg. I made a double portion of pumpkin spice loaves. I can’t say how disappointed I was when I realized that the nutmeg had pieces of nut shell in it. Had to pitch the pumpkin loaves.
Dollar tree is the only store I have found that carries Pop Rocks candy. My granddaughter loves these and I always include them in her Easter baskets or as a Christmas stocking stuffer.
Agreed, you can’t find a better deal on greeting cards. I found some cute note cards, 10 to a package, that were selling for $12.00 on Amazon. A major score!
If you have a day you can browse the store for a couple of hours, there are treasures to be found without blowing the budget.
I like the medicine and the a & d ointment.
Are the baby products at Dollar Tree anygood. The baby lotions, bath liquids, pacifiers, etc any good?
I bought a sippy cup from the dollar tree it was a lid lock one. My kid loved it. I went back to get more of them and they weren’t there anymore. It was princess themed. I loved that sippy cup. The bottles are okay if you are blessed to have a baby without food problems. Mine had needed bottles for fussiness and gas along with formula. So I wasn’t able to try the bottles out. Sippy cups are okay. Please remember to wash the sippy cup and lid before use. I used their wipes, soaps, and their baby wash on my kids. I don’t like the wipes. Cleaning supplies is good and their shower curtain liners are fantastic. They are clear so I bought a shower curtain for 10.00 to go over the plastic shower curtain liner.
I don’t understand why some people are complaining about $1 items that are so affordable. If you want an item that’s better go to Wal-Mart and pay a few dollars more. I personally don’t care how cheap it may be as long as I get my dollars worth out of it.
I have been to The Dollar tree store in my neighborhood several times and found box of veggie crackers that are very good and each time i go im looking on the cracker and cookie shelfs for them. I also liked the candies i can get the sugar free treats there. I love the card selections the only thing i never saw was they dont have deodorants. they have hair stuff to wash and conditioner , hairspray etc. but can never find deodorant for $1.00. I tried some of the frozen food items from there and dozen eggs which i never got at dollar tree before and like super market eggs im checking all the carton of eggs for cracks. It wasnt that bad bargain shopping. The store needs better rolling carts to shop and they lack the baskets. Most of the time im carrying all my snack stuff in my arms to the checkout counter.
Dollar Tree is the best for greeting cards, party decorations, plastic party cutlery and cups, balloons and national brand cleaning supplies. I had issues about canned goods, straws, children’s candies and batteries I purchased there..
I LOVE DOLLAR TREE!!!!
I just Went There Yesterday n Had a BALL shopping!!!
I think the soda is 3 liter at dollar tree rather than the 2 liter at other stores so I think it’s cheaper at the dollar tree than say Walmart unless your a employee and combine the employee discount with a sale or coupon
Actually, Dollar Tree’s generic toilet paper (The Home Store) is one of the best products to buy!!
It’s a 4-pack of 2-ply toilet paper for only $1. When you calculate the price per square foot (a Krazy coupon lady tip), it comes out to $0.008 ($1 divided by 122.3 sqft) which is lower than Costco’s generic toilet paper ($0.01 per sqft).
Dear high school students: mathematics is useful in your day-to-day living!
As a Dollar Tree employee and shopper, be SMART. You’ve got to pay attention to prices and ounces. If the cleaning product says Awesome, it is. Paper towels are good for minor wipes. American Home toilet paper is 2-ply, lint free, soft, and lengthy. Better than Angel Soft, Cottonelle, and Charmin.
Laundry soap liquid, bottle is only 2/3 full, and dish soap, aren’t very good at cleaning or degreasing. Better off to buy elsewhere.
Most of the time I would rather shop DT than go next door to WM. Convenience outweighs cost and time involved at WM.
As I said in the beginning, pay attention and be a smart shopper.