The dollar store has great bargains, but some have some good food basic bargains. Often you can find a five pack of noodles, ketchup, cans of soups, jars of mustard and jars of pasta sauce. Many are the same brand in the supermarkets and I stock up on things like peppercorns, chilli flakes and tortillas. In some Dollar Tree stores they stock frozen food and sell packs or peas, mixed vegetables, hash browns and fries. I even found the same product and brand for double the price at Target next door. If you haven't looked, it's worth seeing if you can get some basic there as they often sell out.
I love to shop at the Dollar Tree!! They have basically everything which I love. I always seem to find something new there. I buy a lot of food there. They always carry great snacks for the kids lunches and they are so much less expensive that anywhere else! I love their frozen section as well. I buy packages of macaroni and cheese, mini pizzas and a variety of breakfast foods. If you haven't tried it your really missing out. Tons of great deals and bargains all over the store!! One of my favorites for sure!! Hope this helps!! Danyel
I love Dollar Tree, but I look carefully at what I buy in their food section because some noodles, cookies and snacks are also $1 at Walmart so you're not always getting a deal. It helps that I have the prices of some items memorized because I buy them all the time, so I have a basis for comparison.
Yes, there certainly are some great deals to be found, but as another poster mentioned, sometimes you can get deals that are just as good at Walmart or Target. It's good to price compare and see what's best to get at what stores, though. I know a lot of people are hesitant about buying foods in dollar stores but I've not had any bad experiences with it. Just like with every store, keep an eye on expiration dates.
I don't usually get main grocery items at a dollar tree, but I like getting stuff like candy, chips, some canned food and drinks there. Prices are usually so good, I get all my "extra" stuff from those kind of stores. Some other stores might have the same deal, but i also have a dollar store right next to my house, so it's just way more convenient to shop there.
Sometimes you can find great deals on name-brand products, although quite rarely. I love the Dollar Tree and I frequently frequent the store. Just last week, I saw a large container of Heinz Relish (it must have been at least half a gallon) for only a dollar. I suspected the expiration date would be soon, as it seemed too good to be true, but lo and behold the expiration date was the following year. Sweet deal.
I find that dollar stores are not usually the best value for money when it comes to food. I still find that most times supermarkets actually beat dollar stores for value, although that may just be the stuff that I'm buying. Dollar stores still win for kitchen/bathroom items by a mile though.
I have found that the dollar store is not always the best bargain. Sometimes if you look at unit prices they are actually more expensive than other grocery stores because you are paying extra for the packaging of smaller sizes rather than one larger package. I am a big label reader and nutritionally conscious shopper, and that is one reason I stopped buying food there once I had the money to shop elsewhere and still make rent. Most of the food at the dollar store is extremely processed and actually counts as pure junk "food." Also, when you are dealing with off brands especially, you have the issue of GMO foods. I highly suspect that most if not all of the wheat, corn and soy found in dollar store foods are GMO.
In my country those Dollar Tree stores don't exist, but you get similar places. Personally, I am not a big fan of those shops. I don't trust the cheap food there, and also rarely buy any other items in those stores. Often, it's the overpowering smell of plastic and other toxic fumes that put me off. For example, walking through the candle section in such places simply knocks me over. No to mention the aisle with detergents. So, I tend to stay away from them.
They can be hit and miss, some days they have good stock and you can get a bargain and other days there isn't much. I have friends who are skeptical too, but when you have packs of kraft mac and cheese, two for a dollar then that can't be bad if it's something you buy already. You can't do your whole shop there, so I go there first and and then go to a supermarket to finish off and buy what I couldn't find. A dollar for a bag of peas or corn is good value and cheaper than most supermarkets unless they are on special.
I agree, some of the items are bargains while others are a waste of money. In some cases, they make the portions smaller, so even though you are paying less, you are also getting less too - such is the case with their salad dressings and mayo from what I've noticed. But there are other items such as the canned artichokes (Progresso brand too!) at Dollar Tree for only a buck, which is a fantastic bargain considering they normally sell for $3-$4 elsewhere. While other items, you can find at other stores for the same price, such as crushed tomatoes for $1. You should also be careful you're not paying $1 for something which may only be like 59 cents at another store, like canned beans - that happens too once in a while.
