The most important thing to keep in mind when shopping at these discount stores is that they are not held to the high standards that the grocery stores are.  So you must be careful what you purchase.

The Do Buys:

Cleaning products are said to be a good value at the dollar stores.  And if you come across a name brand that you trust, go ahead and buy it.  It’s safe.

Generally speaking, bleach is bleach is bleach and most of other cleaning products have the same ingredients as the name brands.  (Veronica Bright of Hub Pages states that she found a wonderful cleaner called Mean Green at the Dollar Store which she says is amazing!)  Sponges are generally a good buy, as well.

Greeting cards are a great dollar store find.  Brand name cards can cost as much as $5.00 a piece and at the dollar store, you can find nicely made cards for as little as fifty cents a piece.   I stock up on the “homemade scrapbook-like” cards so that I’m never without the perfect card.  I’ve also found some very pretty and well made Gift bags as well as paper shred.  The ribbon didn’t seem to be much of a bargain.

Food storage containers, are less expensive and from my experience, hold up as well as the grocery store brands.  I buy the aluminum foil type casserole pans to use for pot lucks and delivered church meals.  I’ve also seen tortilla warmers for a dollar.

School Supplies can be found cheaper at stores like Target and Wallmart during back-to-school sales but when you find that you need poster board in January, it’s much better to pay a dollar than the $3.79 it would cost at other stores.  Two sets of tabbed dividers are $1.00 as compared to $2.50 – $3.00 at office supply stores.

Movie Night Candies can be expensive especially when purchased at the theatre.  The dollar stores carry name brand candies in “movie-sized” containers.  Although most sugars don’t deteriorate quickly, it’s still a good idea to check the experation date. 

Children’s shoes are actually a good buy because their feet grow so quickly.  Summer sandals and flip flops are an especially good bargain and can be a fun gift for the grandchildren. 

Picture frames can be rather costly in department stores.  If you’re lucky, you can find some decent ones now and then at the dollar store. 

Wine goblets are a great find.  For just a dollar, you can purchase big (we detest those tiny 4 oz glasses that don’t allow the wine to breath or be swirled) sturdy glasses for both red and white wines.  Now I’m not advocating that you serve your care recipient giant glasses of wine but long into his 80s, my father loved wine and still had an excellent palate.  There shouldn’t be lead in these, but I might do a bit of research about that.

According to Jeff Yeager, author of “The Cheapskate Next Door”, Spices are a good purchase.  I would agree with that if you’re not super picky.  It’s difficult to mess up pepper or parsley but there are other spices that require better quality.  Remember to check expiration dates.

Books and specialty CDs are two of my favorite finds.  I’ve found some great current reads and some lovely inspirational books for just a dollar each – excellent gift items.  CDs with relaxing music for mediatation or bubble baths can often be found along with holiday CDs – just don’t expect well-known artists.

Seasonal items are good purchases if you have not shopped the previous years’ end-of-season sale.  Be wary that anything painted (especially ceramics) might contain lead.

The Don’ts

Over-the-counter medications and vitamins – As tempting as these are to purchase, I wouldn’t do it.  As I entioned before, the dollar stores are not as well regulated and Consumer Reports has stated that some vitamins didn’t have the amount of nutrients that they claimed to have on the label.

Children’s Toys (except for coloring books).  I just wouldn’t trust the quality.

Batteries – Many of the battery products found at the dollar stores are made with carbon zinc, as opposed to lithium, so they do not last as long.  Carbon zinc can also leak, thus doing damage to your electronics. 

Plastic and Aluminum Wraps – One dollar for 25 feet of aluminum foil is just not a good deal.

Pet Food and Pet Toys – Again, this is due to lack of regulation and in my opinion, shodiness of product. 

Gum – Costco is cheaper, Amazon even more so.

Oven mits and kitchen towels – They’re just too thin and may not protect you from being burnt or be very absorbent.

Socks – I’ve found them to be poor quality and NOT soft.  I will say that iVillage disagrees with me and recommends them as a good buy.  (Shoe Shining blocks are a good value at $1.00 for a pack of 2.  I’ve seen these at Nordstrom for $5.95 each.) I keep one in the car in order to quickly wipe off smudges before doctors’ appointments or church service.)

Power cords – Again, in my opinion, they are poor quality and might damage your electronics.  Duct tape, sand paper, painter’s tape and bungee cords are good though.

Sodas – Sodas can be found less expensive elsewhere.

Baby items – Avoid them due to lack of regulation.  (I’ve never seen diapers available though.)

Perishables – YES and NO  A bunch of green onions for a dollar is not a steal when they can be purchased for 79 cents elsewhere.  But I once found a giant package of ginger root for .99 cents – now that’s a steal! I also found some great gourmet caramel popcorn with almonds and some chocolate covered pretzels (that I normally bought wholesale for my giftbaskets at $3.00 a package).  If you’re aware of your normal supermarket prices, and there is a brand available that you trust, go ahead and purchase.  Again, just be sure to check expiration dates.

Grooming items are iffy but worth checking out.  Shampoo is a decent find as are scrubbies/loofahs.  Items like Chapstick and Vaseline can often be found there and my very favorite soap (Yardley oatmeal and almond) is almost always available at the dollar store.  Nail files, packages of combs, tooth flossing sticks are of value. Skip the cotton swabs (too flimsy and could be dangerous), make-up (due to lack of regulation), and make-up remover pads (can I just say UGH!?).

Also remember that many dollar type stores accept coupons so don’t forget to bring those along.

What are YOUR favorite finds?

In this article, we are going to discuss a few other ways that you can save money this year.  You may already be utilizing some of these tips but hopefully you’ll find one or two that you can add to your arsenal.

First of all, let’s talk about insurance.  Shopping around for the best insurance price is always a good idea.  Check out http://www.insweb.com and http://www.netQuote.com for some comparisons.  Make certain that the insurer has a good rating before choosing them because you don’t want to sacrifice quality.  If you insure both your home and your auto(s) (or purchase another kind of policy) with one company, you can qualify for discounts (up to 20% when using St. Farm or Allstate). 

You’ll also want to make sure that you have term life insurance and long term disability insurance.  The latter is VERY important.  Check out Zander Insurance http://www.zanderins.com/ for both of these.  They are recommended by Dave Ramsey, author of The Total Money Makeover.  (I recommend term life insurance because it is the most inexpensive – no, you won’t get your premiums back at the end of the policy, but you’ll have good insurance and if you put the difference between the cost of term insurance and the cost of whole or universal life insurance into investments, you will still come out ahead.) 

Ask for lower credit card interest rates.  We should all be trying not to use credit cards but sometimes it’s impossible.  If you’re working to pay down the amount still owed, you’ll still be charged interest.  Credit card companies have been increasing their interest rates to extraordinary heights lately.  Sometimes, though, you can get them reduced just by calling and talking to a customer service representative.  I’ve done this often and it works.  But….I still check my cards every 3 months, because those sneaky companies will raise the rates again and I find the need to call back. 

Don’t Pay full price for ANYTHING!  Either wait for it to go on sale or search the internet for a coupon.  Just Google “coupon for “whatever you want to buy” and you’ll probably find one.  Also, when I find something cool in say….Pottery Barn, I’ll google the description and can usually find something similar at a much less expensive price.

Stock up on sale items.  Take advantage of those items that are on sale and won’t “expire”.  Toilet paper, paper towels, soap, aluminum foil, etc. can be purchased in large quantities.

Get the Largest Deduction amount available from the items you donate to thrift stores.   First of all, don’t toss out unused items; donate them.  And then keep track of when and what you donate – keep a list (2 sweaters, 3 short sleeved shirts, 2 pajama bottoms, 1 toaster, 2 toys, etc.).  A photo of the stack of  items couldn’t hurt either.  When you are using an on-line tax preparation such as Turbo Tax, be sure to utilize their tool for donations.  You’ll be surprised at the deduction you receive.

When renting DVDs, use the $1/night kiosks.  In many places they are known as Red Box Kiosks and can be found in grocery stores, convenience stores, etc.  If you watch a LOT of movies, Netflix or Blockbuster clubs may still be a better value.  Pay-per-View is NOT.

Save on electricity.  For every degree that you cut back on heating or cooling, it is estimated that you will save 1%.  That adds up in a year’s time.  If you use central heating and spend most of your time in one room, it might be beneficial to use a space heater.  As you know, seniors don’t tolerate the cold well and thus I always used a space heater for the room my father was in at the time.  Just be sure to abide by the safety rules for that particular heater. 

Unplug unused appliances. Using a power strip for those “like” items gathered in one place such as printers, fax, desktop computer, TV, etc. is a good idea so that they can easily be turned off all at once.

I’ve always heard that CFL bulbs use less energy and don’t have to be replaced as often.  I haven’t found that to be true.  Having used them for 2 years now, I saw no reduction in electricity used and I had to replace them just as often as regular bulbs (at a higher price tag too).  I’d be curious to hear about your experiences with them. 

Choose generic drugs when they are available.  This is obvious; I think that we all do this by now.  The one thing I will say is that if you ask some pharmacies for “the Walmart” price on a medication, they will often give it to you for that amount.  It’s worth a try.

Thrift stores and garage sales are our friends!   Choose thrift shops and attend garage sales that are located in the “better” parts of town.  My mother once went to a garage sale in Beverly Hills and came home with TWENTY FIVE brand new dresses for my little daughter at a price of $1/each.  A bonus to this is that you can bring Mom or Dad along with you to the garage sales and they can watch from the comfort of the car.  I have a friend who attends many garage sales and finds wonderful things to sell on eBay.  She does quite well, too.

If you have any other money-saving ideas, won’t you please share them with us?  We can all benefit by each other’s knowledge.