Tuesday Tidbits: TOP TEN THINGS I LIKE TO BUY AT A DOLLAR STORE

Everyone has their opinions about dollar stores. I know that some chain stores with dollar in the name don’t exclusively have everything for a dollar or less. The dollar stores I like to shop at are the ones where things are a dollar or less.

I like going to them for a couple of reasons. One, it’s easy to do the math for how much I’m spending. Number of items times one (dollar) plus a guestimation on the tax and I can come close. Two, I don’t like paying more for items than I have to. Why should I spend three or four dollars on an item that I can purchase for one dollar?

But I won’t buy just anything there. Not everything they carry is worth a dollar.

So here are the top ten things I like to purchase at my local dollar store.

10. Seasonal Décor
I can save a lot of money buying seasonal decorations at a dollar store. They have something for every season, so every month I could put something festive up without breaking the bank. For just a dollar each, I can afford to decorate the whole house.

9. Health & Beauty SuppliesThere are a surprising number of health and beauty products at a dollar store that are similar to the expensive brands.

I’m picky about which medication I’ll buy,
but I’ve been happy with the cough drops,
ibuprofen, sleep aide, and a few others.

I love being able to get some makeup there to test.
Sometimes, they even have expensive brand names.

I also like buying their nail polish and powdered eyeshadow
for craft projects. I can buy several colors
for the price of one at a discount store.

8. Hair Accessories
I also like buying hair supplies like clips and hair elastics. For four dollars plus tax, I bought my granddaughter a bunch of hair elastics, clips, a small hairbrush, and a mini drawer set to keep them in. I wanted her to have her own things so she could begin to learn to take care of her own hair. Face it, kids loose things but when I get them at a dollar store, I don’t feel bad about it.

7. Party Supplies
Unless I MUST have a particular favorite character theme (which sometimes they do have) I get all my party paraphernalia at a dollar store. Plates, napkins, cups, plastic table covering, plastic silverware, party favors, balloons, streamers, trays & bowls for food, and so much more. If I get one or two expensive items in a particular theme and get the rest in coordinating colors at a dollar store, I’m all set.

And I mustn’t forget the helium balloons!

6. Gift Wrap
This is closely related to party supplies. I can buy a huge gift bag, tissue paper, and a bow for less than any one of those things at a regular priced store.

5. Greeting Cards

Greeting cards are related to the previous two item. It always bothered me to spend $3-$6 on a card when I could have have put that money toward a nicer gift. And let’s face it, children don’t care about cards unless they have money in them. After all, the message inside the card matters most, so why not spend less on the card stock it’s printed on. I’ve found cards for all occasion and holidays. It’s great when I can pick up a box of 10 or 12 Christmas cards for a dollar.

4. Office Supplies
Paperclips, sticky notes, foam board, trifold display boards, some pens (I’m a little pick about those. Not all write well.), note cards, teacher supplies (not exhaustive, but they have a few things.), note pads, small journals, envelopes and some shipping supplies, etc.

 

3. Cleaning Supplies
Most cleaning products contain basically the same ingredients. We have had great success with the Awesome brand laundry soap. I can also get rubber gloves, sponges, toilet brush, broom, and so much more.

And on a related note, trash bag, ziplock bags, plastic wrap, and aluminum foil.

2. Crafting Supplies
Craft supplies can be expensive. I’m all for excellent quality supplies, but when I’m experimenting or want a variety of general craft supplies for kids to play with, a dollar store is a great place to stock up. Pompoms, paint, glitter, glue, beads, buttons, clay, craft sticks, wash tape, flat-backed glass stones, and so much more can all be found at a dollar store.

1. Glasses, Both Reading and Sun
I love buying reading glasses at a dollar store. Often they have cute styles, and for a dollar each, I can have a pair in every room in the house and one in the car. If I loose or break a pair, I don’t fret about it.

And sunglasses? Where did I leave those this time? I set them down to try on that hat. I bet they are still at that festival booth. Oh well, they were only a dollar.

I also love the eyeglasses beaded holders so I can hang my glasses around my neck. I’ll take one of those in every color, please.

That’s it for my top ten list. What do prefer to purchase at a dollar store?

THE WIDOW'S PLIGHT ~ A sweet historical romance that will tug at your heart. This is book 1 in the Quilting Circle series.
Washington State, 1893
     When Lily Lexington Bremmer arrives in Kamola with her young son, she’s reluctant to join the social center of her new community, the quilting circle, but the friendly ladies pull her in. She begins piecing a sunshine and shadows quilt because it mirrors her life. She has a secret that lurks in the shadows and hopes it doesn’t come out into the light. Dark places in her past are best forgotten, but her new life is full of sunshine. Will her secrets cast shadows on her bright future?
     Widower Edric Hammond and his father are doing their best to raise his two young daughters. He meets Lily and her son when they arrive in town and helps her find a job and a place to live. Lily resists Edric’s charms at first but finds herself falling in love with this kind, gentle man and his two darling daughters. Lily has stolen his heart with her first warm smile, but he’s cautious about bringing another woman into his girls’ lives due to the harshness of their own mother.
     Can Edric forgive Lily her past to take hold of a promising chance at love?
THE WIDOW'S PLIGHT releases in ebook on July 1, and will be out in paperback by mid-June.

#ChristianRomance #HistoricalRomance #Romance

MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. She has five titles releasing in 2018; "Holly & Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection in January, Courting Her Amish Heart in March, The Widow’s Plight in July, Courting Her Secret Heart September, & “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in MISSAdventure Brides Collection in December. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-three years and two cats. She has three adult children and one incredibly adorable grandchild. Find her online at:
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