Items worth buying at dollar stores

Dollar stores like Dollar Tree and the 99 cent store can be money savers or money pits, depending on how you use them. It's easy to spend impulsively because, hey, it's just a dollar, right? But if you end up buying things you don't really need, that's a dollar wasted. Quality is sometimes questionable, so if you'd need to replace an item quickly with another, there may not be any savings there. Here are some things that are worth buying at Dollar stores.

Gift accessories: In our area, Dollar Tree has one of the largest selections of gift bags and wrapping paper. Small to medium gift bags can be purchased 2/$1 or sometimes 3/$1. Large bags (even huge ones) are only $1. That's a great savings over stores like Walmart where the same large bag costs $4.99 or more. They also carry greeting cards for $1 or 2/$1, but other places offer cards at these prices, too. If you're already in there to purchase gift bags or wrap though, go ahead and pick up a card to avoid stopping at yet another store.

Party supplies: For children's parties, the party supplies at Dollar Trees can't be beat. While they may not have all the character-themed supplies that bigger chains do, they sell items that coordinate very well. I recommend buying a couple of pieces for the character or theme you want from regular party supply stores and then coordinating with items from the dollar stores. For my son's first birthday, for example, we had a jungle theme. We purchased a banner, some wall clings, and balloons from a party supply store. The cups, plates, napkins, tablecloths, favors and serving bowls were purchased at Dollar Tree in colors that coordinated with more expensive pieces that anchored the theme.

Children's books: You won't find heirloom quality books here that your children will pass down to theirs, but you can find some excellent children's books, especially board books for babies and toddlers, all for $1 each. There are some character books (Sesame Street, Dora, Bob the Builder) as well as stories based on generic characters. Be sure to do a quick read-through. I've found a couple of grammatical errors in some books, but overall, the quality is good.

Pregnancy tests: I know what you're thinking…pregnancy tests at the Dollar Store? But yes, they work very well. Because of my fertility issues, my husband and I tried to get pregnant for quite some time. Being the compulsive tester that I am, I took tests several times each cycle. When you're buying those expensive tests for $13 apiece and up, that can run into a lot of money! I started buying these and found that they were just as good. In fact, two tests from the Dollar Tree detected pregnancy hormones three days before the name brand tests I had when I was pregnant with my son. Seriously, try them.

Cooking utensils: Unless you're a chef or kitchen connoisseur (and I can assure you, I'm not) most of the cooking utensils found in the dollar stores are more than acceptable for general kitchen use. Some of the plastic utensils are flimsy, but the wooden spoons (wash them thoroughly), measuring cups, measuring spoons and many other products are steals. They also have cute plastic serving bowls, pitchers and cups that are great for parties. You wouldn't set them out for a formal affair, but for kids' parties or a summer barbecue, they add a splash of color.

Name-brand cleaners and detergents: Dollar stores may not always have name brand cleaners, but when they do, they're usually a good deal. I've found Pine-Sol, Clorox, and small bottles of Woolite during most of my visits. The generic window cleaner works well, as do the toilet cleaners. They're just more watered down than the name brand versions. I also purchased a huge jug of distilled white vinegar for $1 a while back and I'm still using it. As I've mentioned before, I use distilled white vinegar for a lot of my cleaning tasks because it's safe to use around our son and our pets. As you can see, it's also cheap!

Do you shop at dollar stores? What do you think is a good deal, and what do you avoid?

Picture of Dollar Tree courtesy of morrissey via Flickr.

Picture of drinking glasses from Dollar Tree courtesy of N1NJ4 via Flickr.