Do You Like The Dollar Store?

[Family Ties Forever!]

Do you like the dollar store?

I just saw on the 10pm NBC local news that more dollar stores are popping up because of the economy. Former First Lady Barbara Bush bought a pair of 99 cents reading glasses for former President George Bush.

Apparently some dollar stores are statting to accept coupons, that surprised me.

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What Are Dollar Store Deals, Duds?

Posted: Monday, May 17, 2010 Updated: 4:13 pm CDT May 17, 2010

Houston -- If you think you're seeing more dollar stores when you drive around town, you're not mistaken. A number of new dollar stores have popped up since last year. Some viewers asked KPRC Local 2 investigative reporter Amy Davis if shopping at a dollar store chain will really save you money.

Davis is showing you the good, the bad and the the downright steals at area dollar stores. There's something about a dollar. They're easy to earn and even easier to spend. It may be why people are dropping them like pennies at local dollar stores. "The economy definitely has increased our business," said 99 Cent Only store manager Michael King.

The point is to save. But, some shoppers say it can have the opposite affect. "You come for one item and you end up leaving with 15 items," explained shopper Tony Saaverdra. So, before you throw another item into your basket, ask yourself, "Is this really a good deal?" "I picked up some razor blades-- Dollar General brand -- they work just as well," shopper Don Lockett said.

If you are willing to try to the store brand, you can save a lot. When it comes to name brands, you should double-check how much you're actually getting for a buck. At Dollar General, where not everything is exactly a dollar, Davis bought a four-pack of Cottonelle for $2.50. At Walmart, the 12-pack costs $6.97. Do a little math and you'll see you save 4 cents a roll at Walmart.

Comet cleaner is 99 cents at the 99 Cent Only store. At Walmart, it's 92 cents. But a closer look reveals the Walmart can has 4 ounces less, making it a better deal at the dollar store. Every once in awhile, you can find a closeout deal at the dollar store. We found Kraft mayonnaise with olive oil for 99 cents. At Walmart, it was $1.30 more.

Watch for expiration dates. Sometimes the foods you find in dollar stores do not have much shelf life left. So what are the best buys? Gift wrap and gift bags: You can't beat them for a buck. Kitchen gadgets and tools: Why pay more if you don't have to? Children's books that can take a real beating and school supplies. Remember this one come August.

And last on our list of good deals is cleaning supplies. All kinds of shoppers are catching on to the thrill of the hunt for a bargain, so you never know who you might run into.

"We have Barbara Bush that shops at our stores," said King. "She gets the little glasses for George and she tells our cashier, 'George lost another pair.' It's very funny and unique that she's buying 99 cent reading glasses for a former president."

We also noticed that some stores, like Dollar General, now accept coupons. The 99 Cent Only store sells produce, making it easier to get all of your groceries in one low-cost trip.


Copyright 2010 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved.

[Retro4Life]

You better believe I do! I live about 300 feet from one, and I go there often. It really has expanded its merchandise a lot since I moved here nearly four years ago. It has milk, ice cream, bread, quick meals, cookies, soups, crackers, all kinds of drinks and candy. It has a ton of name brand cleaning items at great prices, clothing, toys, books, etc.

[Lennon]

I do a lot of my shopping at the Dollar General store, you can get just about anything that the bigger stores have at a lot lower prices.

[Mikeisha]

I sure do like the dollar store. Thank you for posting the article.

[catlover79]

I shop at mine all the time!! I love it!!

[phoebe7165]

I really should go more, especially since they're always selling things for up-coming holidays for really cheap, and I'm always decorating my house. Cheaper than any other stores. But like the article says, I go in to get a few things, and I end up getting more than I went in for!!

[HuntingtonM15]

Depending on the particular store, I do like it. I've seen really nice ones and also horribly trashy ones.

[OH Nuts!]

Dollar stores can be hit and miss. But when you hit you get a great bargain. Often enough, though, the stuff can be shoddy or garish basically translating into you get what you pay for. If you have the time to sift and look carefully, you can do nicely. So overall, I like the stores, and think they provide a valuable service. You just have to realize their drawback(s).

[gidgetgrape]

I think they are terrific for many basic items like soap, paper plates, etc. But, not all dollar stores (or store brand items) are created equal.

[biffbronson]

A few months ago, the Dollar General stores in my area were selling Disney comics for $1 that originally had cover prices of $5.95 to $7.50, with some collections even higher than that. I traveled around to more than a dozen of their stores and picked up a big stack that would have cost me in the hundreds of $$ had I bought them in comic shops...!

These stores really pay off for the frequent visitor. I've bought several great hardcover books from Dollar Tree at $1, all in new condition and tremendous bargains. Wal-Mart is OK, but for these cases the dollar stores can't be beat.

[MickeyMac]

I frequent dollor stores very often. They have quite a few things there for a resonable price.

[spunkygirl]

That's the place I shop for almost everything. They take coupons, and even food stamp cards too

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

A few months ago, the Dollar General stores in my area were selling Disney comics for $1 that originally had cover prices of $5.95 to $7.50, with some collections even higher than that. I traveled around to more than a dozen of their stores and picked up a big stack that would have cost me in the hundreds of $$ had I bought them in comic shops...!

I did the same thing at Dollar General a few weeks ago but with Upperdeck sportscard packs. Dollar General and Dollar Tree have great deals. One thing I like to buy at Dollar Tree is batteries. They usually carry name brands like Panasonic, Ray-o-vac, etc... These won't work with a digital camera or any other device that uses a lot of battery power but they're perfect for remote contols, hand-held video games and things like that.

Although it's not a dollar store, I love shopping at Big Lots. I can buy really cheap laundry detergent for $2.20 (100 ounces) and use it for bath towels and wash cloths which it's perfect for. If my clothes are not dirty, I'll use that also but for really bad stains I'll use name brands.

You can't beat Big Lots for snacks, A 13 oz bag of Tostitos costs $3.49 at the grocery store and I can get a 2.5 pound bag of a brand that is just as good for $2.29

Large cans of Pringles are nearly $3.00 at the store but at Big Lots they're only $1.25

One product I like is Pringles' Stix but they cost $3.79 per box at the grocery store and Walmart. At Big Lots they're $1.50 and if the stock isn't sold out within 2-3 weeks before they expire then they're marked down to .75 cents a box and they stay fresh for several weeks after the expiration date.

[Vito]

I never shop at any of the local mom-and-pop dollar stores, but I often go to the 99 Cents Only Store, a chain store here in So. Cal. It's where I buy shaving cream, bottled water, office supplies, and a few grocery items. This store also has a good selection of sunglasses. When I was younger I would spend a lot of money on brand-name sunglasses, but they would break or I would lose 'em. So now I only buy the cheap sunglasses!

[spunkygirl]

The store I love the most? Dollar Tree's where everything is a dollar or less

I've gotten some great stuff there, name brand stuff for $1