Why I Love the Dollar Store

When I asked for input on the kinds of things y'all would like to read about, Liz Johnson referenced an earlier love-professing post when she asked,

How about why you love the Dollar Store? I have a theory.

I'm wondering if her theory has anything to do with the $1 pregnancy tests they carry there. But no, I have not had that pleasure.

Here are some reasons why everyone needs to make the dollar store their BFF:

Cleaning products. They've got loads. Ever since Daltongirl made me a slew of homemade cleaning products for my wedding shower I've been mostly doing the homemade thing, which is awesome. But it's nice to be able to get eco-friendlyish name-brand toilet bowl cleaner for $1. Now, the dollar store will really be my new boyfriend when they start carrying Method's Li'l Bowl Blu, which smells nice enough to make you want to put your face in the toilet. Or Seventh Generation's Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender laundry detergent, which I breathe in deeply and blissfully every Monday when I do laundry. Seriously, the next time you're in the store and someone is stressing you out, just head over to the laundry aisle, grab one of these puppies, unscrew the top and take a deep breath. You will feel better.

Toiletries like soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, dental floss, and cotton balls (but not toothpaste, apparently). Everyone has to buy this stuff, so you might as well pay a lot less. It can even price out cheaper than the Costco & Sam's club versions, which is nice when you don't actually need 18,000 cotton balls because your days of stuffing your bra are, for the most part, over.

Picture frames. I bought piles of them to do an arrangement over the couch. The arrangement has not yet happened but the frames were a steal. They even had dead-sexy red ones.

Snacks. The snacks are dead cheap, so it's a great place to stock up on the way to a movie. If you forget your big purse, stuff the items in your coat and pretend that you're pregnant. It might even get you a better seat at the theater. (Only, I doubt it. You'd have to leave Utah to get preferential treatment for being great with child, since you can't toss a brick around here without hitting a pregnant woman. See also: $1 pregnancy tests.)

Spices. The range is limited, but you can get the basics covered at a fraction of the cost. And while we're talking kitchen, look at the kitchen items like can openers and steamers and plastic containers. It's all the same stuff that they carry at Target and BB&B. You just get to feel smarter than all the chumps currently plonking down a lot more money than you just did. In fact, sometimes I like to trot over to BB&B afterwards (it's in the same parking lot), peruse their kitchen gadget aisle, and then do the Suckaaaaaahs Dance right there in the store.

Gift wrap and gift bags.

School supplies, coloring books, and small toys.

My latest greatest find, though, is a thing of joy and fabulousness. I have shunned plastic bags for shopping and just keep my car stocked with every canvas tote bag I've ever been given at every conference I've ever attended. This translates to a lot. But the problem came when it was time to bag my produce. I was still having to use the plastic grocery bags. I even started looking online at this sort of thing but really didn't want to pay $4 a pop for apple bags. So imagine my delight when I came across these Tidy Totes in the dollar store.


They're billed as something to keep in your car to manage clutter, but these mesh bags work beautifully for produce and they cost 25 cents a piece. The checkers at the grocery store have no problem reading the labels through the bag, and they'll usually give me the "brought own bag" discount for all my canvas bags and all my mesh bags. And that's one less day of killing sea turtles. Also, they're just cute and cheery.

Here's the important thing, though. I don't go to the dollar store and start just tossing things into my cart because I'm so excited about the prices (trust me though, I'm tempted). When I know I need to buy things like toiletries, or spices, or gift wrap, or cleaning supplies, I try to go there with my list first. Because if I can find it there, I can buy it for less than I was going to have to spend somewhere else. That way I actually am saving money--money which I can then spend on things like brie and my very own team of palm-frond-wavers and frozen-grape-feeders.

Anyway, those are the reasons behind my love. Has anyone else here been converted? Care to share your testimony?