20 Items to Buy at Dollar Stores (And 20 Items to Avoid)

Dollar stores, also known as variety stores, can be a great place to stock up on essentials if you’re looking to save some money. With thousands of products at rock-bottom prices, there are certainly some great deals to be had.

In some cases, however, you might be better off shopping elsewhere. Some dollar store products are simply a waste of money, no matter how inexpensive they may be. Some items are just not durable enough, while others don’t work the way they’re supposed to. Sometimes, they may even pose significant health and safety risks.

Read on to find out what items you should buy at dollar stores, and what items you should avoid at all costs.

Buy: Hair accessories

Dollar stores typically carry a wide selection of hair accessories. While some fashionistas might scoff at the idea of buying their brushes, headbands, or hair ties at discount stores, there’s absolutely no reason to spend more money on these items than you need to!

Unless you’re looking for something of a particular style or quality, dollar store hair accessories can be just as good as those that you would find elsewhere. Why pay more for something that you’ll likely end up losing after using it a few times?

Avoid: Body wash and shampoo

Unlike supermarkets and drugstores, dollar stores usually only have a limited selection of body wash and shampoos, most of which are lesser-known brands. You are more likely to score better deals at other retailers, especially if you have some coupons in hand during a sale.

Besides, would you really place your faith in cheaper, lesser-known products? This would be fine if you don’t have sensitive skin or easily damaged hair, but if you do, you’d probably be better off choosing the more trusted brands instead.

Buy: Coffee filters

Though coffee filters don’t usually cost that much, it’s still an expense that can add up quickly, especially if you drink several cups of coffee a day. To save money, consider buying your coffee filters at a dollar store instead.

A coffee filter is a coffee filter, and its price won’t have much of an effect on the quality of your cup of joe. Cheap ones can function just as well as pricier ones, so go ahead and grab that $1 pack of coffee filters.

Avoid: Coffee

If you’re simply looking for a quick caffeine fix and don’t really care how your coffee tastes, then dollar store coffee should do the trick. However, if you’d rather not have coffee that tastes like dirt or pencil shavings, then you might want to look elsewhere!

Dollar store coffee isn’t usually very good, and the choices tend to be quite limited. You’d likely only find either unfamiliar brands or packs of coffee that look like they’ve been sitting on the shelves for weeks. If you want good-quality coffee, check out other retailers instead.

Buy: Socks

Most of the clothes that you would find at dollar stores are typically made of poor-quality materials and are not worth buying. If you want to buy clothes that’ll last longer, there are tons of better places where you could shop!

Socks, however, are an exception. They are one of the most disposable types of clothing anyway, so why bother buying expensive ones? Head to your nearest dollar store and look for socks made with acrylic or spandex to get the best bang for your buck.

Avoid: Oven mitts

Oven mitts are a must if you want to protect your hands from burns while cooking or baking. The thicker they are, the better! Unfortunately, oven mitts sold at dollar stores aren’t usually as thick as the more expensive ones found elsewhere.

Oven mitts aren’t a luxury item anyway, so why not shell out a few extra dollars at a different store for high-quality ones that can offer you better protection? They’re worth the cost, and you’ll also have a bigger selection of interesting designs and patterns to choose from.

Buy: Seasonal decorations

From Christmas tree ornaments to scarecrows, dollar stores are the place to be if you want to liven up your home! Many dollar stores have a decent selection of seasonal decorations at bargain prices, which saves you from the hassle of going to multiple stores to find the best deals.

Seasonal decorations are only used about once a year, and you’d only need them for a few days or weeks. That said, you don’t need to buy expensive decorations when your local dollar store has them at a fraction of the cost.

Avoid: Christmas lights

While we recommend that you buy your holiday decor at dollar stores, this isn’t the case for Christmas lights. If you want your holidays to go off without a hitch, Christmas lights are one of those things you definitely shouldn’t skimp on.

Christmas lights sold at dollar stores may not have been designed and tested to the highest standards, and using Christmas lights with faulty wiring is one sure way to start a fire. Cheap Christmas lights are simply not worth the risk!

Buy: Gift bags, wrapping paper, bows, etc.

If you’re at the dollar store to buy seasonal decorations, then you might as well pick up a few other items like gift bags, wrapping paper, and bows. You could end up getting much better deals for these items than you normally would at other retailers.

The quality of gift bags, wrapping paper, and bows tends to be fairly consistent across different stores, so there’s no need for you to spend so much money on these items at a different retailer when you can also get them at the dollar store for less.