Avoid potpourri etc. My store does carry a lot of the big brand names though. It's 75% cheaper, it looks just the same, and it's not so painful to see it get annihilated. 
The colors for coloring are just wax and they do not color good at all and they break.You have to buy name brand colors if you want them to color good and last. I figure it's a dollar knife, if I forget to bring it home, no big deal, but I still have some of those dollar knives in my drawer and they work just fine. ; I bought "cinnamon-scented" diffusers at a dollar-type store and the cinnamon smelled like the red mouthwash at the dentist's office! dollartree oneprojectcloser opc kellyleighcreates I buy plastic sandwich bags and aluminum foil as well as my trash bags and I've been satisfied with them. >.< Never buy those at dollarstores. I buy 3-liter bottles of (offbrand) soda for $1. I disagree with the personal hygiene products. If I don't like it, I've only spent a buck instead of 3 or 4. Have I liked everything I purchased no, but that happens when I go to Walmart or Frys. 
The shampoo and body wash I purchased was horrible. Our finance columns have been reprinted on MSN, Yahoo Finance, US News, Business Insider, Money Magazine, and Time Magazine. Good article. BUT, when you're paying $1 for a pack of 4 AA batteries, and the name-brand variety costs $5-$6, you are getting a better deal. Those crayons have been found to contain lead and other unsavory ingredients. Don't worry about paying 75% more for the name brand versions; just get down to your dollar store and stock up on the cleaning products you need at bargain prices. in the garage but I keep the dollar ones in the car and inside the home for quick fixes that don't require a lot of pressure, (yes they are not as durable or made with hardened steel). it's not a perfect test but she said it's good enough to let us know when he needs a round of antibiotics. At these prices, you can afford to. If money is an issue, shop the clearance aisles in retail stores, or look for good, used toys on Craigslist and second hand stores. You walk in with five bucks, and you walk out with a bag full of stuff. Urban detox drinks sale for double at Walmart and Target. Do you agree? Dollar tree has some cute toys for kids. Painkillers may be substandard, counterfeited, or lacking ingredients that the label claims they have. lesbiana packs dollartree I also would never ever buy pet foods or pet supplies. unless it is a brand you recognize and trust (keeping in mind to beware of counterfeits) most of the stuff available there in that category is indeed crap harsh chemicals and inferior quality. I buy 70 percent of my drinks from the dollar store now. we were poisoned by some of the glassware at Dollar Tree and since then learned that 81% of the products they sell that were tested ARE POISONOUS. 
I have founded at Roses stores for a dollar also. When your kids are involved, it's best to err on the side of caution. I did get an expensive pack of baking spatulas for Christmas and most didn't hold up after the 3rd use of melting chocolate or making rice crispy treats, but the dollar tree ones are the best one's that I have ever bought. This revenue may affect the location and order in which products appear. Are you kidding me? Their plastic jugs with cap break in no time. Some of the things the dollar tree gets is overstocked merchandise I think because they don't always have this soap. Also, sometimes shopping clearance isn't saving too much when you can go to the dollar store and buy the same thing for $1.00. Pregnancy tests are actually WAY cheaper at our dollar tree store and they work! And don't over cook the fries! And the same goes for cans and smaller bottles of soda, too. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). I would rethink the list. I've bought all of those things and I they've worked fine. I don't think I want to know what it's made of, but it does the job! One day I decided to google the brand which is Soap Works. (See also: A Quick Guide to Expiration Dates). BEWARE OF CANDLE HOLDERS!!!!
There's a decent selection of glassware in most dollar stores, and they're perfectly safe for the home. Buy good quality knives, especially a chef's knife, and don't skimp on the price. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors. (So says the manager. Have you got other things you would add to either list? Halloween. That place is addictive. I woke from my sleep one night due to the smell of smoke. this article was based on fear not product testing. 
Please note this too, always wear a condom. Hand towels are mostly polyester. So they drop items that don;t sell and find other better replacements. dollartree and i would add body washes and lotions and fragrances as well. Also, unlike you, I've gotten some good tools like pliers, measuring tape, and utility knives. It may work for certain hair types, but try to wash my hair with that crap and see if you can make it straight and not frizzy. I still have Alot of kitchen utensils also that were from Dollar tree. - shower curtain rings - make a Pinterest scarf organizer! 
Ammonia is ammonia. I love the coconut water and refuse to pay 3 dollars a pop for one. Keep a watchful eye before you buy. I have been satisfied with the generic brands too though. Thanksgiving. I would never buy glassware, plasticware, and now add toxic crayons to the list. There is no way of knowing if these items have met the minimum safety requirements, because the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) safety seal is often counterfeited. i have bought kitchen stuff and uses it for camping and i get clothes pins for bags of chips. (See also: Luxury Hair Treatments From Your Kitchen). dollar using tree materials spoons jewelry projects dollarstorecrafts spoon My favorite is clip boards but for some reason they don't usually have them. If the vegetables arent there or aren't good I buy them when I wait for boneless skinless chicken to go on sale (then I buy like 20 pounds of chicken) That's pretty much my entire diet.
i buy the urinary tract infection test kits. Crayons? Nice that they have options for people who don't have much money. The same goes for cups and mugs. As soon as I used it I went back to get more of them, but wouldn't you know, they were no more and have never again appeared anywhere, in any of the stores from dollar stores to Sur Le Table to online sites. my cat is prone to UTIs and the vet can never get a sample so i use them to check at home. also this article was written with some research, unlike your statement purely on experience and speculation. Why shop anywhere else and pay 4x the price for the same items? In 2014, I also have bought two packs of combs and a bandana at a dollar store. But if you're just looking to add a few glasses to your cupboard, your money goes a long way here. dollartree ice cream bulk scoops scoop kitchen cooking plastic concepts dollar tree utensils dining Never seen anything like it. It's the gamble we take when shopping any place.
glasses i've bought at the dollar store broke somewhat easily so I wouldn't buy those there again, you could easily find a good set on sale at a department store but cooking utensils are well worth buying at the dollar store. Expect it to be tricky to get off the roll, thin, and not very "clingy" at all. So many points to argue, so little time. If you've looked at the prices of vitamins in your local grocery store or health food shop, you wouldn't be faulted for trying to find them cheaper elsewhere. And one of the biggest problems is medicines like Ibuprofen have often gone past their expiration dates. 
Make sure to double check how much wrapping paper you get in the $1 roll. But they do not affect the opinions and recommendations of the authors. I cannot tell the difference. How much research was done on this article? The bags don't tear and I don't count how many sandwich bags there are because it takes a long time for two people to go through them. The glasses may not be the most current styles, and you may not get exactly the shape you were looking for. In my experience, they are not well made especially when it comes to knives.
The store I shop is headed by a corp office and they look at sales to see what sells and what doesn't for EACH STORE. I love the dollar store, and agree with most of the article, but I have to disagree with buying drinking glasses and mugs there. Cadmium childrens' jewelry, melamine baby formula and cough syrup, and now toxic crayons are proof enough that people over there either just don't give a damn, or are waging some form of strange economic warfare where they try to bankrupt us by poisoning an entire generation of children. I see a ton of people at the 99 cent store in an affluent area of Gilbert AZ driving away in their BMW's.kuddos to all that love 99 cent store. I have also bought bar soap, toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, and Axe Body sprays for my boyfriend. Ive gone to the dollar store plenty of times for wrapping paper. I've gotten ibuprofen there and it worked fine. And while you're there, stock up on crayons, pencils, erasers, pipe cleaners, colored paper, and glue sticks. I find bargain brands like Suave on sale for $2-$3 without the weird smell and it lasts much longer. For all the people who want to keep wasting money at the big name stores be my guest. From good value, we move to not so good. butterfly spoon They're not made of inferior glass that will shatter when you breathe on them. Scary. That being said, I'm all about the paper products there. Now produce I don't but because I just eat organic. So although those night lights, extension cords, and other electrical "bargains" seem like a good deal, avoid them. 
I agree that the party supplies are great, but not the greeting cards. The LA's Totally awesome they sell is fabulous..cleans darn near everythingthough I've now been told it's bad for the environment..and my health..eeek! That said, I have also gotten many great things at my dollar stores. Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of junk. (See also: The 5 Best All-Purpose Cleaners), Go ahead and spend a small fortune on those name brand shampoos, conditioners, shaving creams, deodorants, and toothpastes if you want. I also think the paint brushes are perfectly adequate, except the foam brushes which are terrible, very flimsy and tend to decompose in paint. Great buy for a quickie but they won't last long because of the glue they use to adhere the paper to the foam. I've never bought anything stale or old. the generic pepto bismal they sell is good for about one tablespoon full. While our team has dedicated thousands of hours to research, we aren't able to cover every product in the marketplace. Pregnancy Tests!! I buy zip-bags and aluminum foil at the dollar store and love them. Your selection may not be that great in the dollar store, but you'll get a lot more containers for your cash. It is no harm to buy at the Dollar stores, especially when you just need something at the moment, and do not have enough money. Lol (tip: buy the steak fries so even if they get overlooked and hard you still have lots of actual potato left), your absalutly right! I would like to know if the eye seeing glasses are okay to wear. Bottom line they probably won't hurt you, but you may be getting short-changed. dollartree
Quantities of health products are getting smaller and smaller.
Unplugged a couple nasty plugged toilets. I buy wraps and foils and they work just fine. Our dollar store carries a lot of 2-3 liter soda bottles, so they can be a good deal, depending on the store you go to. Things that are awesome that were not mentioned: - zip ties - for light use the long lighters for candles.picture frames are good too.greeting cards are great.containers are good for kids little toys or little girls hair stuff. The pregnancy tests are the exact same test as what is used in a clinic, same manufacturing company and all. I completely disagree with including soda on the "Things to Avoid" list. dollartree spoons plastic bags 
- gardening trowels, cultivator, shears - really good quality. Also the rubber tipped styluses are great. And the dirt poor people who make these things barely or don't even make a living wage in the foreign sweat shops. The distribute also gets them at $3 and sells it at $7. spoons dollartree It may only be a buck for a box of bags, but look again. How many bags are you really getting? And I always check out the fresh produce for the occasional organic item. Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. Totally avoid their kitchen gadgets haha. Made in China products have poisoned our children and pets - there have been no measurable changes in the way they manufacture goods since these discoveries over the past several years. Way too many times have I been tempted to buy a spatula, can opener, or cooking knife from the dollar store. Of course, the stuff you have in that bag is going to vary in quality from good to "Are you sure you want to take the risk?" I have totally converted to the glass storage containers that I have gotten at TJ Max and Marshals. 
I buy everything, or nearly everything at Dollar Tree. They have their own distributers here in the US so it would not be legal to sell counterfeit medication. Glass cleaner is glass cleaner. So I have compiled a top 10 list of things to buy, and 10 things to steer clear of. spoons melamine 4x soup chinese japanese
Dollar Trees is the way to go, if you on a fix income, because some of that stuff we spent a lot a money on some if we do not use it by the expiration date , it a waste just check the date before you buy. YES. 
Fine, dollar store batteries aren't as good as the expensive, name brand batteries. cone diyjoy Some of the labels lie outright, while some were made for other countries, with more relaxed rules and no concerns over ingredient purity and safety.
Bottom line in shopping: Look before you leap!
You can usually pick up a two-liter of the same variety for just a few cents more at your local grocery store. Cheaper at Ikea, anyway. Otherwise, I have a tumbler set that cost me 8.99 for 12 that I bought at Walmart. Again, don't expect a massive array of the latest styles. I've bought body wash from Dollar Tree several times and 1) It has always had a faint "odd" smell to it, and 2) It's very runny so you end up going through it a lot faster. Candles are a great buy at the dollar store too.
(See also: Homemade Soda), Any DIY aficionado will tell you a $1 screwdriver or hammer is going to break, and quickly. Just had one explode and read that this is common with cheap lightbulbs, made in China, like theirs. I would skip on most of the health and beauty products. I know you buy shampoos at your store at $7 and sell it at $20. I buy kitchen utensils and have never had a problem and they last awhile. Even online, you can read reviews first. I buy very little from dollar stores. The generic plastic bags work fine. I got some notebooks once that I liked so well, I called the paper company to ask where to get more! But then again I work at a department store chain in the mid-west that carries a name-brand line of kitchen gadgets (brand is best known for its excellent stand-mixers), and the ice cream scoop is so poorly designed and made that I am sure it would break the first time someone used it for anything stiffer than Cool-whip! saves a ton of money and some times they have a bag of 100 tea lights! I wouldn't really trust any candles from there actually, you don't know what chemicals you are burning with the wax. However the little plastic handled paring knife I got 25 years ago at a dollar store is still sharp as ever. I believe they are the same or at least the high price does not justify the difference. Glasses and mugs are good if you only need a couple. But they hold tea and coffee just fine. I woke up just in time to put out the fire. Given how many counterfeit products I've seen in the dollar stores I figure I best stick to local farmers, store generics and things I recognize. spoon handimania allcraftideas oneprojectcloser Advertiser Disclosure ▾ aren't as good as the expensive, name brand batteries, Advertising blogger and copywriter, and creative director for over 20 years, This Customizable Credit Card Puts You in Charge, How a Credit Card Can Actually Help You Get Out of Debt, 4 Ways to Protect Your Retirement From Inflation, Start an Investment Deathmatch to Find the Best Investments, 4 Simple Ways to Conquer Your Fear of Investing. It helps to look closely, even sniff, read packages etc. I know people that turn their nose up to it, heck I use to be that way. Even scarier is that I could go on and on about Dollar Tree items, which tells me it's time to read a book, help a neighbor, or go for a walk. You cant. I use ibuprofen, a decongestant, and a sleep aid that all work as well as walgreens. I wouldn't want to chance it. I make great money and a friend told me I was wasting too much at the regular stores.i decided to give the 99 cent store a try. The prices of coloring books range from "how much?!"
Do yourself (and your hands) a favor, and buy the more expensive versions. 
Last year, my father bought me a laundry basket from a dollar store. they are the weakest ever! Here are 10 things to put on your "avoid at all costs" list. I had the opposite experience. There's definitely some items I wouldn't buy there though I heart the dollar store. Never compromise the quality of fluids needed in your car. The foil is name brand and the brand of bags I use from there are great. 
Obviously the person writing this article is not on a fixed income or state aid and can afford to pay more money elsewhere. BTW, it happened the night before Christmas Eve and my dad was a firefighter who was working that night, it was soooooo close to a tragedy. Oh well, at least I have one. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. I've found name brand foil and plastic bags, cleaning supplies, food and drinks. 
Don't go anywhere near the tool section in a dollar store; you are just throwing your money down the drain. VO5 shampoo is sold for $1 but they sell thousands a day so the seller can buy at $0.8 and still make money. I've bought treats for my dog, Purina ones and a few made in Canada. you don't know if your vitamins really have the same main ingredients, FYI Counterfeit exist and fake stuff, not all labels are real at dollar stores. And will they hold a seal like the name brand bags you buy in grocery stores? There are lots of toys there I wouldn't buy either, so I know where you're coming from on that one. Over and out. My boyfriend and I live right across from a dollar tree and buy the food all the time. And finally, even some food is OK. Drinking glasses and coffee cups crack too easily now. I wouldn't buy the chargers or adapters tho. I just bought lots of them to decorate and give as gifts. I disagree with most of the 10 things not to buy. I've bought kitchen utensils and knives there, they weren't the best, but they also worked fine (and still do). Look at the dates on stuff also. That's why I love the tools they have. lol. 
That and (relating to the tools) picture hanging supplies, small nails, vases and garden twine are all super cheap there. When it comes to your health, it's better to go with the name brand or generic items in the supermarkets and retail stores. It would be great to be wealthy like you, i would not need to go to the dollartree at all! Out dollar tree even sells 3 liter sodas now. The bar is huge and last forever and it smells wonderful. That's pretty much it. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's just not a bargain. 
I buy a lot of my cooking utensils at the Dollar Store. The crayons have a faint color and break easily. A lot of the comb's teeth broke. They are selling smaller and shoddier for bigger profits. I can buy 3 ounces of cashews for a dollar, i can't afford fifteen dollars for a big jar at sam's club. As someone who does a fair bit of DIY myself, I can tell you that tools are worth the investment. I look for office-supply type products: I love some pens I just got @ 10 for $1--the ink runs out faster than more expensive pens, but they still come out better because pens are ridiculously expensive, and they feel good in my hand. - plastic storage bins - so many sizes and colors! But the kitchen utensils, I agree with but the (baking) spatulas are pretty durable. I also buy box cutters there, and I always look for non-aerosol hairspray. disney dollar tree items must pack vacation themeparkhipster plastic incredible silver We make a point to try a bunch of the foods and so far only the little bag of cheese tortellini was bad. Since I am hair stylist I immediately don't want to believe anything in this article because you said Dollar Store shampoo works the same as salon shampoos. I agree.The brands in the medication aisle are mostly put out by Assuredwhich is a dollar tree brand. 70 percent of purchased stuff by me from there has been name brand. I would add: SKIN LOTION! forks silverware catering glasses What's more, they may not meet current safety regulations. 6-pack of tumblers for $2.99? Dollar store batteries are usually older carbon-zinc technology, as opposed to alkaline or lithium. You'll be glad you did. It smelled wonderful, lemon verbena, oatmeal verbena and several other fragrances. If you don't mind replacing batteries more often (and checking often too, as some batteries will leak if left in too long) they'll do just fine; especially for those power-draining kids toys.