A Guide to Shopping at Dollar Stores

Gregory DeVictor is a trivia enthusiast who loves to write articles on American nostalgia.

A Guide to Shopping at Dollar Stores

According to the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cost of feeding an American family of four on a healthy diet roughly costs $220 a week, or almost $1,000 a month. That number is considered the "thrifty food plan," the most frugal of the four plans the department outlines. Low-cost, moderate-cost, and liberal plans just go up in amount from there.

While you may have little control over your mortgage, rent, or property taxes, food costs are still one of the most flexible areas in the family budget.

Save Money by Skipping the Big-Box Stores

To keep your grocery budget fiscally fit week after week, why not forget the big-box discount stores and start doing some of your grocery shopping at the dollar store? This article is a guide to shopping at dollar stores.

Here are the four leading dollar store chains in the USA:

1. 99-Cent Only Stores operates over 394 stores in California, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. Dave Gold opened the first 99 Cents Only store in Los Angeles in 1982.
2. Dollar General operates nearly 14,000 stores in 44 states, with more stores planned each year. Dollar General’s first store opened in Springfield, Kentucky, on June 1, 1955. Their concept back then was that no item in the store would cost more than one dollar.
3. Dollar Tree operates over 13,500 stores throughout the 48 contiguous states and Canada. Their roots go all the way back to 1953 when K. R. Perry opened a Ben Franklin variety store in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, which he later renamed K&K 5&10.
4. Family Dollar operates over 7,000 stores in 48 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. In 2014, Family Dollar was purchased by Dollar Tree, and the acquisition was finalized one year later. According to Keith Loria, Dollar Tree "plans to renovate 250 Family Dollar stores this year [2017] and expand frozen and refrigerated sections at an additional 300 stores. New layouts will include expanded snack and beverage offerings, immediate consumption courts near checkout, more adult beverage products, a faster checkout process and more."

10 Facts About Dollar Stores

1. Dollar Tree and 99 Cents Stores are “true” dollar stores because everything is priced at $1.00 or less with no exceptions. However, Dollar General and Family Dollar are not “true” dollar stores because most of the merchandise is priced higher than $1.00.
2. Dollar Tree stores tend to be located in the suburbs, while Dollar General generally has stores in both urban and suburban areas. For example, Dollar General has stores throughout the City of Erie (PA) as well as in other parts of Erie County, including Millcreek Township, Albion, Cambridge Springs, Conneaut Lake, Corry, Edinboro, Fairview, Girard, McKean, and Meadville.
3. Richard Gottlieb tells us that there are now 30,496 dollar stores in the United States. To show you how big that is, drug store chains like Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens have a combined total of 22,396 stores. Mass merchandisers like Walmart and Target together have 5,979 stores. Supermarket chains like Kroger, Publix, Safeway, and Albertsons have a combined total of 7,443 stores.
4. From time to time, you will probably come across dollar stores that are not a part of any major chain. Here is a partial list of independent dollar stores in the greater Pittsburgh area that have just one location: Dollar Hut, Dollar Max, Dollar & More, Dollar Plus, Dollar Store, Dollar Village, Dollar Wave, Dollar Zone, Just A Buck, and Parkside Dollar. By the way, there are also 8 Dollar Discount, 31 Dollar General, 15 Dollar Tree, and 24 Family Dollar stores in the greater Pittsburgh region.
5. In addition to the brick-and-mortar dollar store chains, there are a number of online dollar stores that often have incredible deals. However, like Dollar General and Family Dollar, these stores aren’t “true” dollar stores since much of the merchandise is priced above $1.00. Here is the list: 5 Dollar Fashions, Axcesso Spot, Bargain Bunch, Dollar 1, Dollar Fanatic, Dollar Shave Club, Dollar Store, DollarItem.com, Five Below, H&J Closeout, Miss A, One Dollar Store, and Rosegal.
6. Dollar stores tend to be smaller in size than traditional grocery stores. Some of them even have no more than 1,000 square feet of selling space. One notable example of this phenomenon was Dollar Spree, an independent dollar store that was once located in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Dollar Spree closed late in 2017, possibly due to its poor location.
7. You can buy brand-name products as well as private labels at dollar stores.
8. Dollar stores now accept manufacturer’s coupons.
9. Not everything at the dollar store is cheaper. For example, Andrea Woroch tells us that “Most electronics that plug in are junk and don’t last long, especially HDMI cords and power strips. When dealing with electronics, it’s best to purchase from a legit electronic retailer or an online store like Amazon.com for cheaper prices.”
10. You can purchase any product that Dollar Tree sells online in bulk. Here’s how it works:

• Suppose that you want to buy Riverton Orchards Lemon Juice in the 32-ounce bottle online. To qualify, you must purchase a minimum of 12 bottles (one case) at $1.00 per unit for a grand total of $12.
• Here’s another example: Let’s say that you want to buy Love My Carpet Hawaiian Passion 2-In-1 Carpet & Room Deodorizer in the 14-ounce size online. To qualify, you would have to purchase a minimum of 12 units (one case) at $1.00 per unit for a grand total of $12.
• Here’s a third and final example: Suppose that you want to buy Sparkle Spirited Prints Paper Towels online. To qualify, you must purchase a minimum of 30 rolls (one case) at $1.00 per unit for a grand total of $30.

136 Dollar Store Bargains That You Can't Afford to Miss

1. Acrylic gemstones
2. Aluminum foil sheets
3. Apple-scented candles
4. Artificial flowers
5. Asian hand fan
6. Baby oil
7. Baby powder
8. Bags of colored sand
9. Baking soda
10. Ball mason jars
11. Balloons
12. Bath fragrances
13. Beef and chicken broth
14. Beer glasses
15. Bingo markers
16. Bleach
17. Body lotion
18. Book lights
19. Brown paper lunch bags
20. Bubble bath
21. Butterfly garden stakes
22. Butterfly wall stickers
23. Buttons
24. Cake decoration tips
25. Calculators
26. Canned fruits and vegetables
27. Canned soups
28. Clay pots
29. Clothes pins
30. Coffee filters
31. Coloring and puzzle books
32. Construction paper
33. Cookie cutters
34. Cookies, vanilla wafers, etc.
35. Cooking spray
36. Corn starch
37. Cotton balls
38. Cotton swabs
39. Craft foam sheets
40. Craft sticks
41. Decorative gift bags and baskets
42. Decorative tape
43. Dental floss
44. Die cut letters
45. Double-sided tape
46. Dried beans
47. Drinking glasses and mugs
48. Fabric flowers
49. Fabric paint
50. Fake snow
51. Feathers
52. Floral filler craft supply
53. Fly swatters
54. Gardening gloves
55. Glass flower vases
56. Glitter
57. Glitter glue
58. Glue sticks
59. Granulated and light brown sugar
60. Greeting cards
61. Hand sanitizer
62. Handy wipes
63. Hardcover and paperback books
64. Heart-shaped stickers
65. Highlighters
66. Holiday decorations (However, you should never buy holiday light strings or metallic Christmas garlands at the dollar store.)
67. Holographic sheets
68. Hula hoops
69. Hydrogen peroxide
70. Ice cube trays
71. Jumbo street chalk
72. Kitchen dish cloths
73. Kites
74. Large bowls for chips, snacks, etc.
75. Led lights
76. Lemon juice
77. Letter banners
78. Letter cutouts
79. Letter wall art
80. Locking plastic baggies
81. Mailing labels
82. Masking tape
83. Medicated powder
84. Metallic embellishments
85. Natural raffia
86. Neon paper starbursts
87. Packing tape
88. Paint brushes for craft projects
89. Painters drop cloths
90. Paper clips
91. Paper gift bags
92. Parchment paper
93. Party supplies
94. Patterned poster board
95. Pens and paper
96. Petroleum jelly
97. Picnic supplies (packages of napkins with American flags, paper plates, plastic utensils, etc.)
98. Plain craft sticks
99. Plain white socks
100. Plastic utensils
101. Popsicle sticks
102. Poster board
103. Potting soil
104. Power clips
105. Push pins
106. Rose petals
107. Rubbing alcohol
108. Ruled index cards
109. Scotch tape
110. Scouring pads
111. Security envelopes
112. Shampoo and conditioner
113. Shaving cream
114. Silk flowers
115. Small flashlights
116. Small picture frames
117. Soda
118. Spices and seasonings
119. Sponges
120. Spray bottles
121. Spring water
122. Star-shaped glass
123. String
124. Thrifty glassware
125. Tissue paper craft kits
126. Toothbrushes and toothpaste
127. Velcro
128. Vinyl gloves
129. Vinyl letters
130. Watercolors
131. Wax candles
132. Wax paper
133. Waxed basket liners
134. Wooden clothespins
135. Wrapping paper
136. Yarn

What You Should Never Buy at the Dollar Store

1. Batteries: You will find better quality and value at Target, Walmart, or even Aldi’s.
2. Canola oil, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.: You will find much better quality at the grocery store, Trader Joe's,or Whole Foods.
3. Earbuds and headphones
4. Electrical cords: Try Home Depot or Lowe’s
5. HDMI cables
6. Holiday light strings and Christmas garlands
7. Jewelry
8. Kitchen utensils: The quality of these utensils is generally very poor.
9. Magnifying glasses
10. Makeup, mascara, lipstick, etc.
11. Oven mitts
12. Over-the-counter medications such as cold remedies
13. Pet foods and treats
14. Plastic food containers: Again, the quality of these food containers is generally very poor and may not be safe with food.
15. Plastic trash bags: Years ago, my father bought some plastic trash bags at Dollar Tree and there were some very unpleasant consequences.
16. Reading glasses
17. Steak: Kiplinger.com tells us that "While $1 for a 3.5-ounce frozen ribeye is easy on the wallet, really, should you? The dollar-store steak is sliced razor thin and, according to the packaging, is beefed up by as much as 30% solution. One YouTube food reviewer likened the taste and texture to Steak-umm, the frozen, thin-sliced molded beef product that adorned many a childhood sandwich. We’ll pass."
18. Tools: Don’t buy tools at the dollar store unless you’re planning to only use them a couple of times.
19. USB chargers
20. Vitamins and nutritional supplements: You will find better deals at the grocery store or Walgreens.
21. Windshield washer fluid: Walmart and Target are better options.

250+ Grocery Items That You Can Buy for $1.00 at Dollar Tree

Here are over 250 grocery items that you can buy for $1.00 at Dollar Tree, one of America’s leading dollar-store chains. For your convenience, I have divided this section into the following categories:

1. Beverages
2. Canned Fruit
3. Canned Meat & Fish
4. Canned Soups, Broth, and Bouillon
5. Canned Vegetables & Dried Beans
6. Cereal
7. Condiments & Baking
8. Dairy
9. Household Supplies & Paper Products
10. Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Rice, Side Dishes, etc.
11. Snacks, Breakfast Bars, Candy, etc.
12. Spices & Seasonings

Beverages

1. 12-Ounce Cans of Shasta Lemon Lime Soda, 4-count packs
2. 12-Ounce Cans of Shasta Orange Soda, 4-count packs
3. 12-Ounce Cans of Shasta Soda, 4-count packs
4. 12-Ounce Cans of Shasta Tiki Punch Soda, 4-count packs
5. All Natural Premium Black Tea Bags, 100-count boxes
6. Arizona Green Tea, 42 ounce bottles
7. Arizona Raspberry Tea, 42-ounce bottles
8. Arizona Southern Style Sweet Tea, 42-ounce bottles
9. Arizona Tea with Lemon Flavor, 42-ounce bottles
10. Crystal Geyser 16.9-Ounce Natural Alpine Spring Water, 6-count packs
11. Crystal Geyser Natural Alpine Spring Water, one-gallon jugs
12. Jarritos Mandarin Soda, 25.4-ounce bottles
13. Jarritos Tamarind Soda, 25.4-ounce bottles
14. Jumex Guava Nectar, 33.8 ounces
15. Jumex Mango Nectar, 33.8 ounces
16. Premium Green Tea Bags, 100-count boxes
17. Propel Berry Flavored Water Beverage, 24-ounce bottles
18. Propel Kiwi Strawberry Flavored Water Beverage, 24-ounce bottles
19. Propel Watermelon Flavored Water Beverage, 24-ounce bottles
20. Riverton Orchards Lemon Juice, 32 ounce-bottles
21. Shasta Cola, 2.5-liter bottles
22. Shasta Diet Cola, 2.5-liter bottles
23. Shasta Orange Soda, 2.5-liter bottles
24. Shasta Tiki Punch Soda, 2.5-liter bottles
25. Shasta Twist Lemon Lime Soda, 2.5-liter bottles
26. Stars & Stripes Cola, 2.75-liter bottles
27. Stars & Stripes Diet Cola, 2.75-liter bottles
28. Stars & Stripes Fruit Punch Soda, 2.75-liter bottles
29. Stars & Stripes Grape Soda, 2.75-liter bottles
30. Stars & Stripes Lemon-Lime Flavored Soda, 2.75-liter bottles
31. Stars & Stripes Mountain Citrus Soda, 2.75-liter bottles
32. Stars & Stripes Orange Soda, 2.75-liter bottles
33. Stars & Stripes Root Beer, 2.75-liter bottles
34. Sunny D Orange-Flavored Citrus Punch Drink, 56-ounce bottles
35. Sweet Mate Sweetener Packets, 50-count packs
36. Sweet Mate Zero Calorie Sweetener Packets, 100-count boxes
37. Tevive Herbal Infusions Chamomile Tea Bags, 20-count packs
38. Yoo-Hoo Chocolate Drink Boxes, 3-count packs

Canned Fruit

1. Island Choice Mandarin Orange Cups, 3-count packs
2. Island Choice Yellow Cling Diced Peach Cups, 3-count packs
3. Libby’s Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup, 15-ounce cans
4. Libby’s Peach Slices in Heavy Syrup, 15-ounce cans
5. Libby’s Pineapple Chunks, 15-ounce cans
6. Libby’s Premium Mandarin Oranges, 15-ounce cans
7. Libby’s Sliced Pineapple, 15-ounce cans

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Canned Meat & Fish

1. Armour Original Vienna Sausage, 10-ounce cans
2. Armour Original Vienna Sausages, 4.6-ounce cans
3. Armour Potted Meat, 3.5-ounce cans
4. Beach Cliff Sardines in Mustard Sauce, 3.75-ounce cans
5. Beach Cliff Sardines in Soybean Oil, 3.75-ounce cans
6. Brim’s Barbeque Pork Rinds, 8-ounce bags
7. Brim’s Pork Rinds, 3-ounce bags
8. Bumble Bee Chunk Light Tuna in Water, 5-ounce cans
9. Butterfield Farms Premium Chunk White Chicken, 5-ounce cans
10. Hormel Pepperoni, 1.75 ounce packages
11. Van Camp’s Chunk Light Tuna in Water, 5-ounce cans
12. Van Camp’s Chunk White Albacore Tuna in Water, 6-ounce cans

Canned Soups, Broth, and Bouillon

1. Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup, 14.75-ounce cans
2. Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup, 15.2-ounce cans
3. Goya Powdered Chicken-Flavored Bouillon, 2.82-ounce boxes
4. Hanover Chunky Beef Vegetable Soup, 15-ounce cans
5. Hanover Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup, 15-ounce cans
6. Hanover Chunky New England Chowder Soup, 15-ounce cans
7. Healthy Choice Chicken Noodle Soup, 15-ounce cans
8. Healthy Choice Chicken with Rice Soup, 15-ounce cans
9. Kendale Farm Beef Broth, 32 ounces
10. Kendale Farm Chicken Broth, 32 ounces
11. Kendale Farm Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup, 14.75-ounce cans
12. Kendale Farm Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup, 14.75-ounce cans

Canned Vegetables & Dried Beans

If you have an Aldi store in your locale, you can purchase many of the canned vegetables listed below for less than $1.00. However, Aldi does not have stores in all parts of the USA, including in Northern California as well as in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. In addition, I have done price comparisons at my local supermarket for some of the Libby and Goya products listed below and found prices as high as $2.19 per unit.

1. Brown’s Best Dry Northern Beans, 16-ounce bags
2. Brown’s Best Dry Red Kidney Beans, 24-ounce bags
3. Campbell’s Picnic Style Pork & Beans, 19.75-ounce cans
4. Corina Diced Tomatoes, 28-ounce cans
5. Goya Black Beans, 15.5-ounce cans
6. Goya Chick Peas, 15.5-ounce cans
7. Goya Premium Kidney Beans, 15.5-ounce cans
8. Goya Premium Pinto Beans, 15.5-ounce cans
9. Goya Small Red Beans, 15.5-ounce cans
10. Hanover Brown Sugar & Bacon Baked Beans, 28-ounce cans
11. La Rosa Black Beans, 16-ounce cans
12. Libby’s Cut Green Beans, 14.5-ounce cans
13. Libby’s French Style Green Beans, 14.5-ounce cans
14. Libby’s Mixed Vegetables, 15-ounce cans
15. Libby’s Sliced Beets, 15-ounce cans
16. Libby’s Sliced Carrots, 14.5-ounce cans
17. Libby’s Sweet Peas, 15-ounce cans
18. Libby’s Whole Kernel Sweet Corn, 15-ounce cans
19. Libby’s Whole White Potatoes, 15-ounce cans

Cereal

1. Cap’n Crunch Cereal, 5.5-ounce boxes
2. Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries, 4.4-ounce boxes
3. Kellogg’s Apple Jacks, 3.1-ounce bags
4. Kellogg’s Froot Loops Cereal, 3.1-ounce bags
5. Kellogg’s Froot Loops Cereal, 3.1-ounce bags
6. Malt-O-Meal Frosted Mini Spooners Cereal, 7-ounce boxes
7. Malt-O-Meal Marshmallow Mateys Cereal Boxes, 7.8-ounce boxes
8. Malt-O-Meal Tootie Fruitie Cereal, 6.8-ounce boxes

Condiments & Baking

1. 1905 Apple Cider Vinegar, 32-ounce bottles
2. 1905 White Vinegar, 32-ounce bottles
3. All Purpose Flour, 2 pounds
4. Baking Soda, 16-ounce boxes
5. Bell’s Large Pitted Ripe Black Olives, 6-ounce cans
6. Bell’s Medium Pitted Ripe Black Olives, 6-ounce cans
7. Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix, 10.25-ounce packages
8. Blazin Blends Zesty Steak Sauce, 10-ounce bottles
9. Breckenridge Farms Kosher Baby Dills, 17-ounce jar
10. Breckenridge Farms Kosher Dills, 17-ounce jars
11. Breckenridge Farms Kosher Sandwich Slices, 17-ounce jars
12. Breckenridge Farms Pickled Jalapeno Slices, 12.5-ounce jars
13. Breckenridge Farms Stuffed Green Olives, 5-ounce cans
14. Breckenridge Farms Sweet Relish, 12.5-ounce jars
15. Calder’s Gourmet Real Mayonnaise
16. Caribbean Joy Coconut Milk, 13.5-ounce cans
17. Clemente Jacques Green Pickled Sliced Jalapenos, 12-ounce cans
18. Clemente Jacques Pickled Whole Jalapenos, 26-ounce cans
19. Deli Market Spicy Brown Mustard, 12 ounces
20. Deli Market Yellow Mustard, 20 ounces
21. Domino Granulated Sugar, 16-ounce boxes
22. Domino Light Brown Sugar, 16-ounce boxes
23. Golden Chef Vegetable Oil, 16-ounce bottles
24. Greenbrier Farms Creamy Peanut Butter, 10-ounce jars
25. Greenbrier Farms Creamy Peanut Butter, 10-ounce jars
26. Harvest Hill Light & Fluffy Buttermilk Pancake Mix, 16.5-ounce boxes
27. Harvest Hill Original Pancake Syrup, 24-ounce bottles
28. Healthy Chef Canola Non-Stick Cooking Spray, 5-ounce cans
29. Hospitality Graham Cracker Pie Crust, 9 inches
30. Hunt’s Tomato Ketchup, 24-ounce bottles
31. Kraft Classic Ranch Salad Dressing, 8-ounce bottles
32. Kraft Zesty Italian Salad Dressing, 8-ounce bottles
33. La Costena Green Pickled Whole Jalapenos, 12-ounce cans
34. Lil’ Bear Honey Flavored Syrup, 8-ounce bottles
35. Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce, 10-ounce bottles
36. Maseca Instant Corn Messa Flour, 1.25-pound bags
37. Mother’s Maid Cherry Pie Filling, 15-ounce cans
38. Musselman’s Apple Pie Filling, 21-ounce cans
39. Nestle La Lechera Sweetened Condensed Milk, 7.05-ounce cans
40. Pampa Grape Fruit Spread, 19-ounce squeeze bottles
41. Pampa Minced Garlic, 8-ounce jars
42. Pampa Ripe Pitted Black Olives, 6-ounce cans
43. Pampa Strawberry Fruit Spread, 19-ounce squeeze bottles
44. Pillsbury Chocolate Frosting, 10-ounce containers
45. Pillsbury Funfetti Vanilla Frosting, 9.6-ounce containers
46. Pillsbury Traditional Chocolate Cake Mix, 15.25-ounce boxes
47. Pillsbury Traditional Yellow Cake Mix, 15.25-ounce boxes
48. Pillsbury Vanilla Frosting, 10-ounce containers
49. Pure & Simple Coconut Non-Stick Cooking Spray, 6-ounce cans
50. Riverton Valley Italian Salad Dressing, 16-ounce bottles
51. Riverton Valley Ranch Salad Dressing, 16-ounce bottles
52. Spring Farm Evaporated Milk, 12-ounce cans
53. Supreme Tradition Worcestershire Sauce, 10-ounce bottles
54. Tapatio Hot Sauce, 10-ounce bottles
55. Texas Pete Hot Sauce, 6-ounce bottles
56. Welch’s Grape Jelly, 9.5-ounce jars
57. Wish-Bone Ranch Salad Dressing, 8-ounce bottles

Dairy

1. Grossner Foods Premium 1% Milk, one quart
2. Grossner Foods Premium 2% Milk, one quart
3. Grossner Foods Premium Whole Milk, one quart

Household Supplies & Paper Products

1. Bounce Outdoor Fresh Dryer Sheets
2. Brillo Basics Copper Scour Pads, 3-count pack
3. Brown Paper Lunch Bags, 40-count packs
4. Cascade Fresh Scent Dishwasher Detergent Pods, 4-count packs
5. Dawn Simply Clean Dishwashing Liquid, 12.6-ounce bottles
6. Dawn Ultra Original Scent Dishwashing Liquid, 8-ounce bottles
7. Durable Wax Paper, 65-ft.
8. LA’s Totally Awesome Carpet Spot & Stain Remover, 32 ounces
9. Palmolive Original Dish Liquid, 12.6-ounce bottles
10. Parchment Paper, 25-ft rolls
11. Pop-Up Aluminum Foil Sheets, 30-count packs
12. Scotch-Brite Stainless Steel Scrubbing Pads, 2-count packs
13. Scrub Buddies Colorful Scrubbing Pads, 3-count packs
14. Scrub Buddies Disposable Gloves, 100-count packs
15. Scrub Buddies Disposable Vinyl Gloves, 10-count packs
16. The Home Store Heavy-Duty Oven Cleaner, 13-ounce cans
17. The Home Store Plastic Wrap, 100 square feet
18. The Home Store Ultra Dish Fresh Apple Detergent, 30 ounces
19. The Home Store Ultra Dish Fresh Citrus Detergent, 30 ounces
20. The Home Store Ultra Shine Dish Detergent Pods, 10-count packs

Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Rice, Side Dishes, etc.

1. Campbell’s SpaghettiOs Original Pasta, 14.2-ounce cans
2. Chef Boyardee Mini Ravioli, 15-ounce cans
3. Chef’s Essence Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce, 11.8-ounce jars
4. Columbia Elbow Macaroni, 24-ounce boxes
5. Columbia Enriched Wide Egg Noodles, 12-ounce bags
6. Columbia Lasagne, 12-ounce boxes
7. Columbia Penne Pasta, 24-ounce boxes
8. Columbia Spaghetti, 24-ounce boxes
9. Columbia Thin Spaghetti, 24-ounce boxes
10. Hunt’s Premium Garlic & Herb Pasta Sauce, 24-ounce cans
11. Hunt’s Premium Meat Flavored Pasta Sauce, 24-ounce cans
12. Hunt’s Premium Traditional Pasta Sauce, 24-ounce cans
13. Knorr Alfredo Pasta Sides, 4.4 ounces
14. Knorr Cheddar Broccoli Rice Sides, 5.7-ounce packs
15. Knorr Chicken Flavored Rice Sides, 5.6-ounce packs
16. Kraft Mac & Cheese Dinners, 7.25-ounce boxes
17. Loretta Deluxe Mac and Cheese, 12 ounces
18. Pampa Long-Grained Rice, 32-ounce bags
19. Paulie’s Pasta Shells & Cheese, 12-ounce boxes
20. Rice-A-Roni Chicken Flavor, 6.9-ounce boxes
21. Southgate Beef Stew, 15-ounce cans
22. Southgate Chili with Beans, 15-ounce cans
23. Vigo Spanish Yellow Rice, 9-ounce bags

Snacks, Breakfast Bars, Candy, etc.

1. Airheads, 6-count packs
2. Bauducco Chocolate Sugar Wafers, 5.82-ounce packs
3. Bauducco Strawberry Sugar Wafers, 5.82-ounce packs
4. Bauducco Vanilla Sugar Wafers, 5.82-ounce packs
5. Coastal Bay Confections Cinnamon Mints, 1.76-ounce tins
6. Fireside Marshmallows, 10-ounce bags
7. Fireside Mini Marshmallows, 10.5-ounce bags
8. French’s Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Dip, 9-ounce cans
9. French’s Nacho Cheese Dip, 8.5-ounce cans
10. French’s Onion Dip, 8.5-ounce cans
11. Frosted Strawberry Toast’em Pop-Ups, 6-count boxes
12. Goya Chocolate Maria Cookies, 7-ounce packs
13. Goya Palmeritas Cookies, 5.82-ounce packs
14. Mini Snickers Candy, 12-count bags
15. Muncheros Chili Lemon Botana, 4.5-ounce packs
16. Muncheros Crunchy Chili-Lemon Flavored Peanuts, 4.25-ounce bags
17. Muncheros Dried Pineapple & Papaya, 4.5-ounce bags
18. Muncheros Hot & Spicy Peanuts, 4.25-ounce packs
19. Nature Valley Oats ‘N Honey Crunchy Granola Bars, 4-count boxes
20. Pampa Strawberry Sugar Wafers, 8-ounce packs
21. Pampa Sugar-Free Vanilla Wafers, 7-ounce packages
22. Pixy Stix Candy-filled Straws, 43-count packs
23. Smarties Candy Rolls, 5.5-ounce bags
24. Toast’em Pop-Ups Frosted Cookies & Creme Toaster Pastries, 11-ounce package
25. Trolli Sour Bite Crawlers, 4.4-ounce bags
26. Twisty Straw Lollipops
27. Velveeta Cheese Sauce, 4-ounce packs
28. Werther’s Original Hard Candies, 2.65-ounce bags
29. Wonka Pixy Stix, 3.2-ounce bags
30. Wonka Rainbow Nerds, 5-ounce boxes

Spices & Seasonings

These spices and seasonings are a terrific bargain because you would pay much more at the grocery store and even at Walmart or Target. For example, a 3-oz. jar of private-label Supreme Tradition Chili Powder costs $1.00 at Dollar Tree. You would pay up to $10.20 for three ounces of the brand-name at Target. The cost-per-ounce at Dollar Tree is 33.333 cents while the cost-per-ounce at Target is $3.40.

Here’s another example: A 2.25-oz. jar of private-label Supreme Tradition Ground Cayenne Pepper costs $1.00 at Dollar Tree. You would pay up to $7.07 for a comparable amount of the brand-name at Target. The cost-per-ounce at Dollar Tree is 44 cents while the cost-per-ounce at Target is $3.14.

Here’s a third example: A 3.17-oz. jar of private-label Supreme Tradition Chopped Onion costs $1.00 at Dollar Tree. You would pay up to $4.64 for a comparable amount of the brand-name at Target. The cost-per-ounce at Dollar Tree is 31.5 cents while the cost-per-ounce at Target is $1.46.

Here’s another example: A 3.17-oz. jar of private-label Supreme Tradition Crushed Red Pepper costs $1.00 at Dollar Tree. You would pay up to $3.04 for a comparable amount of the brand-name at Target. The cost-per-ounce at Dollar Tree is 31.5 cents while the cost-per-ounce at Target is $1.73.

Here’s a fifth and final example: A 2-oz. jar of private-label Supreme Tradition Ground Black Pepper costs $1.00 at Dollar Tree. You would pay up to $3.92 for a comparable amount of the brand-name at Walmart. The cost-per-ounce at Dollar Tree is 50 cents while the cost-per-ounce at Walmart is $1.96.

1. Everyday Table Shakers Salt & Pepper Set
2. Goya Sazon Seasoning, 8-packet boxes
3. La Santa Maria Fine Sea Salt, 35.3-ounce boxes
4. McCormick Bac’n Pieces Applewood-Smoked Bacon Flavored Bits, 1.87 ounces
5. Natural Pepper Grinder, 1.5 ounces
6. Natural Sea Salt Grinder, 3.1 ounces
7. Old World Flavor Coarse Kosher Salt, 16 ounces
8. Supreme Tradition Bacon Flavored Bits, 2.82 ounces
9. Supreme Tradition Cayenne Pepper, 2.25 ounces
10. Supreme Tradition Chili Powder, 3 ounces
11. Supreme Tradition Chopped Chives, 0.35-ounces
12. Supreme Tradition Chopped Onion, 3.17 ounces
13. Supreme Tradition Crushed Red Pepper, 1.76 ounces
14. Supreme Tradition French Fry Seasoning, 5 ounces
15. Supreme Tradition Garlic Pepper Seasoning, 5.4 ounces
16. Supreme Tradition Garlic Powder, 1.65 ounces
17. Supreme Tradition Garlic Salt, 6.52 ounces
18. Supreme Tradition Ground Basil, 0.95 ounces
19. Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon, 3 ounces
20. Supreme Tradition Ground Pepper, 2 ounces
21. Supreme Tradition Imitation Vanilla Extract, 8 ounces
22. Supreme Tradition Italian Seasoning, 1.23 ounces
23. Supreme Tradition Lemon Pepper Seasoning, 4.65 ounces
24. Supreme Tradition Onion Powder, 2 ounces
25. Supreme Tradition Oregano Leaves, 1.23 ounces
26. Supreme Tradition Paprika, 3.17 ounces
27. Supreme Tradition Parsley Flakes, 0.49 ounces
28. Supreme Tradition Salt-Free Seasoning Blend, 2.5 ounces
29. U.S. Salt Iodized Salt, 26-ounce canisters

References

• BestKeptSecret.com
• TheSpruce.com
• fns.usda.gov

© 2018 Gregory DeVictor

Comments

Gregory DeVictor (author) from Pittsburgh, PA on February 19, 2018:

Natalie, thank you for your comment. The article took a lot of work, but was worth it.

Natalie Frank from Chicago, IL on February 18, 2018:

Great article, Don. What a wealth of information! Thanks!

Vicki Wood from Eldon, Missouri on January 21, 2018:

lol yes about the trash bags. My daughter used to work there, she told me the only ones that are any good. My oldest child just moved to Pittsburg. Loves it there.

Gregory DeVictor (author) from Pittsburgh, PA on January 21, 2018:

Vicki, thank you for your comment. I really appreciate it. I’ve been editing my article on and off throughout the weekend, so I don’t know whether you read the comment I made about my father and the trash bags that he bought years ago at Dollar Tree. I buy my trash bags at Giant Eagle, the major grocery store chain for the greater Pittsburgh area. (They work just fine.) I always see trash bags at Aldi when I shop there, but I pass them up every time. I will read your articles as well. Again, thanks for commenting.

Vicki Wood from Eldon, Missouri on January 20, 2018:

Our articles belong together. You have made an incredibly complete item/shopping list, I have written about the Dollar Tree recipes. please read and comment. I enjoyed your article especially the polls.