Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Are Dollar Stores Really Worth the Effort?

I received an email this evening asking what my thoughts are about dollar stores.  Honestly, I think they are a great gimmick, if you don't know what the gimmick is!

Most "everything's a dollar" stores lure you in and offer their shoppers a wide range of goodies.  Health and beauty supplies, check.  Snacks and cleaning supplies, check.  Toys and other gadgets, absolutely!  But have you ever bought one of these dollar gadgets only for it to break shortly after using it the first time?  So the real question should be, are dollar stores offering you real quality merchandise for your bucks?  Sadly, no. 

With that being said, I do have a few good points to bring up as well.  One, they are great places to find craft supplies, party supplies, and paper products.  Occasionally I even buy aspirin, toothpaste, and candle holders.  These are all items we go through quickly in our home and if I can get them for a dollar or less, great! 

Now back to the gimmick.  The sound of it's only a dollar leads you to think you are getting a better deal when in fact you are getting a smaller quantity of the product and not as high quality of a product.  Not to mention you have to check expiration dates on everything!  Yes, you should do this anyway, but most of their stock are items that are close to or past the expiration date.  In the end, most would say to completely avoid these types of stores.  I say, go if you are needing poster board or glue sticks.  Or if you need a birthday card or perhaps educational workbooks for the kids.  Just remember - you get what you paid for!

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