I looooove Dollar Tree! The first time I went there to buy essentials, I saved over $60 versus what I would have spent at Wal-Mart for similar items. They have consistently impressed me with their quality, making me a repeat customer. Over the years I have learned what products are well worth their dollar at Dollar Tree, and which ones leave something to be desired. That knowledge I will pass onto you in the post! Without further ado….here goes the list:
20 Items to Buy at Dollar Tree
1) Face Wipes–I consider makeup removing face wipes to be an essential. It makes it so much easier to remove my makeup after a long day, something that is so important for skin health. I have tried many brands of wipes, and have found that these are on par with ones that cost five times as much. There are a variety available at my store, but my favorite are the cucumber ones. They even have a locking lid to help keep them moist.
2) Lotion–Lotion is another great find at Dollar Tree. They have multiple options in this category as well. One of my favorites is an oatmeal lotion that is very similar to Aveeno. They also have a brand called Dermasil that is very thick and paraben-free, if that matters to you. Their lavender and coconut lotions are the perfect size for my travel bag.
3) Air Freshener Refills–Have one of those Glade/Renuzit/AirWick plug-ins, but hate paying for the pricey refills? Enter Dollar Tree. They have air freshener plug-ins in three different scents for a buck a piece. They work as well as the name brand at a fraction of the price.
4) Baskets and Tins–Come springtime, Dollar Tree has the cutest tins and baskets! I bought several to use at my wedding. My favorite are the tins that are very comparable to the ones sold at Hobby Lobby.
5) Exfoliator–Dollar Tree makes a great exfoliator that rivals those at pricier bath and body shops. Also looks high-quality and makes a great addition to a gift basket 😉
6) Body Wash–There are several body wash options available, of which I have tried several. The tropical one smells and cleans great, as does the cocoa butter one. There is also a Caress knock-off, which I have not tried but will be this winter when a little extra moisture is needed.
7) Thank-You Cards–We bought all of our thank-you cards for my bridal shower and our wedding at Dollar Tree! They come in packs of 6 or 8–what a steal! There were even some that matched our navy and yellow colors. They looked very high-quality and I don’t think anyone knew they were from Dollar Tree (until they read this post anyway.)
8) Pretty Much All Other Cards–Are you good on thank-you cards, but need a birthday/anniversary/sympathy card? They have them all–two for a dollar. I usually keep a few of their thank-you and sympathy cards on hand for those unexpected occasions where you need a card but can’t get to the store.
9) Baby wash and Baby Oil Lotion–Dollar tree has a solid baby wash at a great price. It may be thinner than Johnson’s and Johnson’s, but it still has a nice lather. They also make a baby oil lotion that is comparable to more expensive brands.
10) Hand Sanitizer–Yes, you can still find some out there! I have found both smaller travel bottles of sanitizer with a carrying case and larger refill bottles at the store. Please note that there is currently a limit of two per customer.
11) Pink Salt–After reading about pink salt and how much better it is for you than traditional salt, I hopped on the band wagon. The same size bag that is sold at Dollar Tree is $3.98 on Amazon!
12) Apple Cider Vinegar–Another healthy living find! Apple Cider Vinegar, with the “mother” can be found for only a buck! I didn’t notice a difference between this and the Bragg brand. They also sell a quality coconut oil as well.
13) Holiday Decorations–Dollar Tree decorations are a great way to get in the festive mood on the cheap. I have purchased several fall decorations there, including a large, decorative scarecrow and a chalkboard pumpkin that I still put out every year.
14) Dinnerware–Let me let you in on a little secret–all of my dinnerware came from Dollar Tree! The dinner plates, the salad plates, the bowls, and the coffee mug—all a dollar a piece. My entire set cost $32 and looks comparable to those sold at higher-end stores. I have had my set for two years and it still looks like new.
15) Gift Bags–Don’t you hate it when you need a gift bag, so you run to Target only to find that all of the bags will cost you at least $4?! Gift bags are another item I always stock-up on from Dollar Tree. You can get two decent size bags for $1. We used these for gifts for our rehearsal dinner, again matching our colors, and they looked as though we spend much more on them than we did.
16) Tissue Paper–To go in your gift bags of course.
17) Dishwasher Detergent–For the longest time, my dishwasher was leaving a yucky film on my beloved Dollar Tree dishware. I started buying the Dollar Tree powdered dishwasher detergent and POOF!, the film disappeared. Part of their marketing plan, perhaps?
18) Laundry Soap–Dollar Tree has a fairly solid laundry detergent and fabric softener, provided you don’t need to buy the high efficiency kind. I have used it happily in the past when I couldn’t score a couponing deal on other brands. The dryer sheet work well also.
19) Hand Soap Refills–The hand soap refills are very comparable to SoftSoap brand, at about one-third of the price.
20) Gifts–I have made cute little gift baskets/bags out of all Dollar Tree products in the past. Many of their bath and body items look high end–and the bath bombs, exfoliator, lotion, and face masks make for a nice gift for someone who deserves to be pampered.
4 Items to Pass On
I had originally planned on this list containing five items, but when it came down to it, I could only think of four items from Dollar Tree that I had ever been disappointed in—it’s that good! That being said, I would recommend passing on the products below.
1) Pads and Pantyliners–Don’t buy these unless you want a throwback to your teen years of bulky, diaper-like pads.
2) Cotton Swabs–I personally think these are OK, but my husband is scared he is going to puncture his ear drum with them due to their smaller ends. If you are picky about your cotton swabs (or your ear drums), you may want to pass on these.
3) Baby Wipes (at least the non-name brand) The larger package of baby wipes at Dollar Tree are very thin and flimsy. I found that I was using two to do the job on one in other brands. However, they do sell Huggies brand, which is less of a deal, but are much higher quality.
4) Cotton Balls–These are soooo small. If you are using them for toner or eye makeup removal, be prepared to use a handful. Similar to the wipes, the larger package is the inferior product. I have found smaller packages there that contain larger cotton balls that work well.
And there you have it! What are your favorite products at Dollar Tree?
Traveling with Pennies 