Something Shiny

I stopped into the local dollar store today and fell in love all over again. Sure, much of what they have is junk, or sells for less than a buck elsewhere, but if you know what to look for, the dollar store is a fantastic tool in the frugal toolbox.

An upcoming trip had me looking for some small personal hygiene items, a headphone splitter and a USB wall charger with multiple USB connections. First, I hit Radio Shack looking for the charger and the headphone splitter. They had a bulky charger for $25 and the headphone splitter for $8. I passed on both and went to Dollar Tree. I checked prices on a couple things, went over to Target to find the things I couldn’t get at Dollar Tree, and then went back to Dollar Tree to finish off the list.

What I bought at Target:

• Shaving cream: $1.07 (couldn’t find shaving creme small enough to get on a plane at Dollar Tree).

What I bought at Dollar Tree:

• Headphone splitter: saved $7 as compared to Radio Shack
• Toothpaste: saved about $.50 as compared to Target on 3oz, both Colgate
• Deodorant: same price but larger size and preferred brand at Dollar Tree
• Band-aids: Didn’t even bother to see if Target had Band-aids for a buck
• Disposable Razors: I have a nice classic safety razor, so I just needed something ultra disposable, 10 for $1 at Dollar Tree

I wound up getting some impulse items at the Dollar Tree, but in the end wound up spending less on everything than I’d expected thanks to the folks at Dollar Tree.