Hidden Gems: 16 Dollar Tree Items That Deliver Big Value
We love a great bargain. Finding great deals on everyday items is the highlight of frugality. It allows our budgets to stretch further, allotting more money at the end of each month for fun instead of always needing to put that money toward a bill or emergency expense.
One of the easiest ways to snag these deals is to shop at Dollar Tree. Hear me out. I’m not saying that Dollar Tree is a great buy on everything. I’ve often gotten outdated milk from the Dollar Tree near my home. However, certain items are just too good to pass up at this value store.
To distinguish between a great buy and a poor purchase, we’ve curated a list of items you’re paying too much for if you buy them elsewhere.
1. Storage Bins
These handy little containers are wonderful for organizing many things around your home. They can be used to create organized spaces in your garage, pantry, refrigerator, bathroom, bedroom, or living room.
Dollar Tree is by far the cheapest store to find storage bins, and they offer a great return on your investment. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, so you can match your home decor and the needs of your cluttered space to get the maximum benefit.
2. Floral Arrangement Items
When I got married in 2003, one of the best deals I found was on flower arrangement items. Dollar Tree had all the right colors in beautiful faux flower offerings, which allowed my husband’s aunt to create beautiful bouquets for our wedding.
To this day, I still have the bouquet I carried down the aisle, which shows how long those beautiful arrangements can last if you want to keep them as a memento of a special occasion.
3. Foods and Beverages
Food and drink are easily among the most expensive items we buy in 2024. Outside of gas for our cars, I’d wager they’re the most costly because they’re essential.
If you’re looking to save on snacks and beverages for that summer party, graduation open house, birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, or any other special occasion, Dollar Tree is a great place to stop and grab your essentials. You’re not going to get catered meals here. But those diehard snacks everyone loves – they’ve got you covered.
4. Medicine
Taking care of children can be difficult when they spike a fever. The cost of name-brand fever medicine is astronomical.
Dollar Tree is an excellent resource for off-brand Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen. These liquid, chewable, and pill-form pain medicines work as effectively as their name-brand counterparts, but they only cost a third of the price.
5. School Supplies
Returning to school can be one of the most troublesome times for parents on a budget or dealing with low-income ratios. Paper, pencils, pens, backpacks, lunch boxes, crayons, and glue add up quickly.
Dollar Tree makes getting these items easy and affordable. Most can be found for a dollar, and crayons can run you two packs for a dollar. Shopping at Dollar Tree is one of the most frugal pathways to saving money on supplies so your youngster can be ready for school without spending a fortune.
6. Cosmetic Items
Don’t even get me started on face paint. Makeup is like breathing for most people who enjoy “putting on their face” in the morning. However by the time you add up foundation, filler, blush, eyeshadow, bronzer, eyelashes, lipstick, gloss and countless other possibilities, the pricetag will give you sticker shock.
These items may not be much cheaper at Dollar Tree, but when you’re in a pinch and need something quick and easy, this value store is your best bet. However, there is an aside here. Dollar Tree is not likely to carry premium makeup brands that offer exceptional products. They also may be limited in shade offerings for people of color.
7. Arts and Crafts Supplies
As a mom of seven, I’m always looking for a bargain on arts and crafts. Like school supplies, these items can be expensive at big box stores.
Everything in this category, from yarn and glue to beads and construction paper, can be found at a much more reasonable price at Dollar Tree. The quality is just as good, and you’ll save considerably over big-brand stores.
8. Laundry Supplies
We all have to do laundry, along with dishes. It’s a chore that never ends. Paying astronomical prices for detergent and fabric softener just adds to the pain of accomplishing laundry in the first place.
You won’t get out of the chore altogether, but you will save some green on your detergent and softener by picking them up at Dollar Tree.
9. Party Favors
Throwing a birthday party can get expensive, really fast. Items like cake, presents, food for guests, drinks, and party favors can all add up quickly.
You won’t get a custom cake at Dollar Tree, but you can get your punch, snack, and party favor supplies there. This is especially useful if you have children who are celebrating school or summer birthdays, as children love fun toys and little candies.
10. Greeting Cards
Greeting cards are expensive at stores like Hallmark and other big-box stores. If you’re looking for a custom-made card, by all means, stop by a shop like this.
However, if you like to buy in bulk for the coming year or if you’re in a spot and need a card pronto, give Dollar Tree a chance. They have a decent selection of cards for most occasions and will be far less expensive. This choice is lovely for frugally-minded people who still look forward to sending cards on Christmas, Easter, etc.
11. Games for family night
One of my fondest childhood memories is sitting at our dining table and playing Scattergories with my family. As a professed word nerd, I enjoyed seeing if I could find a word for every category that started with the given letter.
Card and board games have skyrocketed in price in the last decade as digital products phased them out. However, the Dollar Tree has a lot of value for families that still enjoy sitting around the table to one-up each other at their favorite game. Check out what they offer next time you’re in the mood for a new game.
12. Kitchen Utensils
As a mom, I try to teach my children to cook and clean up after themselves. This starts at an early age, and sometimes, I even give my small children “tools” to help. Sometimes, this leads to replacing a plastic spoon or ladle.
Thankfully, Dollar Tree sells many great kitchen utensils and other kitchen items on the cheap. We’re not just talking knockoffs, either. Anchor, a quality brand of kitchen glassware, is also sold at Dollar Tree.
13. Gardening Tools
My husband is an avid gardener and loves nothing more than getting his hands dirty in rich soil. Our son, who’s four, is apt to be right by his side. Thanks to Dollar Tree, getting our hands on gardening tools like hand trowels is a breeze.
This option doesn’t cover big-ticket items like tillers, shovels, rakes, etc. However, gardening gloves, hand rakes, trowels, seed trays, seed packs, and other essentials are great finds at most Dollar Trees in your area.
14. Wall Decor
I am not a great interior designer. I can leave my furniture in one place forever, except for cleaning day. However, if you like putting up pictures and other wall decor in your home, Dollar Tree has you covered.
Picture frames, unique wall art, and other decor items are a steal when you pick them up from your local store. These locations are usually close to home, so you only spend a little on gas to travel back and forth if you need something immediately.
15. Cleaning Supplies
I do not love cleaning, but it is a necessary experience. Taking a scrub pad to a dirty pot or using a good solution to get my bathroom shining is a rewarding deed that leaves me feeling satisfied. This is true even when I don’t want to do the task to begin with.
Finding most of my house cleaning items at Dollar Tree also helps keep my costs down as I’m not paying big-box prices and traveling twice as far.
16. Sewing Kits
These little bundles have saved my wardrobe more than I care to admit. With thread, needles, buttons, and ribbons, these kits are handy for so many fixes.
Grab one or ten from your local Dollar Tree. Then, put one in your car, bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen because you’ll want them on hand. And they’re so affordable that you don’t even have to justify the expense.
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