Buys and Busts at the Dollar Store

Inspired from my previous post, I am curious about people's good finds and the garbage bought at Dollar Stores to prevent others from wasting their money


Dollarama
Good Buys
Stickers
crafts

Busts
no name permanent and wipe board markers
Butterfly nets (I even paid more for the good ones last yr, one drop on the ground and they broke)


Dollar Tree
Busts
Their sticker packs, they are cute and have a lot of kinds Dollarama doesn't carry but they are not fully "cut" and therefore difficult to remove.

Interesting...I am the opposite on the stickers

Dollarama good buys
-art supplies like googly eyes, foam, pipe cleaners, holiday themed stuff, paint, paintbrushes, canvases
-outside sippy cups
-holiday themed activities
-chalk, balls, plastic trucks(this surprised me, they have lasted almost a year!)


Dollarama Busts

-art supplies like markers, crayons, glue
-stickers (the kids can't take them off themselves and even I have issues from time to time!)
-playdoh (so much cheaper to buy in bulk)
-green painters tape

Dollar tree buys
-stickers
-themed items
-cards, bags, tissue paper...cheaper and better quality than dollarama
-outside yard decor
-coloured baskets to hold items (so much stronger than dollarama)

Hula hoops were a bust from Dollarama, they bent and fell apart within a week.

ditto on not buying playdough there, not good quality.

the waterproof tables clothes are good, the Easter themed one I bought held out way better than one I got from Superstore.

Wish we had Dollar Tree!
Dollarama buys: Spray bottles, tempera paint, paint brushes, sponges, squeeze bottles (for paint), large 'Tupperware' type containers, hockey sticks, learning charts & books, wooden paintables.

Busts: Shovels, buckets, batteries

Love Dollarama!!!!

Good buys - sidewalk chalk (big box of 52 this year for $3 !)
craft paints
cute board books (they get ruined so fast anyway)
colouring books
Tupperware type containers
bubbles!!!
liquid soap for the kids bathroom

Any kind of plastic toys are a bust, when it comes to Dollarama.

Plastic Bins and containers:
Good buys: Walmart but only the expensive ones. $5/ea
No Good: dollarama or dollartree (they break in 2 months)

Crafts:
Here's a comparison of prices (at time of this post):

Dollarama Walmart Online
Pompom 80 / $1.25 30 / $1 0.5 Kg/$6.99 (www.dealsorigin.net)
Chenile Stems 40/$1.25 48/$1 100/ $1.7 (www.dealsorigin.net)
(pipe cleaners)

I also buy online Glue sticks (box of 24 for $5.99), glitter glue and other stuff. The trick is: buy min order to get free shipping.


One thing in common: They will all go to garbage at the end of the day at any daycare

Dollarama
Good Buys:
paintable crafts/ theme art and sponges
books and containers

Bust
Golf clubs , they have 2 types, one a cheap plastic set and one that has a little metal in the poles to make it firm but they fell apart with only the poles lasting
and small cars are a danger as the wheels come off so scary for young children in the oral stage

I have to say, I really despise the dollar store. I am not a snob lol I just hate that nine times out of ten the stuff is just complete and utter crap. And low and behold there are no returns, no exchanges and no credits under any circumstances so even if you open that package and it is revealed that the item is damaged/defective, those kind folks working behind the counter couldn't care less. I don't know what consumer rights are over here and if there is something in Ontario Law that overrides this policy, but whether something costs $1 or $100, it should be in good working condition or money should be refunded if they sold you something that is not as advertised and/or in working condition.

So the only things I really buy from the dollar store are Bristol board for my kids school projects and the oats and plastic containers for our Xmas reindeer food activity. I hate the smell of dollar stores too. It gives me a headache and makes my skin crawl. I'd sooner take my chances at a thrift store on finding some good cheap bargains, using my recycling centre at the local resource centre or I go online and generally find my best deals on amazon by buying in bulk.

I also check kijiji regularly for home daycares closing sales. It's not the big toys I necessarily go for either, but a lot of providers have years of priceless resources that are fantastic and you can usually pick them up for a steal. It's those types of things and craft supplies that so many over look and don't want to buy so end up in the garbage. Usually a few dollars goes a long way when buying these from a retiring provider and takes all the work out of activity planning when you can potentially pick up bins of the stuff all ready to go.

Well, I've been shopping in dollar stores for 2 years already. I find their items great and affordable. I have no problems with the quality. I believe a lot of people are into these stores nowadays. Just imagine how much you can save from them. Dollar discount stores have become more aggressive and more profitable in the post-recession economy. But if one dollar store's strategy catches on, soon you might even be filling your prescriptions there. You can check this out for more information:

Now that things are up to $3, it's hard to find things that are just $1 lol. Some of it is better quality now and name brand. I still shop at dollarama and dollar tree but do keep my eye out for sales when I'm at target, Walmart or michaels

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 5 Little Monkeys

Now that things are up to $3, it's hard to find things that are just $1 lol. Some of it is better quality now and name brand. I still shop at dollarama and dollar tree but do keep my eye out for sales when I'm at target, Walmart or michaels

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Target have a $1 section as you enter the store. There are some things a little over the $1 mark but there are lots of things there I find. Not necessarily things we can use day to day for daycare, but great for stocking fillers, and little party favor gifts throughout the year.

Yup, love Target!! Often that area was 70-90% off as well so I've gotten things for 10-30 cents!!

So sad that Target is leaving Canada :( Now where will I buy all my toys at clearance prices?? Lol