Don't Discount the Dollar Store

Consider this part deux of the thrift shopping series. I'll admit it. I'm a self-proclaimed dollar store shopper. Do you understand how many everyday items you can find for a dollar?

For example...

• To start off on a non-glamorous foot, toilet paper (yes, you can find quality toilet paper thicker than a piece of paper). And I priced it; it's a cheaper cost-per-roll than buying a large off-brand pack somewhere like Wal-Mart or Costco. I checked. Sometimes it's even the same brand...go figure!
• Same for paper towels!
• Light bulbs. Pack of 4 for $1? Yes, please.

Seriously, you have to buy these things anyway...why not pay less for them? Same goes for toiletries, decor items (see below for examples), dog treats (SAME exact brand as Petsmart or Petco. For a dollar!), craft items, cards (hey, sometimes you can find some good ones!), cleaning supplies, party supplies and more. Just go walk around sometime and see what's in there.

These are the kinds of things you will see:

Decorative rocks; I can't tell you what price you'd pay elsewhere for a bag of these babies, but I know it'd be more than a dollar!

Then you can use them as bowl/vase filler, like so:

That's just my teak wood bowl (Goodwill) holding my Jade plant (farmer's market) planted in my Pottery Barn flower pot (garage sale). Probably cost me around $5 for all of this.

Or fill a hurricane (Goodwill) with them and add another decor item (the large ceramic finial) that you found at the dollar store. (Look at this ceramic finial...similar shape in white...yours for only $89!) Or you pick up a pillar candle (at the dollar store!) to put in this same arrangement and create a Pottery Barn look for WAY less. Or, put them in a sink to create this look. Man, I love this.

Or dishes...do you remember what I used this plate for?

Or materials/tools. This stuff is amazing! I just did a quick search; the cheapest place I found to buy it online was still $2.

My point is that you don't have to spend a lot of money on necessity or even decorative items! Just be creative with how you can use the items and you'll be saving some big bucks!

As Nike would say, "Just do it."