Shopping
Five Things I Buy at Dollar Stores
Getting to know me through my shopping list
Sure, you can work on developing the “intimacy between two strangers” if you sit down with the “36 Questions That Lead to Love” as described in the New York Times, but you can also learn about someone in tiny, interesting ways by asking things that no one else would ask.
For example, you can get to know someone by learning about
- whether or not they like shopping at dollar stores, and
- what they like to buy at dollar stores.
I was a bit of a latecomer to dollar stores. I remember visiting a 99-cent store one time as a kid, but mostly we had stores like K-Mart, Woolworth’s, and the variety store that gave our little downtown a small-town feel. Plus, a lot of stuff was less than a dollar then, so what was the point?
Now we have the Dollar Tree chain in my area. I started going a few years ago, and I like the combination of items I can find: some old standbys that they always keep in stock, alongside new and different stuff.
So yes, I like shopping at dollar stores, but I understand if you don’t. I find it oddly relaxing, maybe because my local store is small, and it doesn’t cost me much for a little diversion from my days working at home.
Here are some of my favorite things to buy at dollar stores.
- Coloring and puzzle books. There’s always a selection for adults as well as kids. My nephews like the maze books. I like the crosswords. My mom likes the Sudoku. And who doesn’t like coloring books?
- Greeting cards. The greeting cards are often two for a dollar, and they usually have a selection of Hallmark ones. They also have packages of invitations, thank you cards, etc, and I don’t know where else I could get six nice cards for a dollar. Sometimes when I browse the cards, it makes me think of family and friends I could write to, so I buy cards and go home and send them.
- Post-its, glue sticks, notebooks, and other office/school/craft supplies. At Dollar Tree, there are three aisles with good stuff along this line: the office/school supply aisle, the teacher supply aisle, and the arts/crafts aisle. The possibilities are endless; in fact, I bought some cool alphabet letter sets here that I used to make protest signs. I’ve had mixed results with the ink pens, but the glue and glue sticks are great.
- Small kitchen items. I bought a vegetable brush here that lasted me a couple years, and I just bought a replacement yesterday. I also like to buy stuff like cupcake liners and toothpicks. Their potholders and dishcloths are pretty good, too.
- Socks and hair scrunchies. These are in the same aisle in my store, and I’ve found some single pairs of socks and individually packaged hair scrunchies that are pretty nice. You can also get multipacks of hair bands/ties, if you go through them quickly and don’t mind if they aren’t going to last. I love the donut, video game, and panda bear pairs of socks I got here, and the retro 1980s printed scrunchie.
I could list lots more items, I’m sure. I haven’t even gotten to the storage containers, or mentioned the cat brushes and toys. I might have to do a follow up, if people aren’t too bored reading about my shopping trips. There’s good stuff for gifts if you know what to look for, too.
Do you like shopping at dollar stores? If so, what do you like to buy there?
By the way, if you like dollar stores, be sure to see if you have a Daiso in your area, as it is the Japanese version of the dollar store and highly recommended by my (former) foster daughter and me.
