What To Buy At Dollar Tree & What NOT To Buy

Dollar Tree is a magical place, am I right? Even a dangerous one, if you ask me. I go in and get out with at least one bag full of stuff, and most of it I don’t even really need. 

Still, Dollar Tree is a great place to buy certain things. But not all.

What to buy at Dollar Tree? I got you covered, see my list below. I usually go for seasonal decor, and to stock up on kids stuff, like presents, games, crafts, and so on. 

What NOT to buy at Dollar Tree? Easy. Quality products and / or  the ones that need to last you a long time. Like clothes, or the food you ingest (some of it, like the meat), or tools & electronics. 

Be smart about your shopping. Know how to spend money wisely, and where to shop for better deals. Dollar Tree (or Dollar Store) is a great place to spend less money on things you normally overspend. 

That’s why I recommend at least 1 monthly trip to the Dollar Tree, to get some essential and non-essential products that will make your life easier. 

So here is what to buy at Dollar Tree and what not to buy at Dollar Tree. 

What to buy at Dollar Tree

• Snacks. This is one of my favorite categories to shop at DT. Snacks can be expensive at a local store. So if you and your family eat lots of them, I highly suggest getting them from Dollar Tree. I usually buy chips, candy, popcorn and chocolate.
• Cleaning supplies. When I was a student and lived in a dorm, this was my saving grace. I got all my supplies from that store. Their cleaning products are not amazing, but they get the job done and you can definitely save on certain items that you pay for much more in a normal store. 
• Seasonal decorations. Want to know what to buy at Dollar Tree? This. This category of products is the most underrated one. You can get so many nice things for $1. This is amazing news for seasonal decorators. If you always decorate your house for Valentine’s Day, Spring, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, 4th of July, and so on, then you need to get your butt to Dollar Tree more and spend less in Home Sense. Imagine getting something for $1 that you usually buy for $5 or $10 in Hobby Lobby. Win!
• Wrapping paper and Gift bags. I don’t know about your area, but in mine, wrapping paper and gift bags can get really expensive during the holidays. That’s why I usually get them at the Dollar Tree. This is definitely a must have on your “what to buy at Dollar Tree” list. You probably won’t get it cheaper somewhere else, especially before or during the season (after Christmas, everything clears out, but before, everything is expensive because they know you will buy it). And if you’re worried about design, relax, they have so many nice things, even classic designs, too.
• Toys for kids over 3 years old. I might get into trouble for this one, but DT is one of the best places to get toys, in my opinion. Since most kids get bored of toys very easily, you can definitely buy most of them from the Dollar store. They will use it for a couple of days or weeks and then forget about it, so why invest and spend a lot of money on something they will use a couple of times? Just get it at the dollar store. IMPORTANT: I recommend getting them only for kids older than 3, the younger ones could swallow the pieces/ 
• Craft supplies. When it comes to craft supplies (and sometimes, school supplies), Dollar Tree is my go-to destination. I love it! They have everything, from paper, pen, markers, to stickers, colored paper, scissors, and sometimes things like fake grass and glitter. You can do so much with them! Highly recommended! 

What NOT to buy at Dollar Tree

• Meat. Actually, meat and dairy are two things I never get from the Dollar Tree. It’s definitely not the same quality as you get from a regular store. Moreover, it’s usually close to its expiration date. Also, I heard some can be beefed up with a solution to look bigger and weigh more. So yeah, don’t get meat from DT.  
• Batteries. I used to buy batteries from them all the time…..until I realized that they didn’t last long and I always had to re-purchase them after a short time. So now I don’t get them, and I recommend you don’t either. 
• Hair and skincare products. To each his own, but I’m usually very careful with what products I use for my face and hair. I want to make sure they both look great and are healthy, so I buy the good stuff. I recommend you do the same. Take care of your body and your skin. Don’t use products that are filled with chemicals, and the ones from Dollar Tree definitely have them.
• Makeup. Similarly to the suggestion above, I tend to stay away from makeup in Dollar Tree. Not all of it, but foundations and eyeshadows, for example, I never get them from DT. You should also take into consideration that most have poor quality and less coverage than the drugstore or high end ones. 
• Tools. My boyfriend would never buy tools, especially electric ones, from the Dollar Tree. Tools are investments and you want them to last longer, so don’t get them here. Invest in some good quality ones and you won’t need to replace them for a very long time.
• Electrics & Headphones. Cheap headphones and earbuds means equally cheap sound quality. Don’t do it! As I said above, invest in yours. Or you know, be prepared to buy a pair every 1 or 2 months. 

I hope my article helped you clear your mind about what to buy at Dollar Tree and what not to buy at Dollar Tree. You can definitely get some deals there, but don’t get all of them, some are not worth it!

What do you usually buy at the Dollar Tree? Let me know in the comments!