My grandmother loved Dollar Tree. She and I could go there and poke around for hours. Even today, it reminds me of her. And I still go there often. However, she did not purchase Dollar Tree Pregnancy tests, lol.
If you’ve never ventured inside a Dollar Tree, you’re really missing out. While the store does have items that aren’t worth your time, there are several items that are must buys. Let’s take a closer look.
10 Must-Buy Items at the Dollar Tree
- Stimmy toys! This is one of my favorite reasons to stop in at Dollar Tree. They often have a really good assortment of stimmy toys. Blinking toys, squishy stuff, noisemakers, all kinds of things for the disabled child who enjoys playing with toys like this.
- Greeting Cards Did you know that the Dollar Tree carries Hallmark greeting cards? They even have a special section of Hallmark cards that are 2 for $1. You can also find handmade greeting cards from the Voila brand for $1 each. If you’re looking for thank you cards or invites, you can find those as well in sets of 6 to 8 per pack. Why would you ever buy greeting cards for $5 or more?
- Books and Educational Items You may have to spend some time digging, but the Dollar Tree is an amazing place to find books. You’ll find paperbacks and hardbacks from bestselling authors. You can also find cookbooks, children’s books, puzzle books, coloring books, and more. I have found great workbooks there as well as flashcards.
- Bread Many Dollar Trees have a bread section with brand name bread products. You’ll want to check the date because they do not get deliveries as frequently as your local grocery store.
- Name Brand Products While the Dollar Tree always has brand-name products of some sort available; look for those that are full-sized. Occasionally, the store will get in full-sized boxes of cereal and other brand-name food products. You can also sometimes find brand-name nail polish and makeup. The store has even been known to carry Sunbeam desk lamps!
- Gift Bags Why pay $5 or more for a gift bag? You can get gift bags in all sizes at the Dollar Tree. You can find packs of three small bags all the way up to jumbo-sized bags. Think of all the money you can save around the holidays.
- Holiday Décor In particular, I love their Halloween stuff. I can decorate the entire front of our home with ghosts, zombies, tombstones and more for like $20.
- Hair Accessories Guess what? The Dollar Tree also gets in brand-name hair accessories from Remington and Scunci. These are accessories that cost $3 and up at Walmart or Target.
- Seeds Do you love to garden? The Dollar Tree even carries seeds. You can get packs of non-GMO seeds for only 25 cents per pack. Or you might find huge boxes of flower seeds for a dollar. They also sell a variety of great gardening supplies as well (usually in the spring).
- Pregnancy Tests Yes, they have them. Can you believe it? And yes, they are accurate. Don’t ask me how I know this.
The Dollar Tree may not seem like much at first glance. However, once you know all the treasures that can be found, you’ll want to shop there on a regular basis.
And, if you are purchasing or have purchased the IEP Organizer, the Dollar Tree is a great place to go to get the binder and folders you need to complete the project.
Lisa Lightner is a Chester County, PA mom of two. This post was adapted from the blog A Day in Our Shoes, which she co-authors. It provides support, resources and advocacy services for parents of children with special needs.
