Babble Community

c/dollar-store-finds

6

michael_jenkins39•22d ago

Dollar store spice jars versus the real thing, which one actually wins?

I used to swear by the $1.25 glass jars with the metal lids for my bulk spices, but after 6 months of them corroding and sticking shut while my old name-brand ones still twist open fine, I'm now leaning the other way, so has anyone else dumped the cheap jars for the pricier plastic ones or do you stick with the bargain route?

32

uma_ellis•22d ago

I finally stopped buying $4 glass cleaner after testing the $1.25 one

Went through 3 bottles of Windex last year before a buddy at work said why not grab the generic at Dollar Tree. Used it on my bathroom mirror and car windows for 2 weeks, zero streaks. Smells a bit different but the finish is the same. Has anyone else switched to the store brand cleaners and noticed no difference at all?

0

the_anthony•23d ago

The $1 lint roller that saved my car interior last week

I have a 2010 Civic and my dog sheds like crazy, especially in the summer heat. Last week I was driving over to my brother's place in Fresno and noticed the backseat and floor mats were covered in this thick layer of fur. I had a big job interview the next day and needed my car to look presentable, so I swung by the Dollar Tree out of desperation. Picked up three of those big lint rollers with the sticky sheets for a buck each, and honestly they worked better than the fancy pet hair brush I bought online for $15. The trick was rolling in short quick strokes and tearing off the sheet after each section, only took about 20 minutes to do the whole backseat. Also grabbed a can of their air freshener for the dog smell, that helped a lot too. Has anyone else found dollar store lint rollers to be just as good as the expensive ones, or do you have a better cheap trick for pet hair in cars?

5

phoenix_grant34•25d ago

My neighbor Deb from the laundromat convinced me cheap sponges are a scam

She showed me how a $1.25 pack of scrubbers fell apart in 2 weeks when a $3 one from the hardware store lasts 2 months, so has anyone else actually tracked cost per use on their dollar store cleaning stuff?

8

matthewmartin•29d ago

The day I realized I was scrubbing my shower in the wrong direction for 6 months

I kept buying those 99 cent scrub brushes at Dollar Tree and getting mad that soap scum never really came off. Then last Tuesday I watched a neighbor clean her bathroom while I was waiting for a delivery and she was doing circles, not back and forth like me. Took me half a year of stubborn scrubbing to figure out the pattern matters more than the brush. Has anyone else found a basic technique change that made their cheap cleaning stuff actually work?

20

xenaf51•1mo ago

Dollar Tree spatula saved my scrambled eggs after 3 ruined pans

My nonstick pan kept getting scratched from a metal spatula so I grabbed a 2 pack of silicone ones for $1.25 last Tuesday and they work perfect, even flipped a pancake first try. Anyone else swear by the kitchen stuff at Dollar Tree over the Target versions?

17

wesley181•1mo ago

Cheap LED bulbs from Dollar Tree are actually lasting 2 years for me

Last month I replaced all the bulbs in my hallway with the 2 pack LED ones from Dollar Tree, figured they would die in a few weeks. It's been 6 weeks now and not one has flickered, which is more than I can say for the expensive ones I got at Home Depot that died after 8 months. I run them about 5 hours a night since my hallway has no window. Anyone else had luck with these or did I just get a freak batch?

11

wesley_adams•1mo ago

Serious question, why did I ever pay $8 for glass cleaner when the dollar store stuff works just as good

Used to drop $8 a bottle at Target for that fancy streak-free spray, but after grabbing the $1.25 version from Dollar Tree six months ago to clean my car windows in the parking lot, I swear it leaves fewer lines than the expensive stuff, so has anyone else made that switch or am I just blind to the difference?

6

jamesf41•1mo ago

Overheard a lady in the checkout line say her shower curtain was 8 years old, and now I have questions

She was at Dollar Tree buying a replacement, and she told the cashier she got 8 years out of the old one because she washed it in the machine with vinegar every month. I've been tossing mine every 2 years because they get that pink scum no matter what. Her secret was letting it air dry outside after the wash, not in the dryer. I tried it last Saturday with my $3 curtain and it's actually not gross for once. Anyone else got a weird longevity hack for dollar store stuff?

6

lunag30•1mo ago

Shoutout to that dollar store hot sauce I ignored for months

I stopped by the Dollar Tree on Route 9 last Tuesday just to get trash bags. Walked past the hot sauce shelf like I always do, figured it would taste like colored water. But this older guy in the aisle was loading up a whole basket of that El Yucateco knockoff they sell. He told me he uses it in his marinades and it's legit spicy, not just vinegar. So I grabbed a bottle for a buck and tried it on some chicken that night. Honestly it has real heat and a smoky flavor that surprised me. I went back yesterday and bought three more bottles. Has anyone else found decent hot sauce at a dollar store or is this a one off thing?

25

lily70•1mo ago

Found a jar of pickled eggs at the dollar store in Springfield and had to think twice

Are these a hidden gem for a quick protein snack or a risky buy that might sit in your fridge forever? I grabbed one for $1.25 but I'm torn on whether to crack it open or pass it along to a brave friend who's tried them before.

22

jordanblack•1mo ago

Pro tip: Those $1.25 glass spray bottles actually work great

Ngl, I was super skeptical about the glass spray bottles at Dollar Tree. I figured they'd leak or the nozzle would break after a week. But I grabbed a couple in March for my homemade all-purpose cleaner with vinegar and lemon, and they're still going strong with zero issues. Has anyone else had better luck with these than the plastic ones?

25

murray.drew•1mo ago

My dollar store measuring tape says I'm 5'11" but my real one says 5'8"

Grabbed a tape measure from the bargain bin for $1.25 and brought it home to check a shelf. Turns out it's off by 3 inches every foot, so either I'm secretly tall or my furniture is shrinking. Anyone else find tools from these places that are wildly inaccurate?

19

paulmitchell•1mo ago

Hot take: Dollar store oven mitts are secretly fireproof enough

I grabbed a pair of those $1.25 oven mitts from Family Dollar last week (the plain white cotton ones) thinking they'd just be for decoration. Tried pulling a 400-degree cast iron skillet out of the oven and they held up fine, no heat transfer at all. I figured they'd melt or something but they just got a little warm after like 10 seconds. Has anyone else tested these with real heat or am I just lucky?

10

xenaf51•1mo ago

Snagged a set of 4 ceramic bowls for a buck each last week

I was at the Dollar Tree near my apartment and found these solid colored ceramic mixing bowls that actually feel sturdy. They survived my first chili batch and dishwasher run no problem. Has anyone else found surprisingly durable kitchen stuff there?

11

noaht15•1mo ago

Just noticed everyone grabbing those cheap glass food containers without checking the lids

I was at Dollar Tree on Tuesday and watched like 5 people grab the glass meal prep containers without even looking at the lids. The plastic ones they use now crack super fast, I had 3 of them split after just 2 weeks of normal use. You gotta feel the rubber seal around the edge, if its too thin or uneven skip it. Anyone else had these lids fall apart on you or did I just get a bad batch?

24

miles_garcia•1mo ago

Found out Dollar Tree's $1.25 kitchen knives are actually made from the exact same steel as some $40 ones at Target

So I was bored last night and looked up the manufacturer code on the back of a Dollar Tree chef's knife. Turns out it's made by a company called TA Chen International, which also supplies blades to bigger brands. Same 3Cr13MoV stainless steel. I'm not saying it'll hold an edge like a Wusthof, but for a buck twenty five it's wild that the material is identical. The handle is definitely cheaper plastic though. Does that matter much for a knife you're only using for opening packages and cutting veggies?

7

faith_king•1mo ago

The cheap scrub brushes at Dollar Tree aren't what they used to be

I been buying those yellow scrub brushes from Dollar Tree for years to clean my kitchen gear, but the last 3 packs I grabbed fell apart after a week of normal use. Bristles just pop right out of the plastic base like they glued them on bad or something. Anybody else notice this or just me?

9

the_linda•1mo ago

Overheard a cashier say the dollar store cleaning aisle is a hidden gem for glass stovetop polish

Was checking out yesterday at the Dollar Tree on Main Street and the lady in front of me asked the cashier what she uses on her glass stovetop. Cashier said she grabs the cheap glass cooktop polish there for $1.25 and it works just as well as the name brand stuff she used to buy for $8. Said you just wipe it on a cool burner and buff it dry with a microfiber. Made me wonder how many other cleaning products I've been overpaying for. Anybody else got a dollar store cleaning hack that surprised you?

18

adam_patel•1mo ago

PSA: Check the expiration dates on dollar store spices before you buy them

Last month I grabbed a jar of cumin from Dollar Tree for my chili recipe (you know, the one that takes 2 hours to simmer). Got home, opened it up, and it smelled like nothing. Like literally no smell at all. Looked at the bottom and it was expired 18 months ago. 18 months! I guess that's why it was a dollar. Has anyone else had this happen with the food items at those stores? I'm thinking about just sticking to the cleaning supplies from now on.

0

emma_dixon70•1mo ago

Walked into Dollar Tree in Tucson and saw glass mixing bowls for $1.25

I picked up two of those glass mixing bowls from Dollar Tree in Tucson and used them for melting chocolate in my double boiler setup. Over three batches of cookies, they held up better than a $10 set I got from the grocery store last year. Has anyone else noticed these bowls not cracking or breaking under heat?

21

murphy.abby•1mo ago

That Dollar Store hair conditioner ruined my permed curls

I spent $1.25 on a bottle of "moisturizing" conditioner at Dollar General last Tuesday. My daughter told me I was crazy for trying it, but I figured it was worth the risk. After one wash, my perm went completely flat and my hair felt like straw. I had to spend $15 on a deep conditioning treatment from Target just to fix the damage. I know a lot of people swear by dollar store beauty products, but this one burned me bad. Has anyone else had a similar experience with hair products from discount shops?