balloons

Dog toys.

Alisande, after a long search and many of those strainers you posted up there which bend and get rusty, I found the absolute BEST sink strainer. It's stainless steel, heavy weight…I bought mine five years ago and it's like the day I got it. No rust , nothing. $8

Here it is. Can't recommend it highly enough.

I have been through lots of that same strainer they end up bent and very rusty. I have one now I really like from bed bath and beyond it has a little green frog as the center knob to pull it out. I love the quirkiness and it works great.

I buy name brand cleaning supplies there for value prices.

I've used those for a number of years. The one for the bathroom sink I don't use, the soap suds clog it up. The bathtub one, I wouldn't be without, nor the one for the kitchen sink. Love them!

Our favourite items at Dollarama are their chocolate bars....2 large size bars for $1 and their potato chips!

I buy those small batteries(button) there usually for my watches. I love those eye glass cleaning clothes they sell hanging with the readers, they are microfiber. I also use those readers. I buy those brown work gloves for my husband, the ones with the sticky dots. I had to ask my husband if he could think of anything, I had forgotten about those file folder clips, I use those in the kitchen to clip bags. They sell all sizes except the huge ones. OH and White Out, my husband uses that stuff all the time. They sell a hot peanut that my husband loves. I buy those sunflower seeds for myself, they are already shelled. I usually buy the dog poo bags there but I have to say the last batch weren't that great(hard to pull apart) but they are really cheap. I actually like to use the diaper disposal bags better, they are from Dollar Tree. I use those sink strainers, I haven't had any trouble with the cheap ones..I've had mine for years. OH OH I buy the lotion, Dermasil...I really like it better than some much more expensive lotion, it's not greasy.

I like the chain called 99 Cents Only, although now some of the prices have gone up but most are still 99 cents. I buy their reading glasses and they have some little needle nosed scissors...they call them pruners...that I like. I buy every one of the "scissors" when I find them. They don't last long but they are very handy...especially for cutting my nails. The best thing I ever got from them though....they used to sell really neat tropical plants. I bought hoyas, alocasias, goldfish plants, and many others for just 99 cents each. Another thing I got was some large stoneware pots...originally had been priced at 12.99....for 99 cents. I used to be able to get apples by the bag for 99 cents...bought for my pig. They sell them by the pound now though.

I've found some really good name brand makeup & blush there, of course they don't sell it anymore. I have bought bags of Flax seed which I use for making heat bags or ice packs. I go every week and find something I need.
I always stock up on the Wise brand Cheetos and other snacks.

They have some pretty clear plastic trays. Makes a nice presentation when you bake something for someone as a gift. I also by the clear cellophane wrap to wrap the baked goods in an attractive manner.

Kitchen Towels! We always have three hanging in the kitchen in various places and I like them to match. Two are for drying hands, the third for dishes only (you DON'T want me to catch you just drying your hands on that one, LOL).

This is timely. I don't mean to hijack this thread, but several people mentioned sink strainers. I am waiting for the latest one to be shipped from Hong Kong on a slow boat. After having the plumber out once again to clear the bathroom sink, I am determined to find one that will fit that sink. I can't seem to find one. That sink has the pop-up plug and the drain is close to the back of the basin, which means a lot of the strainers have too large a lip on that side to make them sit flat in the sink. Any bright ideas?

By the way, my hair is pretty short. It's DH's twelve-inch braid that is causing the clogs. I use a hair hook to get a lot out, but a lot of it slips past me.

Stones and name brand bread when they have it

22 ounces of bubble bath for $.99. I use it as a soil conditioner.

The last few months I can't tell you how many packages of Hartz Puppy Training Pads I bought to put under my Loki's ear that was draining so his towels would stay dry and under his backside so his bed would stay dry in case his pads leaked. Cheaper at Dollarama for $3 a package than what I would have paid a few feet away at the pet store. I had to laugh when I was in there the other day because I would usually buy 5 packages at a time so every time I went in they would put more out. I think the store started ordering more when they noticed their sales had gone up. Now the shelf is way overstocked with the packages of pads and I am no longer purchasing them.

Soft Scrub. My jetted fiberglass garden tub was new back then. Currently it's eraser sponges & Bar S ham. Glue gun sticks, packages of 12 for my upholstery projects. Whipped cream in a can for pumpkin pies.

Donna_Loomis, I shed hair really badly and have a pop-up drain in my bath. I use one of those metal strainers upside down with a circle of heavy stainless steel chain on top to hold it in place. It's not pretty, but it works well. The hair caught on the outside of the strainer comes off easily to go into the trash and I never have to dig the gross slimy stuff out of the drain. Before I came up with this solution, I used a washing machine aluminum mesh lint trap upside down over the pop-up.

The cleaner Awesome.

I'm enjoying all these responses!

BSF, how does bubble bath act as a soil conditioner? I would have thought it would act as a plant assassin. :-)

So far so good on my Dollartree sink strainer. It's stainless steel, so I'm not surprised that it hasn't rusted. Hasn't changed its shape either. As you can tell from the photo, I have a spare waiting in the wings. But thanks for the suggestions, which are always welcome.

How could I have forgotten $1 reading glasses?!? I have them all over the house.

Alisande.......soap is an emulsifier.....breaks down the soil so water can penetrate.....#1 ingredient in Miracle Grow...

Good to know--thanks, Nicole!

Awesome cleaner, undiluted.

I also use those strainers,and have for several years,with no rust problems.

Awesome cleaners

Greeting cards,2/1.00 @ dollar tree

Clippers for trimming plants in the gardens,always have bright handles,which makes them easy to spot.

Lots of flower pots,jobes plant stakes.

Can't forget all the pinwheels,butterflies etc for the garden decor.

The .99 cent store carries a large bottle of orange soda called California dreaming,that tastes just like those creamsicles.Everyone at my house loves it,and we aren't big soda drinkers.

I also get the antibiotic cream,atheletes foot cream,capasin,and other creams,as well as shampoos,hair condition hairspray etc.

I go to the .99 cent store before I go grocery store.

Kathi

For me greeting cards are the best deal, and they look nice, not cheap.

Also purchased recently at Dollar Tree:

Gift wrap tissue, gift bags, ranunculus bulbs, Jobes plant stakes, congratulations balloon, Arm & Hammer sprinkle on the carpet/vacuum up powder, apron for my granddaughter.

The Dollar Tree is a nicer, cleaner store than 99 Cents, but it doesn't really matter.

Not one but TWO of these little rugs. I put them in the front hall in December through the winter...but they are so pretty here it is April and I guess it's time to roll them up till next year.

Hey, it's upside down on my display...what's up? Well, they are cute no matter how you look at them.

My favorite purchases are the Awesome cleaner and Awesome dish detergent.

My hubby once brought home a case of "Sunlight" dishwashing powder he bought at dollar store. It took me years to use it all up.

Our best buy was at the 99 Cent Store about 13 years ago.
They had black nylon seat covers that fit our then new car.
I wish I would have bought another set.
They have lasted all this time but are now beginning to shred.

Ginger snap cookies!

A few years ago, Robert developed a case of meningitis after a simple back operation.

During the nearly four months that I had him home with me to recover, I squired him around town to get him out of the house and to engage him. One of the little activities that we got a kick out of was moseying around the Dollar General near us....it became a source of great amusement for him.

What a mess! Crap piled up on dusty shelves; junk so old and useless that it never failed to start a case of giggles.

BUT! We did find some Sports Pet popup cubes and we bought three for Paco. They were an instant success, hugely entertaining for us and the cat.

Digital kitchen timers, reading glasses, gum, wrapping paper - what a steal! and shoe box sized storage container - perfect for odds and ends in a closet or cupboard.

Oh - and Thank you notes.

Those dollar stores really are fun/cheap entertainment. :) There are several things I've picked up there that I *really* like, including a set of everyday plates, a set of green bowls that I love and wish I could find more, and a 12" splatter screen with handle! Otherwise, it's my go-to place for paper doilies!!! Dollar stores are the only places around here that sell them. :) Oh! can't forget nail polish! Great place to pick up name brands for only a buck. :O)

rhizo, I've never seen a Dollar General like that - here they are always being cleaned, re-arranged, new stuff brought in and displayed. While I agree they do have a lot of plastic junk I would never buy, they do have good things as well. You do have to be careful about what you buy there when it comes to prices ; some things are actually cheaper at other stores.
I love the Dollar Tree stores ! Awesome cleaners, other household products, gift bags, tissue, storage containers,freezer and storage bags, Dermasil lotion, dish towels, food, etc., etc. !

Our Dollar Generals are clean and well organized too. I agree with Woodrose about finding better prices elsewhere sometimes. One thing I buy there regularly is cat litter. I use the non-clumping kind. I used to buy it in 25-lb. bags, but these days find it easier to carry 7-lb. bags ($1 each) up the stairs.

You have to know your prices. Things can be purchased on sale at the grocery store cheaper. Also the packaging is often smaller at dollar stores.

Kitchen items, e.g. strainers, spatulas etc are great items to buy there. The splatter screen as was mentioned as well. I buy the foil liners that go in the drip trays under the coil burners, and the foil oven liner to catch any spills in the oven.

I'm loving hearing about everyone's discoveries at dollar stores. My find is only a small one - plastic "toothpicks" for appetizers - but I was relieved to find them after having visited Bed, Bath and Beyond where they only had regular toothpicks. These are for apps that I'm bringing to a house concert tomorrow night.

I find interesting garden art at Dollar General. I have this little wrought iron hanger mouted above my gate and like to hang cute keychains and stuff like that on it. They've held up really well to the elements too.

Greeting cards,wrapping paper and party goods mostly.
I agree with Jasdip about pricing and size of packaging.
When I need disposable aluminum bake ware I buy it there.
I have also bought mops and buckets for cleaning up unusually nasty messes. Blood,guts, bodily fluids and the like hee hee. At a dollar I can just toss the bucket and the mop instead of trying to clean them for reuse.

Gift bags, balloons for clown son and his "Blowing-balloons-for-kids" friend, light bulbs, envelopes.

And my favourite - reading glasses! I've said to many, over the years, that when we can buy them for $1.00 (plus 5% Federal and 8% provincial tax) ...

... there's gotta be some slavery, or near it, somewhere.

ole joyful

We recently bought these for the cats and I just love them!! They're perfect shallow bowls and each cat has their own colour. After feeding them for years on small saucers, where the food usually ends all over the floor, these bowls are life-savers.

For people who live in CA or WA, try Daiso. It's a store with all Japanese merchandise, and everything is $1.50 except a few "high end" items for $3. They have the most interesting, charming items. My store is neat, super clean and well organized. No merchandise on the floor, opened and discarded, nothing like that. It's so much fun to go there. They have just about anything you can think of. Many kitchen and household items.

I have a friend in physical rehab (since December) and when I was visiting before Easter I decided I wanted to get each patient on her hallway a little something. Food was not acceptable so I found little flowerpots with silk flowers at the dollar store. They were so pretty- - sure didn't look like dollar store items. I packaged each one (25) in a little gift bag also from the dollar store and made little tags decorated with flower and butterfly stickers and wrote a few words on each. They were a hit and when I go to visit now I see many of the patients have put them on their window sills. It sure was fun.

What a nice thing to do, Satine! I hope the patients will eventually be discharged--and when they are, I bet they'll take their flowerpots home with them.

I bought 2 of the sink strainers Sunday, they were $1.65 each for the larger ones and we're liking them a lot. Our other ones were always slipping down and plugging the sink up, very annoying.