This has been, by far, my favorite post to do! I've decided that buying things for a $1 makes me happy. Which is probably why I desperately needed to do the "40 Bags in 40 Days" cleanse during Lent. But that's a whole other issue...
I was recently at a Dollar Tree, and picked up a sampling of things we "needed" that the blog author had mentioned were dollar store successes. It was great to have a second opinion on what to buy, and after using the products below, I've detailed what was a success or fail for our family, plus how much a comparable item at Amazon costs (item costs may have changed since I did this post).
Elmer's Washable School Glue Pens: I've never used these before, but they were perfect for little hands doing art projects. Amazon was selling them for $2 + shipping for one pen. SUCCESS!
Variety of coloring / activity books: my kids have been occupied for two straight days with $1 coloring books (Angry Birds, Hello Kitty, Sesame Street, etc.). Something similar seems to run about $3 on Amazon. SUCCESS!
Breck Kids 2-in-1 Shampoo + Conditioner: Smells really nice (we got the apple and coconut flavors) and the kids' hair seems less crazy after using it! Sold on Amazon for $4.95. SUCCESS!
Breck Kids Spray-On Detangler: This really helped smooth down my daughter's crazy hair! Sold on Amazon for $8.95. SUCCESS!
Scotch tape: worked just like regular tape -- because it is! The closest I could find on Amazon was a 3-pack of "magic" Scotch tape for $4. SUCCESS!
Blue / red baskets: I've always bought baskets at the Dollar Tree, and have loved them! One of my kids is a slight hoarder, and likes to load baskets up with "treasures" and carry them around the house! It was difficult to find a comparable cheap, plastic basket on Amazon, but this looked close for $15. SUCCESS!
Shultz pretzels. I wasn't expecting these to be good, but my kids devoured them! I found them on Amazon for $14 + $9 tax (!) for a larger bag. Way cheaper to go with the $1 version! SUCCESS!
Plastic straws: We tried three from this bag, and all had holes in them and were unusable; these went straight in the garbage. On Amazon, you could buy 360 for around $6 -- if we need straws, I'll go that route. FAIL.
Quick Eraser (Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser knock-off): These weren't horrible, but I used them alongside a real Magic Eraser and noticed a difference -- the Magic Eraser brand held up better and got off more marks. I'd buy the real thing -- on Amazon, they were about $8 + shipping for 8 erasers. FAIL.
Verdict: mostly SUCCESSES!
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