I found this Chicago Cutlery knife block for only $3 at Dollarama in Vaughan, Ontario last week!
This GPS anti-theft device was only $3, as well.
I also saw this programmable energy saving vent for just $2!
I found this Crayola Washable Spira-Chalk Blaster at Dollarama in Vaughan, Ontario for only $3 last week!
This kit includes:
These sell for about $10 on Amazon.com, and around the same price at Walmart, so this was a fantastic deal. I picked a few up for birthday gifts and for Easter next year.
I love these wire under-shelf racks that I picked up at Dollarama a few years back (I picked up a few more a few weeks ago, too). They instantly create more storage inside your cabinets and closets. Kitchen cabinets, linen closets and anywhere else you need to add space to a shelf.
I use them mostly in my kitchen:
They used to cost $1, but are now priced at $1.50 - which is still a good deal, in my opinion! I love that they hold a lot of stuff, are easy to “install” and fit almost any space.
I also use these wire shelves all over my home, especially in my kitchen. They were also $1 when I bought them a few years ago.
According to the Globe & Mail, Canadian food prices climbed by 4.3% during the 12-month period ending in September 2011. This outpaced the average growth in salary by more than 1%, meaning that most Canadian households are spending a larger percentage of their income on groceries.
For some items, such as meat, dairy and fresh produce, a visit to the grocery store is unavoidable. But there are a number of typical grocery items can be purchased from a dollar store, significantly lightening the load on the grocery bill.
For instance, you can get a loaf of bread for a dollar – less than half of what you would pay at most grocery stores. Big savings can also be found on items like Goldfish crackers, Kraft Dinner and products used for seasoning, like salt and dried herbs.
Bear in mind that while grocery stores sell most things in units, dollar stores sell many things in multiples. For example, a box of eight Knorr stock cubes goes for $2.29 in my local grocery store. At the dollar store in the same plaza, I can get four of boxes of the identical product for a dollar. What this means is that on four boxes of the stock cubes, I can save a total of $8.16 by going to the dollar store.
The dollar store is not the most economical choice for all grocery items. Some bottled items like vegetable oil and vinegar are actually cheaper at the grocery store. Other items, like Primo spaghetti sauce, are generally cheaper at the dollar store, but could be better deals at the grocery store if they’re on sale and/or you have coupons.
The tables below give a general idea of whether items will be better value at a grocery store or a dollar store.
Usually good value at the dollar store:
Usually good value at the grocery store:
Check grocery store flyer before buying at the dollar store:
Source: Dollarama (Scarborough, ON) – prices may vary by location
Source: Food Basics (Scarborough, ON) – prices may vary by location
*Grocery store price adjusted for quantity where appropriate
Most of us are really good at shopping around for good deals on high-price items like cars and furniture, and it is worth our while to do the same grocery purchases. Many Canadian families spend well in excess of $5000 per year on their grocery needs (and we haven’t even gotten into household cleaning products here). With some careful planning and some paging through those weekly flyers that many of us just throw away, that amount could drop substantially.
So whether you dream of more cash for a long weekend away, a pair of boots that you really, really like, or simply something to add to your savings account, visit your dollar store. Your grocery budget will thank you.
I found 2 great deals when I was over at Dollarama in Vaughan, Ontario this morning:
Lysol Disinfecting Wipes - $2 for 24 wipes
These usually sell for around $3 in most stores.
Air Wick Freshmatic Compact + Refill - $3 for Lavender & Chamomile scent
These usually sell for around $5 in most stores.
Have you picked up a great deal at the dollar store lately? Please share!
When I moved into my first place over 5 years ago, I purchased an inexpensive can opener from Dollarama. It was only $1 and it lasted me over 3 years. It was because of that can opener that I realized not everything I purchased had to be high-end. Sometimes, the cheap stuff works just fine (if not better).
After 3 years of use, my can opener bit the bullet one day while opening up a can of beans. So - off to Dollarama I went to pick up another one. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the same can opener available, but they did have a nice one for $2.
The first few times I used it, the can opener was a bit stiff and hard to use. I figured this was just because it was brand new and that after a few more uses, it would work just as well as my first can opener did.
Unfortunately, this was not the case. The can opener from Dollarama became harder and harder to operate. It got to the point where I made my husband open cans for me because it was too much physical effort on my part (seriously!).
After just under 2 weeks of using it, we tossed the $2 can opener in the trash and bought a new one from Amazon (which works amazingly well, by the way).
Sometimes we get lucky at dollar stores (like with my first can opener) and sometimes we don’t (like with this can opener). It’s alright. I know it all evens out eventually.
I’ve been asked numerous times if Dollarama accepts manufacturer coupons at their stores, so I thought I would write this post to let you know the answer to that question.
Unfortunately, it is probably not going to be the answer you were hoping to get.
Currently, Dollarama does not accept any type of coupon.
They used to accept manufactuer coupons, but unfortunately, many people took advantage of all of the items that were free after coupons and would completely clear out store after store. This was not fair to other customers, so they decided to stop accepting coupons for the time being.
It’s possible that they will start accepting them again in the future, but it’s very likely that there will be some strict couponing rules put in place for redeeming coupons at Dollarama.
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