do you grocery shop at the dollar store?

I know exactly what you mean! I know which things are cheaper at the dollar store and I wait to buy those items there. I get everything else cheaper at the grocery store or walmart. I have a recipe I make often that calls for cans of cream of chicken soup. I know I can get those 2 for $1 at the dollar store whereas they are about .75 at the grocery store. I've been skipping the 2 litres of Mountain Dew at the grocery store for 1.59 and waiting till I pass the dollar store on my way home and get it for 1.15. The toothpaste we use is $1 at the dollar store, but only .88 at walmart. You have to look at each item individually and remember where it's cheaper to buy it. Then plan your trips to the store that way. I happen to have a dollar store within walking distance of my house. I also pass the grocery store everyday on my way home from work or anywhere I go. So I can go both places any day. Walmart is a bit farther away. I have to plan the things I need to get there for when I go that way.

I don't trust the dollar stores for anything that might go into my mouth. There have been WAY too many stories about counterfeit goods trying to pass off as products we know. I'll stick with the grocery stores, I think they're a lot more reliable to buy food. There was recently an incident with OralB toothbrushes from a dollar store that were counterfeit, and the bristles came off in someone's mouth, and lodged in their throat, so, nothing from the dollar store will go in my mouth.

I do some grocery shopping at the dollar store occasionaly. If i know I can find the same item at the dollars store at a much cheaper price, then I'll buy it. But I have never shopped for food there.

Absolutely!!! I've bought brand name cereal there, I buy brand name tropical fruits for my mother to enjoy (canned) and I'll NEVER buy gift bags, wrapping paper or greeting cards anywhere else. Depending on the store, I can get fresh eggs, bread, ready-to-use potatoes identical in quality to Simply Potatoes brand, cereal, syrup, pancake mix, cookies, candy galore, economy-sized canned goods, milk, juice, soda, all in addition to the other wonderful items you can buy at a bargain. You get to know which products are crap and which are worth the money. Some of our "dollar" stores are the kind where over 50% of the items are $1 and the rest are priced accordingly - usually still at excellent prices. I won't pay a dollar a can for vegetables when I can get them at the main grocery store for less, but they sometimes get closeout deals from a now-defunct store where I can get quality canned goods for 2 and 3 for $1. I buy brand name cereals as well as cereal from Target and Publix markets for under $1.50 a box. I will ALWAYS start with a dollar store and build from there. ALWAYS!

I have never been able to trust the dollar stores food. Dollar stores tend to smell a bit... musty... like an old attic. Because of that I just don't trust buying food from them.

Not in mine! The dollar stores near me rarely have food. I used to have one that did, but they closed down. However, whenever I'd check expiration dates, the food was almost always past the "sale by" date. They had produce and on rare occasions I would buy that if it looked good. So, no, I didn't find it to be worthwhile to even go look there unless I was there for some other reason.

I do not shop at the dollar store. If you buy anything, it is usually a cheaply made imitation. As for the cans, and the snacks, they do not have the same quantity. If I want something just to eat, or if I were so poor I would shop there, but most of the dollar stores up here either do not accept credit cards, but if they do, only accept them over $5.00. The food at Superstore and the other grocery stores are cheaper.

I have never been grocery shopping at the dollar store (with the exception of some candies here and there). In fact, I was reading several days ago on some AOL feature that many items are at the supermarket are actually cheaper for what you get than the same items at the dollar store. The comparisons seemed very reasonable (ie. the packages are sometimes bigger at the grocery store, so even though it costs more you get more for your money). Come to think of it, I don't go to dollar stores much for anything. They always seem to have some interesting things in there when I do though. Never know what you'll find...

I definitely shop at the Dollar Store. I used to never think I could find a place that saved me more than shopping at Wal-Mart but I found that I was wrong. Some things may be a little higher than at Wal-Mart but overall they are cheaper.

I don't go out of my way to shop there but I've found some great stuff for a buck that would have cost me 500 times as much. We usually buy beef jerky and gum there because it gets eaten fairly quickly. It all depends on your store too, I've been in some that look like a warehouse with junk everywhere and some that have full size carts and some great deals. We've also purchased water at the dollar store, we can get a months supply for what it would cost for one case at the market.

I never grocery shop at the dollar store, but I go there to pick out some stuff sometimes. I'll go to a real supermarket for my groceries. It's more complete and convenient. It may be more expensive but at least I can choose from a selection of goods. But I'm not against purchasing pens, napkins, and the like at dollar stores. They rock!

I have never bought food at a Dollar Store but I have bought gift wrap and pool toys. The food is usually name brands that I have never heard of and I won't eat it unless I know the brand. But if you look hard enough sometimes you can find some really good deals.

Like most others, I've heard too many stories about counterfit products and will not put anything in my mouth from a dollar store. I do like the Dollar Tree a lot, though, for other name brand products.

Heh, I don't think I'd buy things from dollar stores. I'm always inclined to think they're a rip-off, not just in terms of quality, but even in terms of pricing. Let's just look at rice krispies--Costco Wholesale sells 20 rice krispies for $8.70, whereas at a dollar store, this would cost $20. Most things at the dollar store aren't worth the dollar you spend--not only are the products' qualities poor, the same product at a higher quality can often be found elsewhere.

I will often pick of snack type of food for the kids for their school lunches. They are individually packed and it is much cheaper than the grocery store.

I don't buy many foods there because of where they come from and most are not the foods I buy. I don't buy many snacks. I do buy some things there.I always go there to buy cute containers or baskets to put gifts in. xoxooxxoxo

i shop at the dollar store quite often but not very often for food. i love the dollar store tho and i even turned my hubby into a dolar store junkie lol. i'm going there today to do a bit of shopping

I will shop at the dollar store for laundry soap, dish soap, bug spray, cat and dog food and kitty litter, but the groceries at the Save-A-Lot grocery store are less expensive than at the dollar store, by 20 to 40 cents! In this case, it pays to comparison shop. They are only a few doors apart, so it isn't like I have to throw in the factor of the gas money to travel from one to the other. So, yeah, just because it is the dollar store doesn't mean it is less expensive. I learned that lesson, and with having to cut back on so much these days, every 20 to 40 cents saved or spent adds up quickly.

I read an article somewhere that said some of the food the dollar stores sell aren't the same as grocery store items even though they carry the name brand label. I'm pretty particular what I buy even at the grocery store. For other things like paper goods and cleaning supplies, It just depends on how much they are. Sometimes they're cheaper, but you don't get as much in the package, so I'm not really sure dollar stores save me any money. It really depends on the store. There's a Dollar Tree way over on the other side of town where I was comfortable buying anything including food when I worked in that part of town, but it's not worth the drive now.

I have not realy bought groceries from the dollar store but I do like to get little stocking stuffers from there for Christmas. It is also neat just to shop around on occasion for little knick knacks. My younger children like to go and shop with their allowance sometimes. They feel like they are in the money, so to speak, because they actually get change. I am all for dollar stores.