Dollar General is a little different than most retailers. Because they have the word “dollar” in their name they often get confused as a dollar store, which they clearly aren’t. Think of Dollar General as a cross between a dollar store and a discount department store. To help you save the most money on your next trip, I’ve put together the top 22 products to buy at your local Dollar General, some of which will shock you with their low price. Hope this article helps you save some money.

1. Toys

If you need a few toys as stocking stuffers, party favors, or cool little gift ideas, the Dollar General is a great stop.

Not only do they always have a wide selection of toys with a $1 price tag, but they also have many quality toys priced under $4 that are terrific bargains.

2. DVD Movies

Dollar General has a very good selection of DVD movies priced right around $3 each. Look for both kid and family titles as well as drama and action flicks for the rest of us.

Surprisingly they have DVD movies that you’ve actually heard of too, many of which you’ll have to pay $7-$12 for at Walmart.

See Also: Save Money by Knowing the Best Dollar Store Buys and Deals

3. Greeting Cards

Why would you ever pay $4 for a Hallmark card again if you have a Dollar General in your town? They have an excellent selection of high-quality greeting cards for $1 each.

4. Party Supplies

The next time you’re planning a birthday party, you’d be crazy to not stop by Dollar General first.

Buy all your party staples like napkins, plates, cups, and party decorations for a buck each then use the money you saved to buy a gift. Seriously, you can save a lot of money by buying party supplies at Dollar General and staying out of the big-box stores.

5. Air Fresheners

My truck use to flat-out stink inside. With three kids playing sports and doing dance classes, I can usually find a dirty sock or two in the backseat stinking up the joint.

I always stock-up on air fresheners at Dollar General and pay 20-30% less than Walmart and Target. My truck has never smelled better, until the air fresheners wears off anyways…

See Also: How to Essentially Get a $60 Costco Membership for Free

6. Wrapping Paper

Aside from stocking up on wrapping paper on December 26th, the single best way to save money is by shopping at Dollar General. They carry quality paper for just a buck a roll, and the rolls are pretty darn big too.

7. Hand Tools

The tools at Dollar General are much better quality than the cheap stuff you’ll find at the Dollar Store. They have a slew of quality wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers for $2 each and even bigger hand tools like saws, hammers, and drill bit sets for $5 or under.

8. Coloring Books

If you have any rug rats running around the house who love to color, be sure to stock-up on coloring books from Dollar General. At a $1 each, you can’t beat the price and the big selection of high-quality coloring books.

9. Dryer Sheets

Buy your dryer sheets from Dollar General and pay less than Walmart, Target, and Rite Aid. Look for them in the clearance section too to save even more money.

See Also: Dollar General Return Policy: Time to Muddle Through the Confusion

10. Curtains

Were you even aware that Dollar General sold curtains? If you’re like most, probably not. But they surely do, and they’re a screaming deal. You can get 40″ x 80″ curtain panels for $8.50, and 5-piece sets for less than $15. The brands are high-quality and include Comfort Bay and TrueLiving.

11. Lampshades

Until recently, the last place I would look for a new lampshade was at Dollar General. Boy, was I wrong. In actuality, you can get a quality TrueLiving lampshade for a sweet and easy $5. No-brainer.

12. Wall Art

If you’re looking to spruce up the walls of your home, consider staying out of expensive art galleries and print shops, and shop at Dollar General instead. For under $10, and often for under $8, you can score some very nice framed prints and wall art.

13. Paper Supplies

When you’re low on envelopes, stationery, computer paper, plain notebook paper, and even construction paper, head to your nearest Dollar General.

As a general rule, you’ll pay about a 1/3 less on paper products when compared to office supply stores. Cheaper than Walmart too in most cases.

14. Spray Paint

Have you ever noticed that the “in-house brand” spray paint at Home Depot and Lowe’s sells for about $4 a can? Opt instead to stock-up at Dollar General for $2 a can. The quality and coverage of their Miracal brand spray paint is excellent. And at $2 or less per can, the price is hard to beat.

15. Dried Fruit and Nuts

Nuts like cashews, almonds, and roasted peanuts can be quite expensive at grocery stores. The same can be said for dried fruit. But not at Dollar General as it’s a great place to fill-up the pantry on the cheap.

To give you some perspective, you can typically buy nuts and dried fruits for 50% less than traditional grocery stores.

See Also: Here are the 14 Cheapest Grocery Stores Near You

16. Picture Frames

If you’ve shopped recently at Michaels, you know just how expensive picture frames are these days. So consider buying your picture frames from Dollar General and save a nice chunk of change.

For example, at Dollar General you can get a TrueLiving 8 x 10″ picture frame for an affordable $3. Essentially the same frame at Michaels will run you $8, regularly $14.

17. K-Cups for Keurig

For $5 you can get a 12-pack of Keurig K-Cups, which comes out to $0.42 a serving. At Costco you’ll pay about $0.62 each and have to buy a box of 160 K-Cups to get that price.

The K-Cups at Dollar General aren’t generics either. They carry brands like Dunkin’ Donuts, McCafe, Folgers, and Maxwell House.

18. Spices

If you do a lot of cooking, you know just how expensive spices can be. Dollar General carries spices from name brands like McCormick and Lawry’s, as well as their in-house brand Clover Valley.

Both are cheaper than most grocery stores with name brands often coming in around $2.50 per container and Clover Valley going for a very affordable $1 each.

19. Wall Clocks

In addition to adding bargain art and prints to your walls, another smart way to spruce up your home is with a cool looking wall clock. For only $6.50, you can score a quality Sharp brand wall clock with a floating dial.

See Also: Buyer Beware, the Dollar Tree Return Policy Kinda Sucks

20. Gift Bags

Gift bags are one of those items that I hate dropping $4-5 bucks on as I know they’ll just be thrown away by most people. So I always opt to shop at Dollar General and take advantage of their huge selection of gift bags for a $1 each. Another no-brainer if you ask me.

21. Office Supplies

From now on, stay out of Office Depot and Staples and hit up Dollar General when you’re in need of office supplies. You’ll save a butt load of money on staples like pens, pencils, staplers, paper, clipboards, steno pads, index cards, and the like. Prices are easily 50% less than your big-box office supply stores.

22. Organization and Storage Bins

Storage and organization bins/totes at Dollar General are always a terrific deal. They carry top-notch brands like Sterilite, Ziploc, and TrueLiving and sell them for 30-40% less than Target and Walmart.

It just may be time to organize your closet, pantry, attic, or home office on the cheap.

Ask the Reader: What products at Dollar General save you the most money? Let me know in the comments section below, thanks!

Happy savings.

By Kyle James