My Top 5 Favorite Dollar Store Hacks

A lot of people comment that they are surprised when I shop at a dollar store.  Isn't that a bunch of crap?  And while yes, there can be a lot of junky quality items, I have found a surprising number of items that I can use to make my life easier and save a lot of money along the way.  Here are some of my favorites:

Party Items

Any time we have a party, I'm at the dollar store.  Birthday parties, showers, graduations, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween, Christmas, you name it.  It's my go to spot for plates, plastic silverware, napkins, plastic table covers, cups, etc.  They also have a variety of serving dishes and serving cutlery that is perfect for one time use (or wash and use again).  I also love the serving dishes when I go to family or a friend's house and need to bring something.  Then, I can leave the dish behind without needing it returned or worry about it breaking.  Also, don't forget the decorations.  Your favorite dollar store has a variety of signs, banners, and other fun decorations that can be used once or stored again for later use.  My favorite, is the plastic table cover, which I happily throw away at the end of the party for easy clean up.  

Wipes

From baby wipes to car wipes, wipes are one of my favorite things at the dollar store.  Anyone who's had a baby knows the versatility of baby wipes.  Not only are they good for wiping bottoms, and hands, and faces, they are perfect for wiping up about any spill or mess that comes along.  My favorite wipe at the dollar store, however, is actually the car wipes, which are found in the automotive section.  The car wipes are great for leaving in, you guessed it, the car.  But the best use I have found for the car wipes is anything leather or faux leather.  I use it routinely to clean up and dust off my leather couches, leather ottoman, leather coats, polish shoes, etc.  Obviously, try a tester spot to make sure the color isn't removed or doesn't fade, but so far I have had nothing but compliments on my always beautiful leather items. 

Shoe Organizer

I'll be honest my dollar store does not always carry shoe organizers, so you have to be on the look out when you want one.  But once you have it, an over the door shoe organizer (or ten) can be your best friend.  Of course, it works for it's named purpose, organizing shoes, but the organizer can work for many other items in your house too.  I've used it for school supplies, craft items, food items, hats and gloves, to name a few.  My best use for the shoe organizer is planning my children's clothes for the week.  Every Sunday, I organize my little ones' clothes for the week.  Roll together an entire outfit including underwear and socks and place in a single pocket of the organizer.  Five pockets equals five days of outfits and every morning there is no wasted time or struggle in dressing the kiddos.


Shower Curtain Rings

I love these shower curtain rings.  They work for keeping up your shower curtain (that you can also get from the dollar store), but I love the shower curtain rings for hanging items in my closet.  They are great for belts, scarves, ties, and the like.  My favorite use is hanging all of my tank tops.  I can hang all of them on one hangar which saves space in my drawers as well as my closet.  Plus, the shower rings make the shirts easy to find all in one place.










Laundry Bags

Last, but certainly not least: laundry bags, one of the best finds at the dollar store.  My favorite hack with a laundry bag is to take it on vacation, empty.  Pack it in your suitcase and when you get to your destination take it out and fill it up as the vacation goes on.  Instead of dirty clothes all over your hotel room floor, they are corralled in the laundry bag.  In some instances, we do laundry while on vacation so we don't need to pack as many items.  Otherwise, just shove the entire dirty laundry bag in the suitcase to wash when you get home.  My other favorite use for these laundry bags: toys and clutter around the house.  They are especially great for stuffed animals, kids blankets, and other loveys that seem to always be multiplying.






That's it.  My top dollar store hacks to save you money and time.  These are some of my favorites to make my life a little easier and I hope they help you too.