When everything at Dollar Tree costs only $1.25 or less, it’s hard not to get excited. Especially since you can save even more on your Dollar Tree haul by using coupons and rebate apps. But it’s not as easy as you’d think. Dollar Tree does some funny stuff with their product sizes, so you gotta pay attention. I’ll show you what to do to get things for pennies — or even free.
And if you’re wondering what things you should always buy at Dollar Tree, we have tips for that, too. Plus some tips about how to know when your store restocks their shelves.
Here’s everything you gotta know about how to coupon at Dollar Tree.
Before we get started, remember to bookmark our roundup of the best Dollar Tree deals you should jump on!
1. Know when your Dollar Tree restocks to get first dibs.
The early bird gets the deals, right? Knowing when your Dollar Tree restocks the shelves is key to scooping up all the good deals before someone else.
When does Dollar Tree restock?
You can expect the majority of Dollar Trees to stock their shelves once a week. The stores around me said they receive new shipments once a week or twice a week, depending on their store size. If you really want to be first in line, see if your store will let you know what days they get a truck delivery in.
Bear in mind that just because the truck came in doesn’t mean the items will immediately make it onto the shelves. It all depends on how your store is staffed. At some stores, employees are restocking after store hours to keep the shelves full. That’s the case at my local Dollar Tree, so I’ve found my best success by shopping in the morning hours.
But at stores that are short-staffed or not as well managed, it can take them anywhere from 2 – 4 days to get all the new inventory on the shelves. So if you timed your shop to match the restock schedule only to meet disappointment when the item looks like it’s out-of-stock, ask if they have anything in the back before you dub your trip an epic fail.
Related: We monitor the new Dollar Tree items quite frequently — check our list of the latest Dollar Tree finds.
2. Use manufacturer coupons to pay less than $1 or even get free stuff in your Dollar Tree haul.
When something only costs $1.25, a $0.50-off coupon gets you the item for 40% off. Use a dollar-off coupon and the item is yours for almost free. Woohoo!
Here’s a quick rundown of the fine print of the Dollar Tree Coupon Policy:
- Dollar Tree accepts printable internet manufacturer coupons and paper manufacturer coupons (from newspapers and inserts).
- No digital coupons.
- You can use one manufacturer coupon per item.
- You can only use two printable internet manufacturer coupons per order.
- Use as many different newspaper coupons as you want in a transaction.
- But you can only use up to four identical coupons in one transaction.
- You can use coupons valued over $1, but Dollar Tree won’t give you an overage. That means they aren’t gonna pay you a quarter to walk out of the store for something. You’d get it for free in that case.
- You can only use coupons for free items if there is a purchase requirement — like a BOGO free coupon.
Another huge thing to note with Dollar Tree is that your coupon has to match the size they’re selling — which is a big problem. Dollar Tree tends to sell weird sizes. They’re usually smaller, which can result in less value for your spend. Because you can’t use coupons on off-sizes, there are lots of coupons that just won’t apply.
But when they do, you can get a pretty sweet deal.
TIP: Coupon troubles? If all else fails, you can fill out a customer help form. Dollar Tree does reserve the right to accept, refuse, or limit the use of any coupon.
3. Pick up the Sunday newspaper at Dollar Tree and save $2 – $3.
Need manufacturer coupons for your Dollar Tree haul? Skip the newsstand and just head to your local Dollar Tree, where they sell the Sunday newspaper for a buck. (My local Sunday paper costs more than three times that at the newsstand.)
Some stores have a limit on how many papers you can buy (usually three or so), and some stores don’t carry them at all, so call ahead first. If there’s enough leftover midweek, they’ll let you buy as many as you want.
4. Don’t buy Pokemon cards at Dollar Tree. Go to Best Buy instead.
If you’re wondering, “Does Dollar Tree have Pokemon cards?”, the answer is yes. But you’re gonna get a bum deal. The days of $1 Pokemon card packs appear to have faded off over the last year. Today, you can find Scarlet & Violet booster packs at some locations for $5. Not a good deal. Not when you can find booster packs for $2.99 – $4.49 at Best Buy.
If you find a $0.50 Pokemon card dispenser near the exit of your store, don’t get sucked in by the hype. I’ve never gotten a star card out of one of those things. It’s more like 95% circles, with the occasional diamond Trainer card thrown in the mix. I suppose every once in a while someone might score a star, but you’re trying to shop smart — not play the lottery.
If you buy 10 from the machine, you’re paying the same price as the booster pack. But remember — that wasn’t a good price to start with. Plus, you’re guaranteed to get at least 1 star and at least 3 holographic foils in every booster pack. So again, just head to Best Buy.
5. Use the KCL app to map out your weekly Dollar Tree haul with the store’s weekly ad and coupons.
Sure, you can visit DollarTree.com to see what coupons are available in the weekly ad, then cross reference that with manufacturer coupons online or in the mail, then read the fine print to make sure your sizes qualify … but that’s a lot of work, isn’t it?
Instead, download The Krazy Coupon Lady app and add Dollar Tree to your favorite stores. We do weekly ad matchups with coupon deals based on that ad along with freebie opportunities and clearance sales. Checking out the best Dollar Tree deals of the week makes savings pretty easy to come by.
6. Use BOGO free coupons for your Dollar Tree haul.
Dollar Tree will accept a BOGO (Buy 1, Get 1) free coupon — as long as you pay for something at checkout. You can’t get both items for free.
7. Pay attention to Dollar Tree coupon size restrictions.
Sneaky, sneaky Dollar Tree.
Beware of size restrictions, and always read the fine print on your coupon. Manufacturer coupons have size and quantity limitations that disqualify many name-brand Dollar Tree products. This is because they carry odd, smaller-sized items that are made specifically for their store.
For example, you might see a $1-off Finish dishwashing pods coupon. But when you read the fine print, you’ll realize you’re out of luck. Dollar Tree only sells 4-count packs of Finish, and the coupon is only good for 22-count packs or larger. Womp.
8. Stack manufacturer coupons with rebate app offers for almost-free Dollar Tree items.
I love grabbing Dollar Tree freebies with rebate apps. You can sometimes stack a manufacturer coupon with a rebate for bigger discounts. Sometimes they can even result in profit.
Here are the rebate apps I recommend using for your Dollar Tree haul:
9. Score 50% off Dollar Tree candy the day after a major holiday.
The day after every major holiday is a great time to swing by your local Dollar Tree. You can score 60% off all the available holiday candy left over. This past Easter, I saw plenty of Peeps and Palmer chocolate eggs for just $0.50! (Normally $1.25.)
10. The best things to buy at Dollar Tree are seasonal items like Christmas decorations.
A good rule of thumb is to check for seasonal decor one to two months early. Whether we’re ready or not, Dollar Tree rolls out the red and green when there are more than 100 days until Christmas! Shop early and often, as items sell out quickly.
We’ve seen Halloween items (think: bat, spider, pumpkin, and ghost decorations) go on sale near the end of July and through August.
By the time Labor Day rolls around, expect Dollar Tree to stock the shelves with Thanksgiving essentials, including Pampa canned pumpkin and Musselman’s apple pie filling.
11. Other top buys at Dollar Tree are pregnancy tests, sandwich bags, and over-the-counter medicine.
Some things you should simply always buy at Dollar Tree. One of their most popular items (for good reason) is pregnancy tests, which we’ve bought for as low as $0.75 with the help of a $0.25-off Ibotta rebate. Plus, they’ve got ovulation predictors and even at-home drug tests.
Buy 1 VeriQuick Pregnancy Tests, $1.25 reg. price
In stores only
Submit one $0.25/1 – Anything, Ibotta Rebate
Final Price: $1
I definitely recommend stocking up on sandwich bags, too. I’ve walked out of Dollar Tree with Glad sandwich bags for just $0.25 thanks to a $1-off Glad coupon I found.
Buy 1 Glad sandwich bags, $1.25 reg. price
Use one $1/1 Glad products coupon
Final price: $0.25 ($0.01/bag)
Compare to Walmart for $8.35 ($0.17/bag)
Plus, Dollar Tree offers over-the-counter medicine like ibuprofen, aspirin, sleep aids, and pain relievers for just a buck. Find a $2-off Tylenol coupon, and boom — you’ve got yourself free pain relief.
Buy 1 Tylenol Extra Strength, $1.25 reg. price
Use one – $2/1 Tylenol Adult or PM coupon
Final price: FREE
Compare to Amazon for $9.49
12. Add some best-selling books to your haul for just $1.25 each.
Find cookbooks and books from New York Times best-selling authors for just $1.25 each at Dollar Tree. These books retail for $8 and up on Amazon, so this is a great deal if you need new reading material.
Plus, they’ve got crosswords and sudoku books for $1.25 if you need a break from screen time.
13. The worst things to buy at Dollar Tree are generic brands, toothpaste, and cereal.
Dollar Tree products are generally awesome. But you should be aware of what not to buy from Dollar Tree. The key is considering the unit price, quantity, and quality before making purchases and always comparing prices before you shop.
We found some brand-name products at Walmart for 60% less than what Dollar Tree charged for similar generic brands.
Buy 1 Playskool Crayons, 24 ct, $1.25 reg. price
In store only
Final Price: $1.25
Compare to Walmart’s Crayola Classic Crayons, 24-count, for $0.50.
But that’s nothing compared to how much more you’d save when you use coupons at drugstores such as Walgreens and CVS. At Walgreens, we used a toothpaste coupon to spend 90% less per ounce on Crest toothpaste than we would’ve at Dollar Tree.
Buy 3 Crest Pro Health Advanced Whitening Toothpaste, 5.1 oz, $3.99 sale price
Buy 3, receive $5 Register Reward
Use one $5/3 – Crest Adult Toothpaste 3 oz or more, Mouthwash 16 oz or larger (walgreens.com)
Pay $6.97, receive $5 Register Reward
Final Price: $0.66 each, when you buy 3 (or $0.04 per ounce)
Compare to Dollar Tree’s Crest Toothpaste, 2.8 ounces, for $0.45 per ounce
And we used a cereal coupon at CVS to save over 50% per ounce on Cocoa Puffs compared to what we would’ve spent at Dollar Tree.
Buy 2 Cocoa Puffs, 11.8 oz, $1.99 sale price
Use one $1/2 – General Mills Cereal, CVS L2C Manufacturer Coupon (cvs.com)
Final Price: $1.49 each when you buy 2 (or $0.13 per ounce)
Compare to Dollar Tree Cocoa Puffs, 3.4 ounces, for $0.38 per ounce
Related: Dollar Tree is surprisingly one of the worst places to buy gift bags when you consider the cost per bag.
14. Order bulk items from DollarTree.com and get free in-store pickup.
Unfortunately, you can’t use coupons when shopping online at Dollar Tree, but it’s a great place to shop if you want sports drinks, paper towels, or party favors in bulk.
Don’t forget: Dollar Tree offers free in-store pickup so you don’t have to pay for shipping.
Buy 1 Gatorade Lemon-Lime Thirst Quencher, 24 oz 24 ct, $30.00 reg. price
Free in-store pickup
Final Price: $30.00 ($0.05/ounce)
Compare to Amazon’s 24-Pack Gatorade Bottles, 20 ounces, $39.99 ($0.08/ounce)
Buy 1 12-Pack Royal Norfolk Ceramic White Round Stoneware 10.5-inch Dinner Plates, $15.00 reg. price
Free in-store pickup
Final Price: $15.00 ($1.25/plate)
Compare to Amazon’s 6-Pack White Dinner Plate Set, 10.5 inches, $19.99 ($3.33/plate)
15. Check out the Dollar Tree Value Seekers blog for all your DIY projects.
Dollar Tree’s Value Seekers blog is a treasure trove of budget-friendly craft ideas. If that’s right up your alley, you can sign up and you’ll get weekly emails with store updates and crafting ideas.
Once you’re a member, Dollar Tree will also send you notifications for savings opportunities and share tips and hacks.
Only care about savings and crafts? You’re in luck — you can customize the content you receive. That way you don’t get spammed.
16. You can’t get refunds, only exchanges with the Dollar Tree return policy.
With the Dollar Tree return policy, you can’t return anything for a refund — you can only do exchanges. If it’s a food item, you can only exchange it for another food item, unless you pay the tax difference. The good news is a receipt isn’t required; it’s just recommended.
Related: Does Dollar Tree accept Apple Pay? Yep! Here’s how using Apple Pay at Dollar Tree works.
What coupon strategies do you use for your Dollar Tree haul? Drop a comment below!
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