How to Save Big During Dollar General Clearance Events

If you hear of an upcoming Dollar Tree clearance event (there are 5 a year!), you better run. Like other Dollar General clearance sales, reduced clearance items will be an additional 50% – 70% off. This means you can typically shop 50% off razors, $0.50 washcloths, $1 towels, and $2.50 6-pack washcloths during the event — and that’s just the tip of the savings we’ll see.

However, in order to be a winner during a Dollar General clearance event, you need to know how to navigate their app, what the colored stickers actually mean, and the importance of bringing your own coupons to the sale.

Here are all my tips and tricks for shopping the in-store Dollar General clearance event, what will get discounted, and more.

And download The Krazy Coupon Lady app so you never miss a sale.

 

Dollar General Clearance Event: How to Score Big Savings

Dollar General Clearance Events usually happen 5 times a year. When the next one is announced, we will be sure to update our post and let you know. In 2023, we saw one already March 3 – 5.

 

1. Use the Dollar General app to scan clearance items before you check out.

The Dollar General app is easy to navigate and a must to check your pricing on items before you buy them. Open the app and use the CartCalculator to scan the item you think is on clearance and confirm the price while you’re shopping in-store.

 

2. Clip Dollar General coupons during the clearance sale to save even more.

When you’re scanning items in the Dollar General app, if a coupon shows up below the item, clip it to save it to your account. This will maximize your savings potential — as long as the coupon actually sticks. We’ve had issues with getting the DG coupons to save properly, so you may have to keep trying. Once you get to the register, just enter your phone number to apply your coupons.

And don’t forget to clip the weekly $5 off $25 digital coupon in the app! These coupons are typically valid on Saturday only, but for the first time ever in March, the weekly dollar-off coupon was valid Friday through Sunday. Note: With this particular coupon, your total has to be $25 after all discounts are applied.

Not only could shoppers take advantage of the digital $5 off $25 coupon, but they also received a physical coupon on all receipts.

TIP: If you print out the $5 off $25 coupon, you can split up your transaction and use multiple coupons to save even more.

 

3. Be prepared with your plan: Clearance items typically include towels, blankets, throws, home decor, rugs, antibacterial wipes, and sprays.

Here are the discounted clearance items that were an additional 50% off during the clearance event in March 2023:

• Core Clearance (aka the regular items with an orange clearance tag that you’ll find throughout the store)
• Clearance Section
• Red Dot Home
• Blue Dot Apparel, Shoes, & Accessories
• Holiday Plastics
• Blue Star Toys
• Super Bowl Party

 

Items that were regularly priced but 50% off:

• Brown Dot Home – Blankets, Throws, Bath, Rugs, Home Decor, Appliances, Furniture, and Housewares
• Antibacterial Wipes & Spray – Cleansol, Ultraclean, Wipeout, Good & Clean, Hospex Spray, and Predo Baby Wipes

 

4. Check for orange or yellow clearance tags throughout the store, too.

Don’t get fooled into thinking the only items with markdowns are the ones in the clearance aisle or on the tables at the front of the store. For a General clearance event, items with orange or yellow clearance tags all throughout the store get additional markdowns, too.

For example, if the regular price on an item is $3 and there’s a 10% off sticker on the shelf, you’ll first take 10% off the regular price, then take 50% – 70% off of the sale price.

Related: We can help you understand the DG coupon policy.

 

 

5. Look for any penny list items while you’re there.

If no one has swiped them all up yet, you may be able to find some of this week’s Dollar General penny list items still on shelves at your store. Penny list items have already been heavily discounted — usually by more than 90% — and will ring up as just $0.01 at the register.

Use our list so you know what to look for while you’re shopping in-store.

 

6. Get there early — the good stuff goes fast.

Unlike the seasonal clearance events at Dollar General (like the sales that happen after Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc.), the three-day clearance events don’t get better as the event goes on. So head to your store early, before things sell out. Also know that the inventory varies by store.

TIP: If you can, visit a bunch of Dollar General stores near you in the days leading up to a clearance sale. That way you can scout out which store seems to have the most items in stock and know which store to visit first!

 

7. You can’t order these clearance items online or with DG pickup.

Where’s the fun in that anyway? Part of the magic of a Dollar General clearance event is not knowing what you’ll score until you get in the store.

 

8. Check Ibotta for cashback rewards on items you purchased.

If you already use the Ibotta app, you know that it’s a goldmine for finding rebate offers on grocery and household items you were probably going to buy anyway. Check the Dollar General page on the app to see if any offers match with clearance finds — then upload your receipt to get the credit!

Related: A new partnership between Dollar General and Ibotta will bring some changes to your DG app this spring.

 

9. Take a peek at some of the in-store deals at my Dollar General: