How to Shop the Next Dollar General Clearance Event (May 10 - 12)

If you like hunting for deals during Dollar General penny sales, you'll definitely want to make time for the next Dollar General clearance event, predicted for Friday, May 10 - Sunday, May 12. This will be the first clearance event we've seen since early March.

Whenever a Dollar General Clearance Event pops up, you can plan on saving at least 50% on an assortment of already-reduced items. And the next sale will see 50% markdowns on seasonal and core items.

The only catch? These clearance events happen in stores only, so inventory is limited. But some lucky shoppers find savings as high as 70% off.

But before you shop the next clearance sale, you've gotta know exactly which products to hunt for, since not every item gets marked down by 50% (and it's not the same deals from the Dollar General weekly ad). You’ll also need to know how to navigate their app, what the price tag stickers actually mean, and the importance of bringing your own Dollar General coupons to the sale.

For more smart shopping tips and savings hacks, download the KCL app or text HACKS to 57299.

When is the next Dollar General Clearance Event?

We've heard that the next Dollar General clearance event will be coming in mid-May. To give you an idea of the pattern, here are the most recent dates we've seen:

• May 10 - 12, 2024 (Friday - Sunday) *predicted

• March 1 - 3, 2024 (Friday - Sunday)

• Oct. 20 - 22, 2023 (Friday - Sunday)

• Sept. 29 - Oct. 5, 2023 (Friday - Thursday)

• Sept. 22 - 24, 2023 (Friday - Sunday)

• Sept. 1 - 4, 2023 (Friday - Monday)

• Aug. 20 - 26, 2023 (Sunday - Saturday)

• Aug. 17 - 19, 2023 (Thursday - Saturday)

Remember that the sale is in stores only, and only certain items get marked down by an additional 50%. You'll also want to be aware of the Dollar General return policy, which has special restrictions for seasonal items like the ones included in the clearance sales.

What was included in the last clearance event?

There were quite a few seasonal and core items that rang up for an additional 50% off during the Dollar General Clearance Event that happened in early March.

Here's the full list of product categories that were an additional 50% off in stores:

• Bebe-branded White Dot Apparel

• Camping

• Clearance Section — Look for items like deodorant, Conair hair dryers, Glade candles, Bic razors, and more

• Fall/Winter Blue Dot Apparel & Accessories

• Fall/Winter Gray Dot Apparel & Accessories

• Fall/Winter Red Triangle Socks

• Holiday Novelty & Decalmania Hardware

• Holiday Plastics

• POG Clearance — Look for Orange clearance tags throughout the store

• Red Dot Home — Look for items like throws and towels

• Select Picture Frames

• Valentine's Day Candy and Seasonal

KCL TIP: Many of the items included in the last clearance event were already marked down to 25% off, so you got an additional 50% off with the sale.

You could also take 50% off the regular price of these items during the March clearance event:

• Antibacterial Wipes & Sprays

• Blue Dot & Yellow Star Toys — Look for Disney back backs, crafting kits, etc.

• Brown Dot Home

Best In-Store Deals From the Last Event

Below I'm sharing some of the best deals I found at my store during the Dollar General clearance event on March 1 - 3, 2024. The best deals were on items that had already seen price drops in recent weeks, like seasonal Valentine's Day decor.

• Valentine Decor, $0.05 (reg. $1) — 95% off

• Playtex Tampons, 16 ct, $0.35 (reg. $4.50) — 92% off after $1 Playtex manufacturer coupon

• Dial Soap Refill, 32 oz, $0.49 (reg. $4.95) — 90% off after $1 DG Rebate

• Hello Deodorant, 2.6 oz, $1.03 (reg. $6.75) — 85% off after $1 Hello DG coupon

• 2 Colgate Toothpastes, 5.1 oz, $2.76 (reg. $11.50) — 76% off after $3 Colgate DG coupon

• Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers, 88 ct, $10.75 (reg. $25.50) — 58% off after $2 DG Rebate

KCL TIP: By combining the 50% off clearance event with Dollar General rebates (in the DG app), you could save even more on the Huggies diapers deal!

How often does Dollar General have clearance events?

To make room for all their new seasonal inventory, Dollar General has been holding clearance sales like crazy the last few months. Expect to see a Dollar General Clearance Event pop up every few months (or sometimes every few weeks).

Dollar General Clearance Events used to happen about six times a year, but lately, they seem to be happening more frequently than that.

Related: We can help you learn how to coupon at Dollar General.

Tips for Shopping a Dollar General Clearance Event

1. Get to the store 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 any 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!

2. Clip the $5 off $25 Saturday coupon in your Dollar General app to save even more.

Definitely don’t forget to clip the weekly $5 off $25 digital coupon in your Dollar General app. With this particular store coupon, your total has to be $25 after all discounts are applied. These coupons are typically valid on Saturdays only.

And 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 any coupons to your order automatically.

TIP: The $5 off $25 coupon also gets printed at the bottom of your receipt if you make a purchase during the week. If you have multiple printed coupons, you can split up your transaction to save even more.

3. 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.

TIP: If you’re having trouble with the app while in the store, check your Wi-Fi connection. You’ll want to make sure you’re connected to the DG-Customer account. It’ll take a second or two to load the Terms of Service screen that you’ll to accept first, before you can connect to their Wi-Fi.

4. Check for orange clearance tags throughout the store.

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 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. This is what insiders refer to as “POG Clearance,” which refers to Dollar General’s “planogram” terminology they use for shelf displays.

5. Also hunt for penny sale items while you’re there.

As long as shoppers have not 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.

When we shopped the Dollar General Clearance event in May, we found a few penny items scattered throughout the store.

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

6. Look for deals at Dollar General Market locations, too.

It’s not just regular Dollar General stores that get the markdowns. Dollar General Market stores need to offload excess inventory from time to time, too. Just bypass the fresh foods area and head straight to the regular aisles with the seasonal and clearance merchandise.

7. Check Ibotta for cash back 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 is bringing some changes to your DG app (hint: Dollar General rebates!).