Jenna McMahonĀ |Ā 

What Not to Buy at Dollar Tree: 10 Items to Skip

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Knowing what NOT to buy at Dollar Tree is the key to snagging $1.25 finds the smart way. Yes, if you can believe it, some Dollar Tree deals are actually bad deals ā€” compared to what youā€™ll get at other retailers.

You donā€™t want to get sucked into buying smaller-sized items or generic brands at Dollar Tree and end up paying more than you would for a larger size elsewhere. Some items are even cheaper at regular prices at other stores when you compare them to Dollar Tree.

Hereā€™s a list of 10 items you should NEVER buy at Dollar Tree because you can buy them for cheaper somewhere else.

Psst ā€” donā€™t forget to use our tips for an amazing Dollar Tree haul for even smarter ways to shop!

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1. Never buy colored pencils from Dollar Tree ā€” theyā€™re more expensive than Walmart.

crayola colored pencils at walmart

Dollar Tree school supplies can save you a bundle when you grab the basics like scissors and calculators. But when it comes to colored pencils, never buy them from Dollar Tree. Instead, go to Walmart ā€” theyā€™ve got larger packs of name-brand colored pencils for a lower cost per pencil. And youā€™ll save even more with a coupon!

ONLINE or In-Store Deal
$2.90
Price Summary
Pay $0.12 per colored pencil at Walmart
Compare to Dollar Tree price of $1.25

TIP: Donā€™t forget your Crayola coupons when you shop for colored pencils and crayons!

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2. Avoid buying the generic Dollar Tree ā€œVaseline.ā€

Petroleum jelly at Dollar tree

A 3.53-ounce tub of petroleum jelly from Dollar Tree is $1.25. But you can buy a larger tub of Equate petroleum jelly from Walmart for just $1. So donā€™t buy the generic ā€œVaselineā€ brand from Dollar Tree. Instead, go with Walmartā€™s Equate brand for a better deal.

ONLINE or In-Store Deal
$1.00
Price Summary
Pay $0.27 per ounce at Walmart
Compare to Dollar Tree price of $0.35
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3. Never buy sugar from Dollar Tree ā€” youā€™ll get four times the sugar at Walmart for less per pound.

Great value sugar on a counter

At Dollar Tree, one pound of sugar for $1.25 is a bad deal. Especially when you can buy four pounds of sugar for just $2.84 at Walmart.

Dollar Tree sugar might seem like a good idea, but you can get four times as much for less than $1 per pound if you shop at Walmart instead.

ONLINE or In-Store Deal
$2.84$2.84(0% off)
Price Summary
Pay $0.71 per pound at Walmart
Compare to Dollar Tree price of $1.25
Use these sugar coupons to save even more.

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Related: Walgreens vs. Dollar Tree: Whatā€™s Cheaper?

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4. Donā€™t buy AAA batteries from Dollar Tree ā€” buy them from Amazon when they go on sale.

Dollar Tree AAA batteries usually come in a pack of four, so for $1.25 a pack, youā€™re paying about $0.31 per battery. This may seem like a good deal, but it actually isnā€™t. Not when you can buy Amazon Basics AAA batteries for just $0.07 per battery when theyā€™re on sale!

Amazon AAA Batteries
ONLINE Deal
As low as$21.92$61.38(64% off)
What to buy
5% or 15% off with Subscribe & Saveā€‹
Price Summary
Pay as low as $0.07 per battery
Cut costs even more with these battery coupons.

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5. Never buy Crest toothpaste from Dollar Tree ā€” buy it from Walgreens when thereā€™s a sale and a coupon.

a hand holding a box of crest pro healthy advanced toothpaste at the drug store

Toothpaste prices are ridiculous, but buying Crest toothpaste from Dollar Tree wonā€™t save you as much as you think. Yeah, youā€™ll pay $1.25 for one tube of Crest, but you can buy it for just $0.25 per tube at Walgreens when you stack a sale price with a coupon and then top it off with a Register Reward.

4 Crest Toothpastes
In-Store Deal
$1.00
What to buy
Buy 3, receive $5 Register Rewardā€‹
Mobile coupons needed
$6.00/4 Crest or Oral-B Dental products, Walgreens App Couponā€‹
Price Summary
Pay $6.00, get a $5 Register Reward
Pay $0.25 per Crest toothpaste at Walgreens
Compare to Dollar Tree price of $1.25
See all the Crest coupons available now.

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Related: Dissecting the Battle of Dollar Tree vs. Family Dollar

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6. Donā€™t buy Dollar Treeā€™s generic soda; look for freebies on name brands instead.

Soda at dollar tree

When you can get name-brand soda for free, buying generic-brand soda from Dollar Tree for $1.25 seems like the worst deal ever.

All you have to do is wait for a sale and a BonusCash offer from Rite Aid to score 2-liter sodas (like Pepsi and MTN Dew) for free. Hereā€™s what that looks like:

Two 2-Liter Sodas
In-Store Deal
$0.00$2.99(100% off)
What to buy
Buy 2, receive $5 BonusCashā€‹
Price Summary
Pay $5.00, get $5 BonusCash
Pay $0 for two 2-liter soda bottles
Compare to Dollar Tree price of $1.25
Grab these soda coupons before you shop.

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7. Never buy shampoo from Dollar Tree; you can actually MAKE money when you buy it from Walgreens.

A shampoo moneymaker from Walgreens puts Dollar Tree prices to shame. Instead of paying $1.25 per bottle of generic-brand shampoo at Dollar Tree, you can walk out of Walgreens with two free bottles of Garnier Fructis and an extra $0.78 in your pocket. To snag this Walgreens moneymaker, stack a coupon, promo code, and a Walgreens Cash offer like this:

Two Garnier Fructis Shampoos
ONLINE Deal
-$0.78$6.58(112% off)
What to buy
Buy 2, receive $4 Walgreens Cashā€‹
Mobile coupons needed
$3.00/2 - Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner, Style, or Treatment Product, Walgreens Digital Couponā€‹
Price Summary
Pay $3.22, get $4 Walgreens Cash
Pay -$0.78 for two bottles of Shampoo
Compare to Dollar Tree price of $1.25
And of course, we have plenty of shampoo coupons to choose from.

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8. Donā€™t buy hand soap from Dollar Tree ā€” you can buy four bottles for less than $2 at Walgreens.

four bottles of Softsoap hand soap sitting in the basket portion of a Walgreens cart

A 7.5-ounce bottle of Softsoap for $1.25 at Dollar Tree is a bad deal. Why? Because you can buy the same bottle for less than $0.40 at Walgreens when you stack, stack, stack those coupons.

Softsoap Hand Soap
In-Store Deal
$1.47$7.96(82% off)
What to buy
Buy 1 get 1 50% off
Buy 4, receive $4 Register Rewardā€‹
Price Summary
Pay $5.47, get $4 Register Reward
Pay $0.37 per bottle at Walgreens
Compare to Dollar Tree price of $1.25
See all the hand soap coupons you can get right now.

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9. Never buy Carmex lip balm at Dollar Tree ā€” youā€™ll save $0.27 on each at Walmart.

Carmax lip balm at Dollar Tree

Walmart sells three packs of Carmex tubes and jars that are cheaper than a single Carmex from Dollar Tree. Youā€™ll pay just $0.98 per Carmex at Walmart, compared to $1.25 per Carmex at Dollar Tree.

In-Store or ONLINE Deal
$2.94
Price Summary
Pay $0.98 per Carmex at Walmart
Compare to Dollar Tree price of $1.25
Use these Carmex coupons to save even more.

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10. And finally, donā€™t buy garlic powder at Dollar Tree ā€” buy it at Walmart to save $0.21 per ounce.

Garlic powder at Dollar Tree

Walmartā€™s store-brand garlic powder isnā€™t just cheaper than Dollar Treeā€™s, but you get more out of it. So donā€™t buy a 2.5-ounce container for $1.25 at Dollar Tree. Instead, you can get a 3.4-ounce container for $1 at Walmart.

In-Store or ONLINE Deal
$1.00
Price Summary
Pay just $0.29 per ounce at Walmart
Compare to Dollar Tree price of $1.25
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Whatā€™s something youā€™ve learned NOT to buy at Dollar Tree? Leave it in the comments below!

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