Dollar Tree vs. Walmart: Getting the Best Deal on Everyday Products

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

In this day and age, I am always looking for the best deal, the product that meets my needs yet costs the least. This morning I made a list of what I needed and pre-planned whether or not I could get it cheaper and Walmart or Dollar Tree. These are some of my findings.


Items that can be gotten cheaper at Walmart


1. Walmart generic (Great Value) tissues 110 count: 86 cents

I honestly like these better than the brand names. They hold up better. They don’t tear and they double as decent napkins. They are also 14 cents cheaper than the Dollar Tree version.


2. Shampoo and Conditioner: 84 cents

I buy Sauve in 15 ounce bottles. The dollar store version can range from 15 ounces to 32 ounces, but I find Sauve works better than the super generic brands. The savings is 16 cents compared to the dollar store.


3. Diet Dr. Thunder 2 liter: 68 to 78 cents depending on the season


For the Dr. Pepper fan, this is a close comparison. I can’t taste a difference, and 2 liter bottles are always cheaper per ounce than any other package size. By comparison, the dollar store sells a 3 liter generic, but to me it isn’t worth it. Two liters go flat within a couple days. A 3 liter is even bigger and thus there is more risk is wasting the product. Savings as compared to the dollar store is between 22 and 32 cents.


Items that can be gotten cheaper at the Dollar Store

1. Toothbrushes: $1.00

The same fancy designs with colored, extra, and tilted bristles can be found at the dollar store. The packs range from one toothbrush to five depending on which style and brand you like. By comparison, toothbrushes at Walmart can range from 97 cents to several dollars. I like the consistency in price and choice better at Dollar Tree.


2. Cotton Swabs: $1.00

The cheapest pack of cotton swabs is 500 count and $1.98 at Walmart. The Dollar Tree brand has 400 cotton swabs which is almost half the cost of the Walmart generic.


3. Vegetable oil 17 ounces: $1.00

If you're like me and go through a bottle of oil in six months, this is more economical. It’s less oil, but it’s also less unused money sitting on the counter.


4. Hunt's tomato ketchup 24 ounces: $1.00

Hunt's is my favorite brand of ketchup. It tastes great and it has no high fructose corn syrup. Walmart sells it between $1.58 and $1.64 for the same size. It’s a savings of between 58 and 64 cents per bottle.


It takes a little pre-planning and making a shopping list, but between the two retailers, it is possible to get the best deal and not waste a single penny.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

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