The 5 Dollar Tree Items You Should Never Buy (One May Surprise You)

If you’re anything like me, you actively search for the best way to spend your hard earned money. That is exactly why I visit my local Dollar Tree regularly so I can keep up with their newest items and ensure my $1.25 is being spent wisely. However, lately I’ve noticed price increases on some items and I’m here to share what is not worth your money.

Here are the 5 Dollar Tree Items You Should Never Buy simply because they are priced better or are better quality elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, I am not the only one that feels this way. Many others have commented on Facebook stating they can find these items priced better at retailers such as Walmart and Kroger.

1.25 L Bottles of Soda

Price: $1.75

The 1.25 L bottles of Pepsi and Coke products have recently increased in price from $1.25 to $1.75 per bottle. These same bottles are priced $1.48-$1.52 (depending on location) saving you money per bottle. If you are okay with Shasta, those larger bottles of soda are still $1.25.

Starbucks Bottled Coffees

Price: $3.75

While Starbucks coffees cost a lot more than those you can find in-store, Dollar Tree’s prices on the bottled Starbucks Frappuccinos and Refreshers are more than you can find at other retailers. Starbucks bottled drinks are $3.48 at Walmart and Target saving you over $0.25 a bottle.

Bagged Ice

Price: $2.00

Bagged ice is one of those things you nearly forget everytime until you’re walking out of the store. Luckily, Dollar Tree keeps their bagged ice freezers (at select locations) near the front of the store. However, you may want to think twice before buying a bag. The 5 lb bag of ice has recently increased to $2.00 per bag and you can often get larger bags of ice for cheaper (I know Costco sells 16 lbs of ice for around $2.00).

Toothpaste

Price: $1.25

Toothpaste is one of those things that you can often get for free or really cheap using sales and coupons at places like Target, Walgreens and CVS. Even if you don’t use coupons, Kroger tends to drop prices down to $0.99 for a larger size tube of toothpaste often. With that being said, Toothpaste tends to be smaller in quantity at Dollar Tree giving you less bang for your buck.

Electronics

Price: $1.25

Electronics is one category in my book that I don’t mind paying a little more for. Why? Because I feel safer knowing something wasn’t cheaply made that could potential start a fire. Also, electronic items such as phone cords and chargers, tend to break a lot more easily from Dollar Tree.

Pro tip: If you do end up buying anything electrical at Dollar Tree, look on the packaging or the item itself for the UL label. It stands for Underwriters Laboratory. This company has set safety standards for many products and has even tested these items to see if they meet such standards. The last time I checked items at Dollar Tree such as charging cables, they did not have this which may or may not surprise you.

And that’s it. Now you know the top 5 items I would never buy from Dollar Tree. Hopefully this gives you an idea of what to stay away from when shopping Dollar Tree so you can help your dollars stretch further.