Morning Lineup – August 7

Like most people, I don’t just go to one supermarket for my groceries.  I’ll visit two or three of them during the course of the week to take advantage of any sales as well as the usual lower prices that one store may have in certain product categories.

The market that’s closest to where I live is also right next door to one of those “dollar stores” that have been sprouting up over the past few years.  Have you ever taken the time to look through one of those places?  They really do have much lower prices on most items and if they have something that you’ll be buying anyway, then you can save quite a bit of money there.

In a lot of instances you can’t be quite sure of what is on the shelves until you get there.  They tend to offer grocery items that are whatever happens to be available when their buyer was contracting purchases.  The dry-goods staples like brooms and mousetraps are always on hand, but the quick-turnaround grocery items change constantly and you have to see what’s being offered today.

I’ll visit my local dollar store once in a while to pick up some name-brand canned sardines.  Not only are they the only place where I can get a certain kind of smoked sardines that I like, but the price of their sardines is 40% less than the supermarket.  When I went in there yesterday I noticed a lot of gaps on the shelves in the grocery section.  Stock was really low.

Then it occurred to me, I had heard somewhere that a lot of people are drifting into the dollar stores from the supermarkets because of the recent spike in food prices and they can save quite a bit of money picking up their sundry items and canned goods there.  And it was evident in the Dollar General where I was that business had picked up.

Consumer Reports and SmartMoney Magazine have both done some comparison shopping at places like Dollar Tree and Dollar General and have come up with some “good deals” and “bad deals” lists of what to watch for.  Under the “good deals” column they say that you can’t beat them for cleaning supplies, shampoo and hair care products, gift wrapping paper, and kitchen supplies like brooms and dust pans.

On the “avoid” list they recommend that you pass up the vitamins, anything with an electrical cord, and off-brand toys.  Also, Consumer Reports says be wary of look-alike brands at some dollar stores, that look like major brands with a slightly different name. You may be unhappy with the quality.

But if you stick to basic products and especially to name brands….a dollar store is well worth exploring in today’s tough economy.  And conveniently, when you go there you don’t have to get all dressed up, like you were going to Wal*Mart or something.

Ok blue-light shoppers, let’s get this equipment checked out while I go start the coffee.