You got THAT for a dollar?

When I was in college, I happened upon a store where everything in it was $1.00. I thought it was the coolest thing, and yet, the concept was so foreign that I found myself wanting to ask the ridiculous question, "How much is this?".  Back then, there weren't a lot of these kinds of stores in these parts. However, now you can find them almost everywhere and Dollar Tree is one of my favorites. I find great humor in a story a teacher friend told me the other day. She said she often finds herself walking up and down the aisles thinking, 'That's totally worth a dollar'. :)

If you haven't been lately (or ever), you should give it a try. Here are just a few reasons why I love it:

1) Their greeting cards are $0.50. All of them! Period. My friend Catherine knows how cheap I am. One year for her birthday, I found a card there that said something about not buying a card until you flip it over to see how much it costs. I think most of my adult life is summed up in that one sentence. HA! The good news is, you don't have to wonder how much the cards are at Dollar Tree. The only time they aren't $0.50 is if you're looking at  a) the packs of thank you notes or invitations and then they're like $0.10 each or b) the boxes of Valentine's cards and those are $1 (Seriously, and they have a decent selection, too!)

2) As I mentioned the other day, they often carry cartoon trademarked coloring books, nightlights, etc, which make good gifts, rewards, stocking stuffers, party favors, etc.

3) They carry some pretty cool decorations for just about anything. They always have birthday party & baby shower stuff. Seasonally, they also have an "everything you might ever need for a luau" section, graduation things, and holiday decor.

4) If you need school supplies (at some time other than August), you can often find them there and for much cheaper than other places. My kids' school loves Fiskar brand scissors. Last year, I noticed they had them and was so excited. There are lots of kids whose parents struggle with providing school supplies, but for $1, it's not a big deal to be able to give them to the guidance counselor or teacher and say, "pass these on to a kid that needs them."

5) Mylar balloons-- they really are only $1! Filled, even. I'll insert a favorite joke here: A bunch of balloons are hovering around one lying flat on the ground, when one says, "Everybody get back! Give him some air." :)

I don't want to bore you (as you shout, 'too late!') and keep going on about all the reasons why I love it. I would, however, like to hear about the coolest thing you have ever found there and challenge you to see what kinds of deals you can get for a dollar. A lady told me a few days ago that she bought John Deere dishes there, once. I mean, I wouldn't be jumping up and down over that, but apparently she was and it's all about what you think is "totally worth a dollar", not me. :)