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Oct 5, 2020

Products NOT to Buy at Dollarama

During your visit to an Dollar store like Dollarama you can find great deals and save tons of money. But, at the same time, stores of this kind offer too much "junk". Let's talk about products to buy and not to buy at Dollarama or any other dollar store in Canada.


In our list see which products you would like to buy in your Dollarama and which products do not deserve your attention. Check each product category and make smart decisions, which can help you save some money.

Before you go hunting for deals at the local dollar store, here are some practical tips:

Look at the product formats


To be able to sell the product at $ 1 or $ 2, manufacturers reduce the size of the packaging. With a reduced format, the cost per gram may be higher than elsewhere. For example, juices, potato chips or bbq sauces are more expensive at Dollarama if we compare the cost according to the weight of the product.

Check grocery store flyers


It is not always true that Dollarama offers the lowest price. Sometimes the same products are cheaper at another retailer. Check your local flyers before going to your Dollarama.

Follow your shopping list


With prices between $ 1-3, it's so easy to buy more than you need. As a result, the bill may surprise you at the end of your visit to Dollarama. Make a list before you start shopping.

Beware of poor quality


If you buy products of questionable quality, you should replace these items very often. You hardly save with such an approach!

What to BUY at Your Dollar Store


Let's start our list with the items we want to buy from Dollarama:

Everything for a party



- decorations for your next outdoor or indoor party
- balloons, hats, loot bags
- disposable plates and napkins
- invitation cards, wrapping paper, gift boxes

Specialized sites comparing prices claim that these above products purchased from Dollarama allow savings of up to 70%.

Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter decorations


To decorate your house at low cost we head to Dollarama, the price is good!

Beware of the lights: the quality is super low, which is not very safe.

Toys


Toys and children's items: coloring books, play books, doggies, bath toys.

But pay attention to the quality of certain toys, especially those for babies.

We do not touch those which can break easily or which can cause a danger of suffocation or suffocation if swallowed.

Food


One word of advice about food sold here: buy in small quantities and test. In addition, look at the amounts of less healthy elements like sodium.

Any suspicion that the product is not fresh or is not clean (bulging cans, open packaging) is a signal you don't buy it.

School items


Duo-tangs, sheets, notebooks - we buy them at our local Dollarama.

But for all that is pencils, scissors, pens, markers, we go to our local Staples, because the quality of these items at Dollarama is too low. In other words, these items will not last for the entire school year.

Dishes


The dishes sold at Dollarama are good to buy if the plan is to replace them with something more solid and durable in 2-3 months.

What NOT to Buy at Your Dollar Store


Let's move on to the products NOT to buy in your Dollarama. Do not buy them even if these products are on sale and they seem to you as extraordinary bargains. These products are of questionable quality and may pose risks to your health or your environment.

DEODORANTS



You can find lots of deodorants and antiperspirants from known brands in your Dollarama. But before you buy one, check the size. Very often you can find a larger version which costs a little more at your pharmacy. The value of a larger deodorant (the value per gram) is better in your pharmacy.

SODAS



The bottle size is also smaller at Dollarama. If you compare the prices and divide them by milliliters, you will probably see that a larger bottle purchased at your grocery store is cheaper for you. We always compare prices per gram or milliliter.

TOOLS



The tools sold here will last a very short time. The tools sold at Dollarama are designed for emergencies and not for very long use. To have durable tools buy them in specialized hardware stores.

BATTERIES



The batteries from Dollarama do not have the same quality as the batteries sold elsewhere. For their low prices, manufacturers had to save some ingredients or change the formula of the active components. Buy your batteries at Costco or Walmart.

KNIVES


For knives to be used 1-2 times a year, the products from here are good. To use daily them in your kitchen,  these knives will not be very useful to you. The quality of the steel is also lower than elsewhere.

USB CHARGERS


The quality of the chargers sold here is also lower than elsewhere. Your charger will work, but it will take longer than usual to charge fully. Find an electronics store or go to Amazon.ca to buy more powerful chargers.

HDMI CABLES


The story is very similar to this one of USB chargers. The HDMI cables sold here break quickly.

ELECTRIC CABLES


The quality of electric cables is lower than that in hardware stores. They can break easily - posing a significant risk of fire.

ANIMAL FOOD


Cheap foods can have sub-standard ingredients. See the list of ingredients in these foods (if your cat or dog has allergies) and the expiration date.

COSMETICS


You have to be careful with cosmetic products, especially if they contain chemicals that you don't know anything about.

CHEWING GUM



With gums, you want to compare prices per gram. Very often the large package sold at Costco would cost you less.

VITAMINS


Several researches carried out in the United States have shown that the ingredients in the vitamins sold in dollar store do not contain the same ingredients as products of other well-known brands.

OVEN MITTENS


The quality is inferior which can give less protection against high temperatures.

GARBAGE BAGS


Garbage bags sold at low prices do not provide good resistance. Buy your bags at a store like Costco or your grocery store.

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