How dollar stores scammed America to become worth more than Coca-Cola

Fat fraus in flyover states and Blacks in inner cities apparently don't know they're getting scammed.

They're just glad to have ANY grocery store at all. Most of them live in food deserts.

Someone is confusing Dollar General with DollarTree where everything is a dollar

Dollar Tree doesn't operate in rural areas. Try again dear.

R3 Dollar General and Family Dollar do.

And I've seen plenty of DollarTree stores in small towns. Eat dirt and die, dear.

Dollartree is in every small rural town here in the midwest. Dollartree also owns Family Dollar

Every single store at any price point makes its profit. I wouldn't call this scamming! You'd have to quite dumb and lazy not to see the difference between the package sizes. People buy it because that is the price they can afford that day, or that week, and because the store is there to sell it.

The scam is not having mixed neighborhoods and subsidized housing all over geographically, so that people do not live in food deserts. The scam is the USA having such SHITTY public transport in most of the nation.

In a European town, the poors can take bus or tram to the same big discount shops as the middle class and the rich and they will buy the product that fits their budget.

We live in a remote small town. The Family Dollar in the next town has been a lifesaver for basic needs and staple items; otherwise we would have to pay higher prices for the exact same items at the grocery store. It's lowbrow, but they do carry name brand items along with their store brand. We joked that we should start a YouTube channel called "The Chestnut Hill Epicurean."

I always despised Walmart, but I have to say their free shipping with a $35 order is irresistible and it has helped us get many items that we would otherwise have to drive 3 hours each way to buy in person.

Also, when I was growing up in a US suburb, in the 60s and 70s, my parents and my SCHOOL taught the basics of shopping. Unit pricing, etc. I distinctly remember exercises in 3rd and 4th grade where we had to plan shopping and menus for our family and the teachers taught us about the basics of buying things, value of goods, and budgeting income.

Do parents teach their children nothing nowadays? And schools?

R8 People who shop mainly at Dollar General aren't too good with the financials, or the maths, or the book-learnin'. But they seem to know something about birthin' babies.

Neither Dollar Tree or Family Dollar are actually cheap - they are on par or more expensive than Wal Mart. They are convenient though.

And that article would be better off looking into the scam artists over at Walgreens and CVS which are both outrageously expensive

^ Yes, NEVER buy anything in a drug store, talk about a rip-off

R11 but drugstores don't present themselves as pricesavers, everyone knows except the weekly specials, you will pay more a lot more in drugstores.

Anyone who thinks the shrunken package sizes at dollar stores are a scam hasn't been paying attention to the actual scam of the magical shrinking packaging at the higher priced grocery stores. The article isn't going afte them because the "smart", ie. white, middle class, people shop there.

Also, there are plenty of actual real-sized items at dollar stores. Even the article states that along with smaller sized items, they sell overstock and discontinued items at lower costs. I'm very, very price conscious and there are several types of items that are a bargain at dollar stores. Bleach, canned vegetables, some paper products, cleaning products, feminine products, some hygiene products, and housewares like laundry baskets and trash cans can all be found at better prices.

[quote]Also, when I was growing up in a US suburb, in the 60s and 70s, my parents and my SCHOOL taught the basics of shopping. Unit pricing, etc. I distinctly remember exercises in 3rd and 4th grade where we had to plan shopping and menus for our family and the teachers taught us about the basics of buying things, value of goods, and budgeting income.

No offense but that sounds really insensitive and out of touch to me. I think the average person who is shopping at one of these stores is just thinking about getting affordable supplies for their families and for themselves. They're not looking at packages size and unit pricing. In fact, I would suspect that the vast majority of shoppers don't look at product size versus price no matter where they're shopping.

Well that would have been around 1970 I had those lessons. And my teachers were sensible hippies. Who knows. I don't see how it is insensitive for kids to learn to be smart consumers. And it doesn't take rocket science IQ. My school also taught: sportsmanship, art, music, swimming, competitive sports, cooking, shop, typing, car driving, health and fitness.

Maybe if parents and schools did their fucking jobs and raised kids who can navigate the world with a minimum of skills and critical thinking, we wouldn't be COVID DELTA hell right now, and believing Trump was brilliant businessman and successful POTUS. That's PURE fucking ignorance.

Americans NEED smaller portions anyway. They are doing them a favor.

I defy anyone to find a better price, unit or otherwise, on Reach floss at Dollar Tree. Their unit price for 55 yards is a better price than I’ve found on the 200 yard version anywhere else.

At the risk of being called a dumb fat whore, I only recently discovered that the half gallon size of ice cream wasn't anywhere close to half gallon.

And if you track the sizes of things from year to year, you'll discover that they all do it. That's the trick to increasing profits. I'm not sure why Family Dollar and Dollar General are being singled out here.

And schools don't have time to teach useful life skills because they're too busy teaching to the test.

Neither Dollar Tree or Family Dollar are actually cheap - they are on par or more expensive than Wal Mart. They are convenient though.

The Dollar Tree stores have groceries? Not the ones where I live. They do indeed have cheap stuff for a dollar, like mugs, bowls, whatever. My mom would always pick up things there, like small household items. Never bought the cleaning products or things like that.

It just depends on what you buy at these types of stores. Things like batteries, plastic storage containers, gift wrap, certain frozen items, office/school supplies, certain cleaning supplies like sponges/brushes, glassware, etc... are obviously cheaper at places like Dollar Tree.

The convenience factor also comes into play. Many people in lower income communities may rely on public transportation or need to walk to the store.

Dollar General in particular have been testing out newer store formats, DG Market, that also offer fresh produce and meats. Considering how many locations they have across the country, if they start upgrading many of these to DG Market, that could really help out with "food desserts".

[quote]Every single store at any price point makes its profit. I wouldn't call this scamming! You'd have to quite dumb and lazy not to see the difference between the package sizes. People buy it because that is the price they can afford that day, or that week, and because the store is there to sell it.

I recently shopped at at one of these stores for the first time, because I was with friends who wanted to stop in. I wasn't planning to buy anything, but then I saw Bumblebee tuna fish on sale for $1.00 per can, and each can was exactly the same size as the ones that sell in the grocery stores for about $2.00 or $2.50 per.

I went to school in the 1970s and 1980s and never had classes like what r8 is talking about. There were home economics classes but they were just cooking things from scratch and rarely anything useful. This is not a "these days" problem, this is a situation where three generations (at least) have not been taught basics of shopping, finance, or budget in schools.

Didn't read the article because any writer who would allow a Dollar General photo to lead their article about stores that sell things for a dollar clearly doesn't know what they are talking about. The stores that do sell stuff for a dollar do have smaller sizes but they are selling stuff for a frickin' dollar what do you expect and like any shopping experience you need to be informed about what you are buying. I have bought items at Dollar Tree that other stores are selling for five dollars. That is all I need to know.

Dollar Tree, sells everything for $1 (or less)

Family Dollar and Dollar General have various priced items. They sell lots and lots of off brands. It's like any other store. Everything is different prices. It's cheaper than shopping in a convenience store, but doesn't close to the lower prices offered in a grocery store

Dollar Tree, where everything is $1 (or less) does have lots of specialty sized items. These items are a few ounces bigger than a single serve product.

[quote]The stores that do sell stuff for a dollar do have smaller sizes

Not always. See my post about tuna fish.

[quote]R20 At the risk of being called a dumb fat whore, I only recently discovered that the half gallon size of ice cream wasn't anywhere close to half gallon.

I want to speak to a manager!

I used to help an old lady shop and she preferred the smaller sizes because she lived alone and didn't need 300 aspirin tablets or a big tub of cottage cheese. She wasn't poor but frugal after growing up during the depression, and she was pleased to spend only $1 for the small amount of a product that she'd be able to use before it expired. We only had Dollar Tree and 99 Cents Only stores in our town and she really appreciated them.

Blue Bell ice cream is still a half gallon! And you get a freebie of Listeria too!

R22–Oh, dear. Which aisle has the creme brûlée…?

Dollar Tree had dupes of the Corningware 10.99 ribbed mugs and the Luminarc French working glasses. I also buy their silicone spatulas because it's nice to have dupes.

They're cheaper on things like bleach and crazy glue, which I don't need in great quantity.

[quote]I went to school in the 1970s and 1980s and never had classes like what [R8] is talking about. There were home economics classes but they were just cooking things from scratch and rarely anything useful.

Sounds like someone took shop instead. Still using that ashtray and lamp you made?

In my mind their crime isn't scamming anybody: mostly they are filling vacuums in rural areas or local neighborhoods; it's not some side by side consumer choice where dollar store has used deceptive packaging or false claims to hoodwink otherwise savvy shoppers.

The real crime of dollar stores is the crime of lowest common denominator shit sold to communities where competition is non-existant and/or has been driven away by dollar stores. I don't give a shit how crazy the savings on Crazy Glue or Corningware ribbed mugs, FFS. It's just fucking sad that you can drive through great swathes of the U.S. and this is the shit you get: one store that burns with the acrid stench of Chinese factory goods, oh, and they also have meat. Want something? Be rich and live in a nicer neighborhood, or drive, or order in.

Got one in a affluent-adjacent area on my way home from the gym. Being single, I don't mind the portion sizes and they have some ok produce like onions and garlic and other staples that are ok. I get paper towels and toilet paper and all kind of other stuff I need. I don't feel scammed because when I buy elsewhere I don't always use it all anyway and it's 3× the price.

Let the buyer beware. If you get "scammed" it's your own fault. No one can take advantage of you without your permission.

They don't pay workers anything and there are no benefits. Your discount is paid for by staff.

I lived near one in the Midwest and loading hours attracted every shit-stirrer in the area. It was license to steal time because there were never enough employees to unload and ring up sales.

Smokes and scratchoffs required double locks. Loonies would act out in one aisle while assholes looted frozen food.

The laundromat next door was a hassle because everyone was trying to sell you thawed hamburger, socks, and candy.

Whoa R16. Insensitive and out of touch? So you think poor people can't learn how to take care of themselves? You think all poor people are too stupid to learn basic math, and we shouldn't expect anything from them?

I was recently attacked on Facebook for describing a situation where, as a child, I had been bullied by a biracial kid. (I didn't point out that he was biracial until another Facebooker said that he was black and I should leave him alone. Anyway, so a third Facebooker swooped in and also said that as a woman of color (she is half Arabic or something), she was offended by me talking about a person of color. So what the fuck? I'm not allowed to tell a true, personal story (that was backed up by a lot of other people. A bunch of others had been bullied by the same kid it turns out)?

I don't understand expecting less of people because of race, and I don't understand expecting less of people because of economic class. Do you, R16, go around thinking that every poor person should be treated like a baby?

There was an independent dollar store in my neck of the woods that stocked amazing close-outs and random stuff from all over the globe, like hand-painted crafts from India and gourmet cookies from Europe. Was my favorite place to shop.

This is a good example of how to find some good deals at places like Dollar Tree. Their frozen vegetables are a good deal, as are things like their wild caught salmon filets or shrimp.

[quote] People buy it because that is the price they can afford that day, or that week, and because the store is there to sell it.

I'm comfortably middle class now, but when I came out and then dropped out of college, I lived precariously for a few years - lots of moving around and couch surfing and almost homelessness.

There were times that I was able to scrape together $20 for a week's worth of groceries, and this was important. Of course it makes sense to buy the cheapest per unit and stock up. But after I got my basics of ramen, tuna and cheap bread, I had to stretch the rest as far as it would go, and those small servings/sizes were a godsend.

[quote]It's cheaper than shopping in a convenience store, but doesn't close to the lower prices offered in a grocery store

I would disagree; for example a bottle of 409 cleaner is $2.49 at the Family Dollar near us, right next door at Raley's grocery store, the same size bottle, same brand, is $4.79. Fancy Feast cat food box of cans is $8 at Family Dollar, $12.99 at Raley's next door. And so on. Most people in the town shop at both stores. We go to Family Dollar first, pick up all the household supplies, paper goods, cooking ingredients, etc., then go to Raley's for fresh produce, milk, cheese, other fresh items. Oddly a dozen eggs are cheaper at Family Dollar than at the grocery store.

Shopping there is only for The Poors; Not Our Kind!

The classism on this thread is something out of the Indian caste system. I hope some of you choke on your bacardi and cokes.

R7 How in God's name are you 3 hours from a Walmart? Where do you live...in Siberia? Walmart the main employer in every hicktown in America.

R44, the prissier posters are subsisting on Dimitri and koolaide.

Dollar General and Family Dollar ARE NOT dollar stores. They are the modern unrelated descendants of variety stores, like Woolworths and Kress.

How can anyone live in a “food desert” with Amazon around? It doesn’t matter how near or far away you are from a store when you can have everything delivered right to your door.

Anyone can order online. It’s the great equalizer.

If you are living in what is described as a food desert, chances are good you do NOT have a debit/credit card with which to place said Amazon order, numb nuts @R48. And some states won't allow Amazon to be used with EBT cards.

R48

America's poorest fools don't have internet access, or a credit card, or a bank account, and thus cannot order from Amazon. They also might live in a sketch neighborhood where big boxes o' food might get stolen off their front porch. And as R49 said, they can't always use EBT on Amazon.

Put down your Kindle and take a look at how people are living.

I honestly didn’t think there were people in America without debit/credit cards. I thought those who were poor all had lots of credit card debt.

Why don’t people go open a bank account then? There are even credit unions where you don’t need a minimum balance in your checking account. Also, if people don’t get bank accounts, how do they get paid? Where does the company deposit the money?

There are people paid under the table, by paper check and by cash, R51. It's a wonder some of you have lived as long as you have.

R51 How rich and retarded are you? Seriously?

About 14 million American adults (6% of the adult population) are classified as "unbanked." They don't have a checking or savings account. Many of them are immigrants, seniors, homeless people, and most are ethnic minorities. A lot of them cannot open a bank account because there are no bank branches in their community, or they don't have income sufficient to qualify for a checking account. And yes, in many cases, they have a criminal record or poor credit, which allows banks to refuse service to them. Also, a lot of them lack financial literacy. Their parents didn't have a checking account, so why would they need one? They live in the underground economy, paying cash for everything. If they get a paycheck or a benefits check, they take it to a seedy ghetto check-cashing outfit to turn it into bills, which they carry around all month.

Banks don't market to this population. They don't open branches or ATMs in their neighborhoods. Imagine how hard it would be to live an adult life without a bank account. It's like living without a photo ID - Damn near impossible. But people do, and it isn't changing anytime soon.

There's a movement afoot to start what the Europeans call "Postal Banking." Many of these unbanked neighborhoods do have post offices, so there's a concept to let people open a very basic checking/savings account with the USPS. The USPS would hold onto their money the same as a bank, and people could write checks and pay bills online. The USPS isn't bound by the same "shareholder-profit motive" as commercial banks, and thus has the leeway to market its services to poor people. Also, they're already in existence, already known to consumers, and people already go there for other matters.

R48/R51 needs to be viciously face slapped into reality.

R17, most of the people who voted for Trump aren't "kids today" - they're old people like you. Little kids can't vote and young adults voted for Biden. Blame old people

Yas kweens. I love it.

Yes, you have to be very careful what you buy at stores like Dollar Tree. Some of their items can be found cheaper elsewhere. I stay away from most of their food items. I do buy a lot of their plastic food containers. You can get great buys on groups of 3 (and sometimes more) of each size. They also have the big size tubes of my favorite toothpaste (Pepsodent). I'll buy up to 10 if they've got a lot on the shelf.

[quote]This is not a "these days" problem, this is a situation where three generations (at least) have not been taught basics of shopping, finance, or budget in schools.

It's too bad parents went extinct. These are things that shouldn't be anywhere near being taught in a school. Life skills like this are for home. This isn't about failure of schools. It's about failure of parents.

R59 A lot of parents are fucking imbeciles. There's no educational requirement to become one.

Any system that relies mainly on the wisdom or goodness of average parents is fucked.

People who rant about the educational system have never heard the phrase "You can lead a camel to water...."

These stores are a scam for many reasons not even mentioned in this article

They are a magnet for robberies because they have little security and usually have fewer employees than big box stores

R38, stop trying to race-jack the thread. Your racist bullshit is obvious.

You replied to a post from four hours ago that nobody responded to.

Things like school and office supplies and are seriously cheaper at Dollar General and Family Dollar than at, say, Walgreens or Office Depot. Remote working has turned me into a loyal Family Dollar customer. OK, there's also one within walking distance of my apartment. But cheap school supplies are important to a family with young children.

Yes, R65, but you obviously arent sitting on several millions in disposable income like most of the posters in the thread evidently are.

R66 Unwad your panties. It doesn't take millions of dollars to shop at Target or Staples.

Goddamn, you're a cheap twat.

What's with the comments assuming people don't know what price per unit is? Just because people still shop there? I'm sure most are well aware they'd be better off buying in bulk (that's par for the course with most shopping), but their economic situation means spending under a certain amount vs saving a certain amount. Most people don't even have enough money saved for a major catastrophe.

They probably aren't spending more when getting a ride is factored in. Why take a $40 uber, going somewhere out of the way, only to save $10?

No wonder this country is turning to shit -- too many well off types that think they know everything about what life is like for the lower class. Some of you sound as out of touch as Romney, weren he was asked if he knew basic prices of items, so that he could maybe identify with lower class struggles -- spoiler: he couldn't name the price of basic items.

I forgot this gem, "let them use Amazon" 🙄 the new "let them eat cake" I see.

I work in market research, so I look at this stuff for a living. To sum it up: Yes, these stores sell smaller sizes. Yes, brands in your supermarkets are doing the same thing right now, and have been for years (this is part of why we haven't felt the cost of living increase in the supermarket as sharply as we have with real estate). Most brands in the supermarket and/or pharmacies are owned by only a handful of companies. Most expensive skin creams contain the same main ingredients. I could go on...

R45, we live in the high desert of central Nevada; the closest Walmart is in Pahrump, Nevada, almost a 3 hour drive away. Sone people in the area do make the drive every couple of weeks, or else keep going all the way to Las Vegas for more choices in shopping. We don't really like Vegas so we don't drive down there unless it's necessary. Quite a few people here order stuff online, so you see UPS or FedEx trucks pass through frequently. I suspect Walmart is taking a loss with the free shipping deal, but it's a way for them to get more business.

I love the Dollar Tree for lots of things that are cheaper than at Walmart, including greeting cards. They have a decent selection of greeting cards for all occasions for 50 cents each. They also have good plates, bowls, and glasses believe it or not. When I first moved out years ago, I bought several bowls and glasses that are still in great shape to this day.

It's not a scam when you're not being forced to shop there.

You have to be a discriminating shopper, I save a bundle on office supplies at Dollar Tree. Those big brown envelopes? Unit price at Dollar Tree is 7 cents. Unit price at Staples or Office Max 35 cents. Also paying a higher unit price can save you a lot of money if all you need is a limited quantity. For instance, I’ll spend a dollar on a handful of cookies at a dollar store. I could go to the grocery store and buy a full size package at a lower unit price, but after I’ve had my handful, I’ll end up eating another handful and then I’ll end up throwing the rest in the trash before I polish off the whole package. Why buy a lot of something at a lower unit price when all you need is a little? I may pay a higher unit price but in the end I save a lot of money by buying only what I need. That’s why I don’t buy at Sams or BJs or other stores that sell in bulk at a lower unit price. I’d rather pay more per unit for just what I need. Plus, it’s always been that way:the larger your quantity of just about anything, the less you pay per unit. If you want less, you spend less, you just pay more per unit, in the end however you save money. I live and work in middle / upper middle class communities and we are awash in dollar stores.

What food exactly do they sell there? I'm picturing mass-produced bear claws packaged in cellophane and little cans of obscure brands of Vienna sausages.

R75 - well at the one in Woodland Hills I have bought onion, carrots, oranges, garlic, celery, red grapes, baby tomatoes and zucchini. Also, chickpeas, black beans, red lentils and Barilla pasta. Can't exactly say they tasted any different than stuff I buy for a whole lot more at Whole Foods so...probably all about location. But why pay more or buy bigger sizes when I live alone back home? Hell, my sister even buys like that sometimes because she and my brother-in-law aren't gonna serve a small kid lentil curry so why should she pay $5 for lentils?

R51 Read up on CHEXSystems. There are millions of people who've been blacklisted and can't open bank accounts because they didn't handle their accounts properly in the past.

I am the person who posted at R41.

I was unbanked for many years. I had a checking account close on me after I was couch surfing, because I got evicted (for being gay) and it closed with a negative 3 dollar balance or something, so I was listed with a negative mark on my name on ChekSystems, and it took YEARS before I could start an account again (even though I paid off my negative balance once I was aware of it).

So, I was one of the people R77 mentions. I can understand punitive measures if someone was a criminal or severely mismanaged their accounts, but I was going through a rough time and had that happen to me because someone waited two months to cash a check I wrote. All that fuss for 3 fucking dollars.

When I lived in Chicago in the mid 90s, the banks there would run a credit check before even opening a checking account. They claimed that by issuing you checks they were in effect extending you credit (a lot of horseshit). I was denied on that basis. Luckily I eventually found a bank that opened an account for me, but it took a year.

The thing about poverty is it's really fucking expensive. Companies make money on the poor. Check cashing places for those who can't get a bank account, payday loans for emergencies.....once you are in, it's hard to get out.

I also had high interest credit cards from Capital One, and instead of raising my limit because of good payment history, they would actually issue me another card. Who does that? A company that *wants you to fail* so they give you four cards with anywhere from $300-1000 limits instead of one card with a $2500 limit, hoping that you'll miss one of those due dates so they can raise your limit even higher (from 22 to 33 percent). That's why I'd sooner shit on Capital One's doorstep then ever give them a dime.

If I hadn't gotten a job at a bank myself, I probably would still be in that cycle, but luckily I was able to rebuild my life and my finances with that job and the things I learned there. I also used money orders for years and years to pay bills until online payments became the norm, because I was NEVER going to be fucked over again by a check not clearing/bouncing/not coming out of my account at the right time. Was a bit more expensive but it worked and it was worth my peace of mind.

But education is only a part of it. Financial literacy is not taught in schools, and at the risk of sounding too "woke" for some of you uptight folks on the board, there's a definitely racist divide as to who gets access to what from financial institutions.

I am exceptionally lucky that I am now at the point where I do not need to nickel and dime my payments or purchases like that. But I still retain those lessons.

They sell bleach for a dollar a gallon. (It’s like $8 for the same size at Fairway). It’s not “ultra-concentrated”, but it’s regular old-school bleach.

[quote] The classism on this thread is something out of the Indian caste system. I hope some of you choke on your bacardi and cokes.

The article is stupid and so are most Dataloungers. People of all races can and do comparison shop. If they are able to and if they are interested in saving money.

Anyone who buys snack size and diet size smaller portions is normally paying more money for less product. Anyone who is reasonably intelligent knows that. Anyone who is also reasonably intelligent knows that the products in both Dollar General and The Dollar store are not $1.00 and are not necessarily cheaper. However, everything in The Dollar Tree is $1.00. This is common knowledge. Even if the idiotic author of the article does not know. Generally speaking, Americans are price shoppers. People know where to go to save money.

The author (Andrew Paul) is an idiot.

How many of you have been to Dollar Palace?

As a teacher, I find Dollar Tree is indispensable for supplies.

Yes, R83. People who don't have kids in school may not realize that many teachers buy and pay for a lot of classroom supplies because the school budget doesn't cover everything the teachers want for the students' benefit.

It’s not a scam if the product is priced pro rata the product size. And R1, you’re a complete asshole.

Never mind her, R85. She still thinks she's special for paying top dollar to buy her pleated Dockers at Macy's.

R72 is right about Dollar Tree's greeting cards. They've been carrying Hallmark for the last few years -- not Hallmark's most expensive line, but all very nice cards and all for $1 or 2/$1. If you need something for Mother's Day, you could probably find it there.

R87 Are you saying my mother is worth a whole fifty cents?!?!?

That's generous.

SRSLY? "The blacks" should like, just like get like a Costco membership?

Like, they can save like sooo much like, money if they like just like buy in bulk?

Plus, Costco gives out like all those like free samples for like, free!

"The colored folks should send their kids to those fancy schools like Harvard because the food is really good and its free for the coloreds."

The median income of my neighborhood is $150K but thanks for playing, R54. No neighborhood in my city is more than two miles from one.

R91 Perhaps you should go back and re-read what I actually typed. You seem confused or lost.

Thanks for (not) reading.

You were boring.

I will also add that people really like a deal, even if it's a deal built on smoke and mirrors. There is something that grabs people when it's only a dollar. Oh this box of Tide is a $1, what a bargain. It's the same thing with portion sizes in restaurants. People like big portion sizes because they think they're getting value. No one is looking at the fine print at Family Dollar.

You have to shop strategically there. You can find some good bargains.

found a couple of utubers who challenged themselves to make a Thanksgiving dinner start to finish from the dollar tree.

As you can imagine, the results are unappealing slop. But one utuber changed her content after seeing a search on her blog, "How to get full on no money", she feels bad people are broke and hungry with limited resources and tries to create healthy recipes with no money.

Aisle 1 - Sugar

Aisle 2 - Salt

Aisles 3 thru 10- See above

Who the fuck still uses margarine?

You girls are truly clueless about how most people live these days. When you’re poor, you get through today before you worry about tomorrow. Poor people don’t care about getting more bang for their buck at Target. The point is that they only HAVE a buck to spend.

[quote] The point is that they only HAVE a buck to spend.

And it's even worse in recent years for so many.

The arrogance of that article. Typical avclub clown show shit.

No, it is not true. And there are more brand names and items than you might imagine.

Paper products, from tablets to napkins to greeting cards (including Hallmark), are true bargains. Helium-filled balloons? A buck. School and office desk supplies, from pens to notebooks to poster boards to staplers and scissors? One dollar each.

And so on.

R10, You don't actually know what you are talking about.

I live hard by a Dollar Tree, a Walmart, a huge mall anchored by a Macy's and a JC Penney, three Wegmans, and three city downtowns.

I stand by my post of r102. There is no "scamming," at least not by my Dollar Tree!

I also like how the author sneers at lower-income earners. Why, they can't do simple math, or else they'd pay to join a Costco, if they could find one to get to (mine is 25 miles away) to buy in bulk! No scamming there, haha!

But wait; there's more! Dollar stores earn higher profit margins than do Walmarts or Targets! The horror. The HORROR.

The author seems also not to be cognizant of the existence in drugstores, grocery stores, and the abovementioned behemoths of what are called "travel size" items: his lone example of deodorant; toothpaste; shampoo; etc.

Perhaps the writer's outrage ought better be directed to America's disgraceful inequalities in income, housing, educational opportunities, access to stores, etc.

Would that we could all shop in Whole Foods or Trader Joe's or Dean and DeLuca or Zabar's.

I'm sure Mama don't allow no scammin' goin' on in there.

The main dollar store around here is the 99cents Only store. Huge selection, including grocery items. But, like any store, you have to be a discerning shopper. Item size/count, etc., sure, but also expiration dates and other factors. The thing about the 99c store is you go in because you think you can get that 1 item that you need for cheap (say, a screwdriver for $1) - but by the time you're at the checkout, your basket is filled with a dozen or more items.

Unfortunately, I find that you have to make a full round of stores (99c Store, Aldi, Wal-Mart, Ralphs) to get the best price on each of the items on your overall list. No one store has the best price on everything.

[quote]The arrogance of that article. Typical avclub clown show shit.

Yeah. Second-hand research combined with sniveling soy-brained downpunching disguised as concern for the working class. And it's dragging The Onion down with it.

There's also concern that some homeowners have about a Dollar Tree/Dollar General/Family Dollar opening up in their neighborhood with the perception that it will decrease the value of their homes. Personally I think that's kind of ridiculous.

I live in a relatively affluent side of town, and I'm by no means at poverty level in terms of my income. There are plenty of these stores within minutes of me. There's no shame in my game hitting up a Dollar Tree for some basic necessities. If I need some basic stuff like envelopes, pens, post it notes, tape, extension cords, etc... I would easily have paid 3-4X for that at places like Office Depot.

I think these stores need to work a bit more on their branding though. It was stupid for Dollar General to start selling beer, for example. Yet on that same note, the same people that would snub such a place will gladly flock to places like Trader Joe's for their cheap groceries and a case of "two buck chuck".

My friend's HOA was all up in arms over one built across the highway.

They all run there for shit now.

R107, My neighbor across the street just sold his house for approximately $625K.

I'm r102/ r103/r104, in a suburban development near a Dollar Store.

Yeah, condos in Canoga Park near my Dollar Store are about that much. I also saw no lack of affleunt-looking clients. Maybe Southern California is more laid back in liberal areas but Janet Jackson and Jermaine have been seen there, at the Wal-Mart in the same plaza (their mom too a few times), Sprouts and Trader Joe's. I guess it's location. People grab something at a local grill, head to a coffee house and then just do the rounds of the stores. The TJ Maxx there has a loaf of autographs. But really, I am surprised by the snobbery on DL. Who actually cares? Not like "oh...I make over $100K so let me jump in my car and sit in traffic for an hour at 100 degrees just to get some Kleenex at a store befitting my income level". 🙄

[quote] The TJ Maxx there has a loaf of autographs.

Sourdough, or rye?

R110's fat whore fingers hit the F instead of the D right next to it.

R104 sneers at the author while propping up stores that ultimately hurt low income Americans. They are magnets for crime and robberies

R101 probably gets his news from Newsmax

The AvClub is a cool site. Weird for people here to demonize it but Republicans are not known for their intelligence

Fight the real enemy:

Jealous of the dollar stores in California, we don't have fresh produce in our dollar stores.

I don't think there is a strong correlation between the dollar store and the income distribution, most of those stores are in or close to strip malls, the one I drive by frequently is right next to Starbucks, a boutique clothing, a bike shop... none of those other stores are for poor people pinching a penny.

I live alone, so I love the smaller size groceries at dollar stores. Some of us don't need to buy things in bulk because stuff will just go bad.

I buy all my wine glasses at Dollar Tree. They have a great selection. I break too many to pay a cent more.

And btw you insufferable snobs, desperate people who need enough detergent or dish liquid to get thru to payday are thrilled to be able to buy a tiny bottle of Dawn for a dollar. Some of you badly need a dose of humility.

A travel size gain detergent sold at the dollar tree is good for 5-10 washes, one cap per wash. Dollar Tree used to sell knock off FIESTAWARE, I still have the stuff years after I purchased.

[quote] I don't think there is a strong correlation between the dollar store and the income distribution, most of those stores are in or close to strip malls, the one I drive by frequently is right next to Starbucks, a boutique clothing, a bike shop... none of those other stores are for poor people pinching a penny.

So many of you are confusing $1 Dollar Stores for Dollar General

$1 Stores sell things for $1 or less

Dollar General sells full size, mostly off brand type of stuff. They're actually like a big convenience store. They are cheaper than a convenience store, but they charge a lot more than a grocery store does. Even the most expensive grocery stores.

They're also junky and they're mostly in shitty areas. Sometimes they'll also be in areas where there aren't really any other stores (out in the country). And again, they charge much more than a grocery store does. It's a rip off. They pay their staff next to nothing. No benefits and they have to put up with the trashiest customers imaginable. Worse than Walmart. They're like carnival people from the 1970s. Sketchy as fuck

Of course Dollar General attracts a criminal element. Look where they open their stores. Look who they hire, and cater to. You could open a church in that neighborhood and still see a murder in the parking lot.

It's not the store; it's the people who shop there.

[quote]Dollar General sells full size, mostly off brand type of stuff. They're actually like a big convenience store. They are cheaper than a convenience store, but they charge a lot more than a grocery store does. Even the most expensive grocery stores.

How can they be cheaper than a convenience store yet charge "a lot more" than "even the most expensive grocery stores?" You're implying that the gap between prices in convenience stores and grocery stores is TREMENDOUS, but in my experience, that's not the case.

The AV club is a shit site that enabled that creepy breeder “tr*nsbian” Todd VanDerWerff to fucking colonize lesbianism. Just calling them out on their homophobic bullshit is “right wing,“ then send me a MAGA hat.

If.

R112 - bitch, I was talking about the vegetables and smaller sizes I can get at the Dollar Store and, yes, my fingers are fat but then...you know what they say about a man's fingers.

R126 "...He makes a lot of mis-dials, and has to open his Twinkies with grill tongs?"

Men who use their finger size to brag about their supposed cock size are as full of crap as they are of blubber. You and Donald Trump!

R121 I always thought Dollar General and Family Dollar were shitty and overpriced. Unless they were the only store within several miles, I wouldn’t waste my time or money.

I know, R128, right? I feel the same about Hermes and Vuitton.

R122 read the story linked by R115. The stores are crime magnets because management refuses to hire security and most stores have 2 people working at a time. This is recipie for disaster especially when so many stores are in already high crime areas. And because the wages are so low, employee turnover is very high which makes any kind of safety training like what they tried to do in Dayton worthless. Plus they just pile merchandise up making it easty to steal

Employees are just sitting ducks.

I hope people realize that those cleaning supplies are watered down besides being in smaller packages. I stop buying them when I realized that.

R121, Dollar General is not more expensive than Grocery stores in my experience. For example, I can get my Febreeze scented oil plugins there for $2 less than what I would pay for it at Giant Eagle or even Walmart. They carry plenty of brand name items as well.

Their employees though do often look like they just got out of jail.

A man working security at a dollar store during the quarantine was assaulted and then shot to death by worthless scum because he told them to put a mask on.

R124 Is that the idiot who realized they were "trans" after watching The Handmaid's Tale?

"This show about women being abused and persecuted made me a woman!"

[quote]I saw Bumblebee tuna fish on sale for $1.00 per can, and each can was exactly the same size as the ones that sell in the grocery stores for about $2.00 or $2.50 per.

Look closer. It says Bundlebee Tuna probably.

Tuna is expensive now. The stuff sold in the dollar tree is from China. China has lax standards regarding food safety, worse than the US.

I would hesitate buying any made in china edibles at a discount store.

[quote]Look closer. It says Bundlebee Tuna probably.

Oh, that's hilarious But no.

[quote]Tuna is expensive now. The stuff sold in the dollar tree is from China. China has lax standards regarding food safety, worse than the US.

If it has Bumble Bee's name on it, wouldn't it have to come up to their standards, wherever it came from?

I do buy prepared foods at Dollar Tree but American (or at least Calif) law requires the country of origin to be shown on the label, so I check that and don't buy "product of China" food. Not only are their safety standards lesser than ours, it was proven that they purposely adulterated various products to save money -- I remember dog food in particular, but it could have included food for human consumption too. That happened several years ago but I don't trust them to have changed their ways since.

I have seen food items there from China but can't remember what. More often it's from Peru or some place like that. I bought some pickles and got home and they were from India, I ate them figuring all that salt and acid made them safe.

They probably sell fake shit. Stay away.

Frozen fruits, vegetables and fish are "Products of China".

I hated going to the Dollar Store with my mom as a kid so I rarely shop there now. People with families just consume a ton of shit. If you are in a situation like this where you just buy a lot of stuff, then I can understand needing to finding the best deals on every household item. I am not one of those people so Im not going out of my way to a Dollar Store.

R142, not the frozen blueberries I buy for smoothies. They're products of some American state that I can't remember and the bag has a Bible verse on it. That offends me but I figure it's not poison, and the price is so right I can't resist -- 10 oz @ $1 = 10 cents/oz, or $1.60/lb, approx half what the cheapest competitor charges (which was Trader Joe's last time I checked).

Its certains repulsive on many levels to buy and consumer FROZEN foods shipped from China. All the costs of shipping and refrigeration and they are still affordable? The ingredients are shit. And the carbon stamp to get them overseas? Sheesh.

R138, Bubblebee ain't to picky about their standards.

Some of the name brand tuna sold in pouches are Thai in origin, same as trader Joe's.

I wish I bought stock in these places.

Like anything else, depends on the item you buy. I use these stores to buy random things occasionally and when I'm in there, pick up some other stuff. Its great for disposables, shopping trips when you're on vacation, and discounts on super high profit items for drug stores, supermarkets, and Target. Nail clippers you can get cheap at target, but they're still cheaper at the dollar store. try to buy a nail clipper in a CVS and you'll pay $6-10.

Example: If you want to buy metal tweezers (which i manage to keep losing), you may pay up to $10 for a pair at CVS--The dollar store near me has packs of 3 mini tweezers for $1. Disposable lighters--$1 for 2 or 3.

yes, you will pay more for Reynolds wrap at a dollar store if you calculate the amount vs what you'd get in a larger size at a supermarket. But when you're traveling and just need some basics, you save up to $5 per item by getting them from a dollar store. Not worth a trip but if you have 7 or 8 things you need, it adds up.

Things like Loofahs, plastic or real--they're disgusting bacteria breeding grounds after use. I can get 4 for $1 at the dollar store, only use them once and they're disposable after 1 use.

Sponges/scrub sponges - They have small ones 10 for $1. I see the most disgusting, overused sponges in people's homes. I use a kitchen sponge 3x maximum then throw them out. They're smaller than what you'd find in a grocery store and 1/10th the cost. its ok they're smaller because they still work.

If i bought candy, that's an item that is incredibly cheaper than you'd find at a supermarket. If i were a parent taking kids to the movies, i'd probably just stock up on what they liked from the dollar store and save $5 per kid per movie.

Things like baking trays, containers, extra dishes/mugs--much cheaper than target.

For actual items that you'll use for a decade, like a pizza cutter, that I'd stick to getting a good one. The $1 pizza cutter probably won't cut through pizza.

the issue is it is cheap china crap sold at an inflated price. The food is low grade, heavy processed. It's not good for people. It a terrible sign for our economy and democracy.

r149 did you ever hear of machine washable wash cloths? Sanitizing a sponge? Do you throw away your tricks after 1 fuck? Leaver your Bentley on the highway, after the first flat tire?

Why do stores purposely targeting people without money have to be so trashy? Wal mart does not even clean their stores, and they are billionaires. It is VERY exploitive. We are calling them out on it.

I went into a 99¢ Only store and it was an unsettling experience. Yes, they have produce but it isn't organic and the floor surrounding it was filthy. Filthy!

R145 "FROZEN foods shipped from China.", can you give some examples? Besides FROZEN sea food, I haven't seen any other FROZEN food from China.

The story linked at R146 might explain why Subway's tuna sandwiches came back with DNA that was 'not tuna'.

I had to stop watching the Thanksgiving food prep. The recipes were making me nauseus.

At the 99c Only Stores in CA, all the produce is from Mexico.

You really have to wash it thoroughly before eating.

At least that's closer than China, R157.

Some of the frozen Strawberries and vegetables are products of China

[quote]I buy all my wine glasses at Dollar Tree. They have a great selection. I break too many to pay a cent more.

They probably have lead in them. And they are all made in … you guessed it … China.

But the china is made in Taiwan.

So y'all are saying I could get the COVID by shopping at the Dolla Tree?

R157 well it doesn't have to be 99 cents store, if you live in Texas, almost all produces in Sam's Club are from Mexico , so is the neighboring New Mexico, I assume probably the same in Arizona and California too.

Let me put it this way, R161: on the list of things that are unsafe to do, this is right between skinny dipping in Lake Erie and sex with Danny Pintauro.

Surprisingly some of the products sold including the dishware is made in the USA. I will not purchase or consume food from a discount store that was made in China.

R164 then I am sorry to tell you you are already consuming it for years probably for your entire life if you are young. I am not kidding here, trying to find out the food source is a tons of work in the US, because USDA allows companies to shield the food origin from the consumers. One thing I know is those trail mix or granola mix bags, I tried to find out where those dried fruits or candy bits came from, guess what, you can't find them not the ones sold by Sam's Club , their Member's Mark label hide the sources, they only label where they were bagged. The ones sold in Costco are slightly better, they did list the origin countries of ingredients, a very long list from Mexico, Philippines, Thailand... and China but you don't know which ingredient from which country.

I mean...I get it BUT who gives a shit? It's a fucking dollar. I LOVE shopping at the Dollar Tree or the .99 store. Foodwise, I rarely buy anything more than vegetables or frozen foods so I don't notice a difference but let's put things in perspective...It's a fucking dollar.

Where I live, these stores are fairly recent (within the last few decades) so they didn't exist when I first left home. I REALLY could've used them when I was working shitty paying job after shitty paying job (hello Whole Foods) and spent most of my earnings on the essentials--rent, smokes, going out, and more going out, CDs). It would've been amazing to buy enough food for a week and cleaning products for 10 bucks!

I guess that's why I love going to them now. My carts are constantly full of shit--that I honestly don't need--but everything's a FUCKING dollar.

R116 - it's only in neighborhoods where there is a more educated and upper income population. Sure, most are middle class and there is no shortage of poor people, but places like Woodland Hills and Canoga Park have lots of affluent residents. I know a trainer who grew up in Palmdale (lower income city in the desert full of trashy people and gangs) and she said it wasn't until 2012 that Wal-Mart sold produce and the Dollar Store still doesn't because nobody buys it. It's why she said screw it and moved in with her sister and boyfriend just to be able to afford living in a better neighborhood (also, she's vegan so...).

Can you get good pound cake there?

Foot traffic at the largest chain, Dollar General, is up 32% from pre-pandemic levels, v. 3% increase at Walmart.

I’ve heard that a lot of the food is sourced from third party suppliers in China, where the food standards are subpar when compared to the United States. For example, a lot of the fish, poultry, and frozen vegetables, are riven with chemicals and pesticides that are seriously detrimental to your health, but this is overlooked by most of these budget stores due to the profits they can make. They will also claim ignorance when challenged, as they’ll state that they had been assured by the Chinese producers that certain standards would be followed, all the while knowing full well that this isn’t the case.

For those who shop there, do they still have one cashier working at all times even if the line is 20 people deep, like the post office? Gurl I dont have time for that.

I bought a house on a beach in NC. The dollar tree was very helpful when I had to supply the kitchen. Glassware, utensils, coffee mugs, cleaning items….especially the dishwasher pods all excellent.

First off, let's note that OP's article appeared on AV Club, which is a movie and TV review site. Not sure what the connection was there. It's also part of the former Gawker empire, and the tone is very similar, trying to take down someone/something for specious reasons the author wants us all to get very upset about.

I have been in one of those stores, exactly once, the Jack's store over by Penn Station. (I had some time to kill before a train.) It was an odd assortment of junk and junk food though I do remember thinking that if you had young kids, it would be a good place to stock up on things like crayons and construction paper.

I bought a 6-pack of bungee cords for $2.99, which I was very proud of at the time, thinking that I'd soon discover all sorts of clever uses for my new bungee cords. (I did not.)

The idea of people never buying fresh produce is sad and speaks to the need for more education around nutrition. I am always shocked at how many people don't realize basic things, like Cheetos are not actual cheese, Pringles do not count as a vegetable, etc. And the amount people, even on DL, rely on processes and packaged foods.

But back to the article--most commenters seem to agree that the author is being a classist snob, that poor people can't go to Costco and buy in bulk and that even the $2 they save by being able to buy what's essentially a travel sized stick of Old Spice makes a difference when you're living paycheck to paycheck.

The author seems shocked that these stores are somehow turning a profit, as if they were supposed to be charities, dispensing donated goods to the deserving poor.

I'd be less concerned with them getting one over on me per ounce than with them poisoning my family. But that's just me.

Slightly off topic, but I love going to the Odd Lots and seeing bags of Bugles or boxes of Golden Grahams with the labeling entirely in Hebrew or Arabic or Urdu.

You guys can't get tuna for a dollar at your local grocery stores? Okay, my husband gives it to the cats as a treat, but we usually buy the brand names. Shoprite almost always has Bumble Bee or Chicken of the Sea for $1 and sometimes lower (like 88 cents). This isn't the fancy albacore or whatever but it's regular tuna fish (you can buy it in oil or water).

I was scared of Dollar Tree because I'd heard bad stories about poison toothpaste in dollar stores and stuff, but my husband made me go in. We buy some stuff like tape and bleach. They have that frozen garlic bread in the box that is usually $3 in the grocery store. They also have old DVDs. They aren't current and some are pretty bad movies, but they do have some old stuff you can sell on Ebay, if you want some extra income.

Most of the prices at Dollar General are comparable to grocery stores. Fancy Feast is 70 cents at DG, 75 cents at Shoprite. Coke 12 packs are about the same price (not sure but maybe three for 12 dollars or something). Some things are smaller sized, but the prices seem fairly proportionate. I don't go there much anymore because we were buying the $1.50 cat litter but then one of the cats was diagnosed with asthma and we switched to expensive Tidy Cat all the time (we used to kind of alternate them). He is taking prednisone for the asthma as well. Some of the people who shop at our DG do look poor. We live in a very diverse area.

R154 Not from China, but I have some vegetable "meatballs" from India from Dollar Tree. They're good but bury them really well just in case. I saw frozen fruit from Peru there. That's how they sell it for a $.

R171 Yessssss. AHAHAHA. EVERY ONE I've been to has had one cashier, 4 closed lanes, and a line almost to the back of the store.

I know it’s off topic but this thread reminds of what happened with the Chinese who either lived or were visiting Australia and New Zealand a few years ago. Apparently there was a huge problem with baby formula being contaminated with dangerous chemicals in China at the time, so the Chinese started buying up all the baby formula in both Australia and New Zealand and sending it home. Eventually this lead to huge shortages for parents’ in both countries, which forced Australia into having to enforce a ban for passengers (e.g. Chinese) from carrying a certain amount of baby formula in their luggage. And If I remember correctly the company involved was China’s main producer of baby formula, which due to the amount of corruption, had contaminated baby formula throughout the whole of China.

I guess you have to ask yourself the question that if the Chinese government is willing to let a company poison their own babies how stringent will they be when it comes to food that is exported abroad.

[quote]Melena, 62, had been loading pallets of canned tuna into 35ft-long ovens at the company’s Santa Fe Springs plant before dawn on 11 October 2012.

This Guardian article didn't explain how the worker fell into the oven. Why was the tuna already canned BEFORE it was loaded into the ovens? Whatever, what a horrific way to die!

R180, maybe they meant that the tuna would eventually be canned, which I would think would go without saying. You're right, the article is not well written at all.

R180 Well, that's what happens when you hire illegals to work in these factories, they don't know how to adhere to the rules and probably ignore all the safety standards/warnings.

If people are savvy shoppers, they should easily be able figure out what is and isn't a bargain at Dollar Tree. I shop there at least twice a month.

A few months ago, I bought a three pack of Colgate toothbrushes for $1, they were the same exact Colgate toothbrushes being sold at Costco, six for $8.99. I also bought a jar of Knorr bouillon, the same size jar is $3.99 at my local supermarket. Their spice collection is decent, the spice brands they carry are the same brands and sizes as my local supermarket.

The glassware is great too, my local Dollar Tree sells Libby glasses. Their tumblers are great quality, they're heavy with fun patterns. DT have decent housewares too, the Betty Crocker line of cooking utensils are great.

I always add extras to my nieces and nephews Christmas presents. I recently got some 'Baby Yoda' items, the next time I was there, they were all gone. Most of the toys are brand names, not fakes like you'd find in a local 99 cent store.

Awhile back I got some great books, one was a signed copy of an Anne Rice book, I thought I was dreaming. The signed copy will be part of a gift for an Anne Rice fan. You never know what you will find at Dollar Tree.

I will say, my local Dollar Tree is always packed and not only with poor people. It's located right near the subway, people coming from work usually stop on their way home. Most people love a bargain. I live in rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, with rents on one bedrooms now $2000 & up and $1-3million condos and co-ops going up on the waterfront facing Manhattan, you bet most people are looking to save elsewhere.

[quote]Well, that's what happens when you hire illegals to work in these factories, they don't know how to adhere to the rules and probably ignore all the safety standards/warnings.

You know you are totally full of shit. A major corporation which has been in business for as long as that tuna company is sure not hiring illegal aliens. Honestly, go fuck yourself. Your hero Dump is the one hiring illegals to work at his shitty resorts.

Of all these posts, R19 on the topic of dental floss was most interesting.

A few times in my life I've had to give over too much of my power to dental floss. First was in France in the 1990s, where nobody in France flossed and 90% of the men in the Bois de Boulogne (that's pronounced Boo-LOG-knee) had breath and dicks like a cours de fromage.

I would have go to the pharmacy and it was kept behind the counter. I would have to state my case for floss to the pharmacist, who asked why I was flossing. I explained it's an American custom, "c'est une habitude americane, comme manger au McDo et chier gros."

This appeal spoken with an American accent, usually ended any further discussion and a roll of expensive floss would be presented. Usually on the order of $10 to $15 a roll, and this was in the 1990s. It was usually German or Swiss made, sometimes silk.

Later as a poor student again I took personal offense to the price gouging that was happening in the world of dental floss. Even at discounters like Walmart, you couldn't get a roll of floss for less than about $3 in the early 2000s. And they were usually 50-yard dispensers. Reach became more expensive when nasty slimy ribbon shit even more expensive Glide came out.

But then the dollar stores started selling floss. I first went to Dollar Tree, in El Paso where all first visits to Dollar Tree should be done, in 2005. Dollar stores still weren't huge in many parts of the country. But El Paso, come on.

And I couldn't get floss reliably in Dollar Tree until a few years ago. Usually it was some no-name floss. Now it's mostly Reach, for $1.

Can you believe I have even more to say about floss?

I had an old roll of floss in a storage box lost then found. I needed it this week because I accidentally knocked my roll of Daiso Japanese dollar store floss into the toilet. The old roll was probably from 2014 or '15.

This Reach was in the cardboard with blister stuck to the front. 75yds, mint. It's not green. But it feels really different than dollar store floss. This is thicker and smoother. There's plenty of wax on it and it has a pronounced mint flavor. It's easy to move between my teeth. I've noticed dollar store floss gets the job done but it's thinner and shreds some. I'm going to miss this when it's gone.

All this at a time when lately, I've not been able to find floss in my dollar stores, neither Japanese nor Tree.

R185, before my local Dollar Tree was called Deals, they carried AIM floss, the floss was in cool tooth shaped packages (this floss also came with a smaller tooth package which you could carry with you or keep at work), Deals also carried the GUM brand floss, those were larger packages, which were made in Ireland.

[quote]This Guardian article didn't explain how the worker fell into the oven. Why was the tuna already canned BEFORE it was loaded into the ovens? Whatever, what a horrific way to die!

R180, These are huge industrial walk-in ovens where racks of canned tuna are wheeled in. It gets cooked in the can. I think the door was shut while he was in the oven, if I remember correctly from an article at the time it happened.

This article is bullshit. You can get paper products, tin pans, cleaning products, etc. They’re all full-size.

more than that R188, they are plus-sized to meet the customers' needs!

Most of the items sold at Dollar Tree are full size. Many of the frozen and refrigerated food products aren't. The deodorant selection appears to be travel size, but other toiletry items, such as the Arm & Hammer Essentials Body Wash, are full size.

DT does sell the same brands sold in supermarkets and even Costco. For example, my local Dollar Tree sells the El Monterey brand of frozen burritos, which are sold at Costco as well as many supermarkets. The difference, at DL, the $1 package only has two burritos. Again, it's up to the shopper to figure out if these smaller sizes are worth it.

Something that kinda pissed me off.

I've proudly used Crest Pro-Health toothpaste for a couple of years now and usually pay about $3 bucks a tube (rounding up). WHY come I walk into a Dollar Tree and see it being sold for a dollar! Sons of bitches.

So does that mean that the quality of Pro-Health is the same as the generic shit they sell there, and I was fooled by the marketing mechanisms of capitalist society--like some rube who voted for Trump--OR did I just get lucky?

R191, I've always assumed, a lot of the toiletries and cosmetic products sold in these types of liquidators stores are either close to their expiration dates or the manufacturers are in the process of changing the package designs, so they simply send their stock off to these types of stores.

I did notice the peroxide and alcohol were the same exact brand sold at Costco, where they were two for $3.99.

The Synder and Pennysticks pretzels are fresh, the expiration dates are months away.

I never see many generic products at my local Dollar Tree, the usually carry brand names. If you mean the generic Made in China garbage which is sold at most 99¢ stores, then no, most of the products sold at my local Dollar Tree are brand names. Even the candy there is brand name. I usually stock up for Halloween, but it seems due to Covid it will be another year of no one coming around for Halloween candy.

Bois de Boulogne (that's pronounced Boo-LOG-knee)

MDR!

I read an article a couple years ago warning about some toothpaste sold at DT due to a dangerous amount of fluoride. It was made in China.

R150 is posting from his posterior.

R174, And did they similarly test items, specifically toys, in Walmart, CVS, Target, Macy's, etc.?

Well, r170, if you've HEARD.....

R160, Have you researched your claim? Better yet, have you researched where glassware in "your preferred store" is made?

Of course, if you buy only Baccarat or Waterford,....

Let's be honest. Chinese-made, -grown, or -packed product is prevalent in the good ole USA.

When I was laid off from my work a few years ago, there was a dollar store near my apartment. Hate to admit it, but I lived there. I was depressed and I got their bags of chips, Hostess cakes and soda for cheap. Gained a few pounds. But I justified it by telling myself that I was on unemployment, so I had to eat cheap.

ITT we attack the poor. Again.

Its one thing to buy Chinese crap but its another to eat it.

And do you know that China has a booming organic food production sector? They know to eat good food - when they have the budget. None of that gets exported to us.

I agree that having to eat garbage food grown and processed then shipped from halfway around the world - at great carbon price - is a very sad state of affairs.

Stopped eating at Chinese restaurants and shopping at Asian markets way before the pandemic. The hygiene standards are simply not up to snuff. I’ve had three instances at separate eateries and two at the markets where the food literally stank. I tried to write it off but it has happened too many times for me to let it go. I was able to get a refund from two of the restaurants-the dumplings I ordered were atrocious and smelled like wet dogs (!) and the frozen fish from the markets smelled like death once thawed. The markets, both times, refused to refund my money. I know how it sounds but I won’t be eating Asian food anymore. Forgive me for sounding like a yahoo frau.

R191 you should Google staining from pro-health line

We went to DT last night, I checked the no name canned fruit, yep made in china! I did buy two of the caramel filled chocolate candy bars which are really good, made in Germany no less!

I double checked the cans of Bumblee tuna that I bought at a Dollar Tree for $1.00 each. They are indeed Bumblee, and I could find no indication on the cans that the product was made in China.

I've never seen canned fish in any Chinese market. IT might not be a staple in their diet.

R203 R191, teeth staining from stannous fluoride is a real thing. I stick to sodium fluoride products, which are the majority of products out there.

Something to be aware of: Colgate Total changed its formula late in 2019 to a stannous fluoride formula, because they removed the triclosan from Total. Stannous fluoride is supposed to have some antibacterial properties, and protect tooth enamel better, than sodium fluoride. However, stannous tastes nasty and it stains teeth. I really wish they'd bring the triclosan back.

Also R191 there are many reasons a particular name brand product might be found in Dollar Tree or similar. Often, the name brand products are made in other countries where manufacturing is cheaper. Central American Downy, Vietnamese Tide, and Indian bath soap come to mind.

Sometimes the products are closeouts. Sometimes the brand has been replaced by something new, and the old product is dumped at a discount at dollar stores. That's where I got my last couple tubes of triclosan Total, but it's long gone now.

Occasionally products are short-dated, but nothing severe. Make your own decisions about what is worthwhile to purchase and consume.

You would be surprised at where many name brand products are from, I was buying canned Great Value mandarin oranges which are from China, and thought I should get an American brand. I looked at the Del Monte and guess where they were from, China.

R186 thank you I couldn't remember what floss I used to get. It was the AIM with the mini extra floss. Then it got replaced by something generic. The Daiso floss is the thinnest ever, but I haven't seen it in a couple months, so it doesn't matter that I never liked it.

There's a group in my neighborhood that collects donated items for shelters helping the homeless and battered women. Dollar Tree sells packs of name-brand toothbrushes and disposable razors at $1 per pack -- the shelters open the packs and distribute an item to each resident, so everybody gets a new toothbrush and razor each week. Many donors are retired and can't afford to give much, but their budget stretches a lot farther with those prices.

The canned tuna I purchased in DT is a product of China, same as the frozen fish.

Don't get me started.

Chicken of the Sea is a packager and provider of seafood, owned by the Thai Union Group in Samut Sakhon, Thailand. The brand is attached to tuna, salmon, clams, crab, shrimp, mackerel, oysters, kippers and sardines in cans, pouches and cups, as are its sister brands, Genova and Ace of Diamonds.

R19, R185, et seq, thank you all for so much info about dental floss. I only floss twice a year, on the day before visiting the dental hygienist, who politely accepts (or at least doesn't challenge) my lies -- such a sweet person, I'm going to regret it when she retires soon. Who knew there was so much background to the subject of flossing, I was surprised to find myself so interested in what you all had to say. Once again, DL has educated me beyond all expectations.

OP, it isn't true. They have their own brands like Walmart does. And Costco.They carry name brands as well. The stores are literally everywhere. In the exurbs, in the suburbs, in urban areas. People can run in for stuff and get out quickly. I was out of vacuum cleaner bags once, called them and they had the bags in stock. These weren't tiny bags or 1 bag for a dollar. I paid less than I normally paid. Of course, when you're in there, you may pick up a few other things. They take EBT so people on welfare can shop there as well.

Aside from their generics, I am guessing, but I think they buy lots of damaged goods or the equivalent. Stuff changes and I haven't been in there since before March 2020, but they seem to have stocks of certain brands and then they're gone and other brands are available--things like laundry detergent or dishwashing liquid.

[quote]The canned tuna I purchased in DT is a product of China, same as the frozen fish.

What brand? The cans I bought were Bumblebee.

I rented a fishing cabin on the upper Mississippi for a month this summer. No grocery stores for miles, only gas station convenience stores and Dollar Generals. First time I was in a DG. I bought Stouffers Lasagna, fresh bread, etc., all at reasonable prices. Deodorant and shaving cream travel sizes all cheaper than CVS. Nail polish at $1, lasts as long as name brands. DG has filled the void left by small town grocery stores that folded.

I find name brand items that are made outside of the USA. For example a name brand tooth paste made in Mexico or candy made in Mexico. You have to really scrutinize the label. Also, PRC means People's Republic of China.

R218, I scrutinized the cans of Bumblebee tuna that I bought at a Dollar Tree for $1.00 each and they say nothing about being made in China or the PRC. And even if they were, I'm still going to assume that they need to come up to the standards of that company regardless of what country they were made in.

Another thing to check on any food products labels which are sold at any store, not just at liquidator type stores, it's very suspicious when a product simply says: DISTRIBUTED BY, then has the name of the company and address. Not saying "made by" is extremely suspicious. 'Distributed by' means something else entirely.

I noticed his a few years ago, on a bag of Hersey's Kisses. It seems so many American companies are also off-shoring their foods! I notice Made in Canada on a lot of food products. I will never buy any foods Made in China.

Years ago, I purchased some plastic dish scrubber brushes at a 99¢ store, they were actually three for $1.49. As I was using them the brush part was immediately disintegrating, this was on the first use! I then read the packaging, they were made with lead!

Why do the Chinese add lead to so many of their plastic products?! Of course, I threw out the scrub brushes.

R210, those donations are lovely. However ... I did a volunteer day for a women's shelter. Mostly clean-up and organizing, because battered women can't sweep or sort bins. Anyway, they had way way too many toiletry items. There were huge rolling bins of all manner of body care and makeup. One of our tasks was to sort it so another volunteer could sell the more valuable stuff online and make some money.

The lesson is that if you trust the management of these places and they're doing worthwhile stuff, it's probably better to give them cash.

R151 Sanitizing a sponge doesn't really clean it. Again, I use mini-sponges that are 10 for $1. Sometimes even cut those in half.

I spend about $15 per month at dollar stores. Always have a few items in mind and then find a few more. They're also great for giftwrap, small gift boxes, life staples like manilla envelopes where 3 or 4 might last you a year....mini toiletries I keep in my car.....

"mini toiletries I keep in my car...."

Like lube?

I would never buy anything from a dollar store beyond paper products including tissue paper/gift bags (before I just went with gift cards) or aluminum trays for transporting food to someone's home.

Cruising takes planning, r223!

I'm on Squirt! ;)

Thanks for stating your idiotic, meaningless boundaries, R224.

I wouldn't be caught dead transporting food in aluminum pans to a friend or neighbor. I do hear that cube fraus engage in such gaucherie.

R226, anytime you want to hear more of it, I'm ready.

R227, when it's a BBQ, I do it.

I think their proliferance is more of an indication of a society in decline than anything else. The majority are becoming poorer. The few wealthy are hogging all the money in a way that would make the robber barrons of the gilded age blush. We have a major inequality problem that needs to be addressed if we are to continue for much longer.

I will never buy any foods Made in China.

Yes you will, it's unavoidable. As I said before, don't buy any canned fruit. Also that bulk garlic in the stores is from China, not California like you thought. The biggest importer of chinese garlic is the California garlic association or whatever. You really think your fave restaurant doesn't use cheap Chinese garlic? Most of the raw ingredients for all the supplements, vitamins, people take now are from China, even the named brands. So I wont buy food from China is not a valid statement.

Though I haven't purchased food items in dollar stores, I sure did see just as many name brand or national brands on offer as other shops do. Most posters seem more familiar with Dollar Tree, which I've only been in a few times outside my neighbourhood.

I can say Family Dollar had excellent deals on things such as Vaseline Bath Salts, Gain washing powder, Northern TP, all regular size product. Average quality/size packs of Hanes socks, as well as T-Shirts and shorts.

The Gain piwder was actually the largest size box P&G makes; only Target had the same size box. It was not only the best price regularly, but on special, with a coupon, it was half what Target charged. That was betore P&G spoilt the Gain fragrance, ages ago.

Other great deals on off brand items were things such as first aid cream, insect repellant, Diphenhydramine anti-itch cream, rubbing alcohol, anti-fungal cream, Aspirin, Peroxide, Sun Brand lemon scent Peroxide bleach powder (like generic OxyClean) I could go on and on... Some smaller items may cost more per oz, but as others have noted, the smaller sizing may put the lower priced product within reach of a strapped shopper. I don't believe everyone is being ripped off. Many of the sizes we were accustomed to have all shrunk regardless of the retailer. Bar soap is a perfect example. Bath size bars of anything 4oz or more are unheard of. Many brands are 3.something these days.

This is why lawyers are such fucking assholes. They create the loopholes so that legally, a producer can claim something was "grown" or "processed" in the US, but other steps took place in China or some other country with lax regulations. And it's not just these cheap stores. Even when you buy expensive skincare products that claim "all natural" and "paraben-free." Legally, that's true because *paraben" is man-made, but what companies do is use a natural form of a paraben. So whatever it is you're trying to avoid by paying more, you're really not. You're just getting the natural version.

[quote]Well, that's what happens when greedy corporations own these factories, they don't know how to adhere to the rules and probably ignore all the safety standards/warnings.

Fixed.

I dunno. In many European countries, origin must be indicted on all produce. This isn't enforced closely in "farmer's markets" and ethnic greengrocers. But the chain supermarkets do indicate the origins. Yes I see budget garlic from China and don't buy it.

R229, something else that needs to be addressed is proper spelling: proliferance?

The Chicken of the Sea I purchased from DT is a product of China, tastless. The tuna in pouches are mostly Thai in origin, just like tuna sold in pouches at Trader Joe's. The tuna in pouches have a little kick of flavor.

Time to nuke China before they destroy the world with their cheap chintzy crap.

I grew up poor and ate a lot of canned tuna, sometimes I have a craving for a tuna sandwich. The tuna I purchased at DT tasted strange, like a wet paper towel, that's when I checked where the stuff was made.PRC. I don't bother purchasing the canned stuff anymore at DT.

Jesus you "China! China! China!" freaks.

Are you from Taiwan?

There's a Dollar Giant one block from me. I'm looking out my window at it. It's so close....I can't give it up.

[quote]I grew up poor and ate a lot of canned tuna, sometimes I have a craving for a tuna sandwich. The tuna I purchased at DT tasted strange, like a wet paper towel, that's when I checked where the stuff was made.PRC. I don't bother purchasing the canned stuff anymore at DT.

Then I guess you were unlucky and got a different product than I did, because the tuna I bought tasted just like regular tuna.

[quote]dupes of the...Luminarc French working glasses

Oh how *dare* you these are the greatest glasses that have ever existed and anyone with an ounce of class (note: yes, I am being sarcastic about the class but I do mean everything else) buys the real thing - which is very cheap, anyway. Almost indestructible, I freeze them and fill them with boiling liquids and drop them with some regularity. Also the medium size is big enough to hold a decent amount of liquid and ice. I fucking LOVE these glasses and would toss a shipping container of St Louis crystal right into an active volcano before giving them up.

R34 is 100% right

Also, why do Americans call it "tuna fish?" Is all tuna tuna fish or just canned tuna? Don't get stroppy I think it's cute.

A dolla makes me holla!

How'd they scam themselves into MOMA?

R34 is only partially right. The competition in urban areas were places like Safeway that had crap vegetables, nearly expired meat and charged a fortune for everything. I spent a summer back in 1971 in one of those urban areas. There were no choices then except real ripoffs. It has been this way probably since the 1960s. Dollar Stores aren't scamming anyone. The phony BS about the scent of Chinese factory goods is nonsense.

I have no problem with people having a roof over their heads, nutritious food, healthcare and a good education. But trying to blame Dollar Stores because it isn't happening is ridiculous and ignorant. OP's article is BS as well.

[quote]The phony BS about the scent of Chinese factory goods is nonsense.

Nothing you say before this (none of which I dispute) refutes it, though. R34 also explicitly states that dollar stores are simply filling a vacuum and aren't hoodwinking anyone, and likely believes - as I do - that there is a lot more going on here than a specific chain of cheap-goods-selling stores.

The Chinese goods, though... I'm surprised to see anyone (seem to?) dispute that the west is awash with them. More and more all online stores are selling exactly the same endless number of (often counterfeit) shit-quality goods peddled either straight from China or via dropshippers.

It's a pity that consumerism and the rush to the bottom is rewarding commerce around the world, and china, for china shipping complete crap around the world. It hurts everyone and it hurts the environment. Walmart and Bezos are enemies of the environment.

[quote]Yes you will, it's unavoidable. As I said before, don't buy any canned fruit. Also that bulk garlic in the stores is from China, not California like you thought. The biggest importer of chinese garlic is the California garlic association or whatever. You really think your fave restaurant doesn't use cheap Chinese garlic? Most of the raw ingredients for all the supplements, vitamins, people take now are from China, even the named brands. So I wont buy food from China is not a valid statement.

Should I have stated, "I will never eat PROCESSED food from China"? Is that clearer for you? Most of the frozen vegetables sold at Costco, clearly state the vegetables come from about four different countries, the US, Mexico, Vietnam etc. Savvy consumers are aware of this.

Of course, there's no avoiding foods from China, but there's a big difference between purposely eating cheap chocolate, jams and other processed foods from China versus a vegetable.

I don't take supplements or vitamins, Chinese ingredients added to those products don't affect me. And before you start your next rant about ingredients in medications are also from China, India etc, I'm quite aware of that too.

I still have some old clothes I bought from Gap 20 years ago and they were made in China, I can honestly say they are in much better quality than current Gaps made in Vietnam, Bangladesh.. the fabrics just superior, I seriously doubt the Gap clothes can last 5 years now let alone 20 years even without much wear.

R219, my post was not directed at you. I just wanted t o put that info out there.

Imported garlic has the roots cut off of it. This is to prevent soil-borne diseases from entering the USA. I find Chinese garlic to be flavorless.

Also, DT has a line of Italian-style pickles, etc. Read the label! They are product of China!

However, I also find a brand of gnocchi that is the exact same brand and weight as the one sold in a very expensive Italian market for several times the price!

R251 here. I was referring to my post at R218. It's late.

R227 I always take food to people in disposable foil pans. When my father and brother died years ago, it was such a hassle to keep up with everyone’s casserole dishes and platters. People prefer to be able to put the container in the trash or wash it and keep it themselves. By the way, I reuse the foil pans when I marinate and grill food.

I draw the line at purchasing any canned meat from a Dollar store UNLESS I'm bringing something to a potluck or something.

R254 are you a sarcasm free zone? I said that to snark on the insufferable r224 and his folie de grandeur.

Gap clothes were not made in China 20 years ago. I bought a lot of gap back then. I think some were made in Hong Kong but Hone Kong wasn't China back then.

I only buy supplements made in USA.

Also I wouldn't buy shit from china if I can avoid it. some of these 99 cent stores import the goods themselves and they are not inspected. They have lead in toys, all kinds of chemicals and lots of faked goods too.

If an item is SHIPPED all the way from China, and priced 1 buck and can make a profit for an American shop, it is garbage material. OK if its just a gift bag - how bad can it be? (other than toxic ink, I suppose). A child's toy? A dog chewie? Anything that touches skin or goes in the mouth. I think best say no.

^^^r258 The raw materials in your supplements come from China! Look it up, and supplements are UNREGULATED by anyone but the manufacturer, fox henhouse.

Here you go. Ignorance truly is bliss.

There used to be a dollar store in the subway concourse underneath the office building where I worked. Tons of discount stuff. They had apricot jam, which I loved. Brought two jars to an office holiday party-no one would eat it because it was from Egypt!

R262 That's a shame. I've had many food items from Egypt, and they were all quite good. People are strange. I bought some "remakes" of the Bar None candybars from Vermont Country Store after reading a DL thread. My partner was very reluctant to eat one after I had mentioned they were made in Turkey. China, I get, but to declare something as inferior simply because it's been imported is silly.

R263, I live in Philadelphia which has some Flyoverstan qualities in its population. More so than many other US metropolitan cities.

When I moved to Europe from USA in 90s many new friend were not buying Eastern European fruit preserves and honey. Concern was Chernobyl.

I happily buy Turkish and North African products.

Its rather dismal that European mass market groceries became so industrialized. There was an entire decade where every bell pepper in a working class and lower middle class supermarket came from Holland. WHY are peppers coming from Holland hot houses!!! Things have started to loosen up again and there is. return to more local produce being marketed in cheaper supermarkets. You shouldn't have to go way upscale to get a local tomato or cucumber.

But that's business.

R265 I remember hearing others having objections to Eastern European products, juice/squash concentrates particularly. Didn't make much sense as the radioactive clouds, and the isotopes blew over and fell upon most of Western Europe. Austrian, Italian, and German products had similar traces as Polish, Romanian, and Ukranian products. I believe jams and preserves were amongst the products tested at the time.

R264 I get it, as my partner is from the Illinois-Indiana border.

Supplements are mostly bullshit no matter where you get them.

I just came back from the Dollar Tree. I bought frozen blueberries which are great. Also bought Himalayan pink sea salt in a pound package. Good stuff.

R256, I jut remembered. I also buy duct tape.

So much for the last grain of cachet hanging onto pink Himalayan salt. 🙄

considering how salts and spices were made in India or other south Asia countries, you won't pay me to buy them.

R252, Chinese garlic is flavorless because it's irradiated to kill pathogens and prevent sprouting.

I have to admit r264, I too am guilty of this line of thinking at times…

R15- Exactly! Ben & Jerry's is only 14 oz- not even a actual pint!

R272 How can it be irradiated when I planted it in my garden and it grew, it was from China?

The best hard and chewy candies are made in South America. DT carries those.

I recently purchased a bag of fruit chew candies from DT, they were from Turkey, they taste just like Starburst, this brand is GMO free and Halal. The bag is also a full pound. A bargain for just $1.

I do noticed most of the hard candies and other candies sold at DT, are in small packages, none appear to be full size, except this Turkish brand and another brand which makes sour chews, the larger bags are always sell out quickly.

DT also carries Werther's, Trolli and other popular candy brands. I've never seen chocolate candy at my local DT, around Easter they do carry Peeps.

No, I'm not fat. I do enjoy chewy candies. I must stop!

R276, yes you are a fat cunt!

[quote]I went to school in the 1970s and 1980s and never had classes like what R8 is talking about. There were home economics classes but they were just cooking things from scratch and rarely anything useful. This is not a "these days" problem, this is a situation where three generations (at least) have not been taught basics of shopping, finance, or budget in schools.

R24, this reminds me of an old episode of Roseanne.

For career day, Roseanne takes Darlene and her classmates grocery shopping to buy ingredients for dinner.

[quote][bold]Roseanne:[/bold] Meryl, step up to the meat counter, you’re making dinner for five, pick a meat.

[quote][bold]Meryl:[/bold] Alright, a lotta meat in here… some veal some chicken.

[quote][bold]Meryl:[/bold] (under pressure, grabs a steak and hands it to Roseanne)

[quote][bold]Roseanne:[/bold] Well, class, let’s see what Meryl chose. New York steak. Meryl, let me ask you, what’s your father do for a living?

[quote][bold]Meryl:[/bold] He’s a dermatologist

[quote][bold]Roseanne:[/bold] Then this is a good choice. Okay, now, who here doesn’t have a trust fund? Darlene… now, what’re we gonna have for dinner?

[…]

[quote][bold]Darlene:[/bold] (Looks in the meat case)

[quote]Where’s the ground garbage?

[quote]Here we go.

[quote](She hands Roseanne a big package of ground meat)

[quote][bold]Roseanne:[/bold] Yes, girls, chopped meat. The stuff that gives Hamburger Helper it’s bulk.

[…]

[quote][bold]Roseanne:[/bold] Corn Flakes. The most important ingredient in tonight’s entree.

[quote][bold]Meryl:[/bold] Why do we need that?

[quote][bold]Roseanne:[/bold] How do you think we turn three pounds of ground chuck into eleven pounds of mouth-watering meal loaf?

[…]

[quote][bold]Roseanne:[/bold] Now give me that generic stuff, nothing but second best for my family.

[…]

[quote][bold]Roseanne:[/bold] All right. We got our meat loaf, we got our potatoes, that about does it.

[quote][bold]Tanya:[/bold] What about a vegetable?

[quote][bold]Roseanne:[/bold] Ketchup

[…]

(In Roseanne’s kitchen)

[quote][bold]Roseanne:[/bold] Alright girls, there you have it. A nutritious meal for five plus two lunches for only $12.73. Cheaper than fast food, faster than cheap food and that is what I call home economics.

[quote]Sounds like someone took shop instead. Still using that ashtray and lamp you made?

They called it Industrial Arts at my junior high school. In either the 7th or 8th grade we made pendulum wall clocks, I still have mine and 30 years later it still works.

In Home Ec. we learned how to make crepes and made rugby shirts.

R38, Hank Hill asked a [italic]similar[/italic] question about his neighbor, Kahn Souphanousinphone.

Race & sex don't make you exempt from someone pointing out your jackassery.

[quote]Financial literacy is not taught in schools, and at the risk of sounding too "woke" for some of you uptight folks on the board, there's a definitely racist divide as to who gets access to what from financial institutions.

Some schools teach this but for the ones that don’t it’s by design in the same way that some schools don’t teach civics or critical thinking skills…. keep the electorate poor and uninformed.

[quote]I also like how the author sneers at lower-income earners. Why, they can't do simple math, or else they'd pay to join a Costco, if they could find one to get to (mine is 25 miles away) to buy in bulk!

People don’t think. Going to Costco requires a car, owning a car requires insurance and driving a car requires gas so even if you own a car that doesn’t mean you can afford to drive to Costco.

^ in rural areas where the nearest store is a 45 minute drive

[quote]People don’t think. Going to Costco requires a car, owning a car requires insurance and driving a car requires gas so even if you own a car that doesn’t mean you can afford to drive to Costco.

Actually no it doesn't, Costco stores are now in major cities. Queens NY has two Costco stores, think there are now two in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn. Lots of people can literally walk to Costco. I don't drive, I walk to Costco, it's five blocks from me. I work from home, my partner is at work when I want to shop, I use the large cart I bought at Costco. For large items, like the paper towels, and Kleenex, we use the car. We always avoid shopping on weekends.

R283, please see my comment at R282.

[quote]^ in rural areas where the nearest store is a 45 minute drive

In rural areas going to places like Costco is an outing and something done only once a month so when you go you stock up on everything which requires a car and in some cases, an ice chest for cold and/or frozen items.

Love the dollar stores. Always visit when we travel from Europe to visit my family near Atlanta. Sure, the service is not good and the people are sketchy as hell but ditto for at lot of stores there including Macy's etc.,, My family lives in a very nice suburb but it is what it is. Taco shops next to fancy supermarkets. But I love it! We always take 2 empty suitcases with us and we shop like crazy! Spices, shoes, jeans, etc., Still buy my underwear from Walmart And I always go to the Taco shops as well! Not easy to find good Mexican food here! And my weight is good lol.

I live in a major city (in a rent controlled apartment hence my ass being able to live here) and the closest Costco is not even close to walking distance. Neither is the closest WalMart. All these stores are out in the burbs. I don't own a car and have a mild physical disability. So even for me, living where I do and not being *completely* dirt poor (just average poor), physically being able to shop at places like Costco is not possible. There are so many tiny logistical details that come into things like this that for the better-off and able bodied (etc.) just don't even get thought of or considered.

I buy the Gildan white cotton T-shirts at Family Dollar because they are so soft and so comfortable. And $9 for a pack of 3. Sadly they are made in Honduras, not the U.S. I'd gladly pay more if they were made in the U.S.

You really got to know the price you would pay in a regular store and compare. For instance when I look for aluminum pie dishes the regular store was 3 for 99 cents while the dollar store was 2 for $1.

This is an idiotic argument. You can see which your own eyes whether a product in a dollar store is a smaller amount than a regular store. I go to Dollar Tree and 99 cent store before I go anywhere else. Canned milk, baking stuff, canned goods, storage bags, all manner of cooking tools and cleaning supplies, are way cheaper. Anything I can’t find at those two I go to grocery or Walmart for.

I will purchase exotic foods and snacks from Mexico, South America, Turkey and Egypt.Not China. Chinese food safety is worse than the US, hard to imagine.

I used to purchase generic Advil from Trader Joe's, Target and Whole Foods. When I realized that these were manufactured in India, I started picking it up at Dollar Tree instead as it is less expensive and also manufactured in India. The dollar tree version of Tylenol pm works great, knocks me out right away.

There's no Aldi's near me but their prices are even less expensive than the dollar store.

[quote] Also bought Himalayan pink sea salt in a pound package

All the way from the Himalayan seashore.

I've seen that salt for sale. It looks fancy and it is a huge bag of salt but I didn't have time to check where that stuff is manufactured.

They fired that crazy Annette woman for tackling a shoplifter of cigarettes. I was shocked, considering her daily prolomations of being the next manager. Annette is a character first made famous on 247 sports(huge thread on GOMI too). Just google Annette Daniels Weaver Winston Salem and you'll be entertained for days.

R26- You are what America needs. Bravo!

Oops, meant r46

I just saw that as well, r293. What's so special about it...just the vaguely pink color?

Darn. Scratch that too- R37 is who I think is a hero!

ARGH! IT WAS R38! SORRRRRRYYYYYY!

The sad thing is... that when I went to school they had a required for 1 semester class, called home economics. I took it my freshman year to get it over with, but really learned a ton and enjoyed it! I do have to say that I have used EVERYTHING at least more than once that is learned from that class! I ended up taking it all freshman and sophomore year and am so glad I did!!!!! I honestly think that they should bring it back. The class taught you how to budget your bank account first. Checking and savings. Then we moved on to budgeting, paying your bills with what your given. Some were given more, some less, but you had to make it work to pass! You had to budget groceries in. You had a budget for one person and a family. We had a field trip to the grocery store and had to buy groceries with the budget we made for ourselves. We were also taught the basics of cooking, simple meals such as these to stretch your budget and a nice meal for guests. All of which was graded. We also learned how to wash, dry and fold your clothes. We were taught to iron a dress shirt, slacks etc. Also learned how to darn a sock, patch pants, sew and hem pants and sew a button back on a shirt. We also learned about budgeting in gas, insurance and maintenance for your car or cars. These aren't even all that we were taught! But let me tell you again.. I have used it all, and was so thankful! I grew up in a dysfunctional family and wanted to move out when I was 13! After learning and passing with flying colors,at 15 I lied on my application to job corps. You had to be 16 to enter the program. Iv was a troubled youth, had gotten kicked out of school but saw job corps as a way out! And it worked. By the time they figured out I lied in my app I was already 16 and thriving. I used everything that I learned from that class cause I was on my own in job corps! ( they don't tell you that when applying, lol) but I was lucky and helped a bunch of kids learn. I learned a trade, got my GED AND saved $1,800 of my own money and when I graduated my savings was another 1,800.. which was a good thing because when I got "home" I didn't have a room my stuff was in boxes and had a cot in the garage. Thx, but no surprise! I only had to stay there for 2 months. Worked 2 jobs until I got into my trade, so I didn't have to be "home" and saved. Turned 18 and bounced. But I've basically been on my own since 15.. Sorry...but my point was that they should have these classes so today's kids have a clue when they move out! Kids today don't know much and this would help!

R285, in which European country do you live?

R247, I acknowledged that R234 was correct in some of these comments. But Chinese goods are sold everywhere and have been for years. In terms of something sinister going on, I don't see it. The company is in business to make money and it has by fulfilling a need that no one else was fulfilling.

Jesus Chris R299! Get your shit together!

[quote]in rural areas where the nearest store is a 45 minute drive

I was responding to the blanket statement that "Going to Costco requires a car", because in many instances, it doesn't. Depends where a person lives. We also have people in this thread assuming that all Costco stores are in the suburbs, they aren't.

Many here don't live in rural areas or the suburbs. Yet, it seems, they'd rather be price gouged at local supermarkets. I've noticed since my neighborhood has been rapidly gentrifying over the past few years, pretty much all the local supermarkets have raised their prices. They seem to forget the original residents in these gentrifying neighborhoods.

Compare a 32 ounce tub of Cobani yogurt at Costco for $3.99, to a 32 oz tub Le Yogurt, the same size for $6.99-$7.99 at a local supermarket. A 2 LB brick of Costco cheddar cheese is $5.99, a 16 oz brick of cheddar at a local supermarket, is the same price.

During the beginning of the Covid pandemic, a local supermarket was trying to sell one large can of Lysol for $17.99, the same size Lysol at Costco:, three large cans for $14.99. Shoppers were so up in arms abut the $17.99 price, the local NBC affiliate visited the store to confront the manager about this obvious price gouging.

Weight wise, the costs per item, Costco saves people lots of money, even for one person or a couple. You don't need to have a family to shop there.

If people have enough room to store the bulk paper towels, TP and other items, the money saved is worth the membership cost. You also save on time spent shopping. I shop at Costco twice a month. I live in an apartment and I'm able to store bulk items. Even if people don't have room for a 30 roll package of TP, how about splitting these bulk items with a friend or family member? My partner and I split some of our bulk items with an elderly neighbor.

Between Costco's cash back on their membership card and the Costco Citi credit card cash back program, the membership cost more than pays for itself.

'Tardon, r304, DG goes into food deserts for a reason. To kill the local grocery and take everyone's money. NO Costcos are not all over the place even in a big city there may be two.

R305, In San Jose, Calif there are 5 Costco stores -- also 1 in each of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, which are technically separate cities but actually just like expanded neighborhoods of San Jose.

And more than 30 minutes apart. I'm sure.

Definitely, R307 -- not practical without a car unless you live across the street from one of the stores. Just pointing out how ubiquitous Costco has become -- and with 7 stores, there are quite a few people who do live across the street from a store. Nevertheless, I don't consider Costco to be a realistic alternative to Dollar Tree for shoppers who lack credit or debit cards, let alone cash. I shop at both, but I'm not poor-poor (as Whoopi would say).

Apologies...

I've never wrote that on DL before!

During the quarantine a local supermarket charged 9 dollars for a dozen eggs. People are such scum.

[quote]'Tardon, [R304], DG goes into food deserts for a reason. To kill the local grocery and take everyone's money. NO Costcos are not all over the place even in a big city there may be two.

DG? WTF are you talking about we were discussing Costco. Did you mean Dollar Tree? DT are also all over metropolitan cities. Jeez, where on the bloody planet do you live, in the Aussie outback??

Costco pays their workers a living wage and they have good benefits. I have no problems with Costco. Dollar Tree are also not putting any local supermarkets out of business, are you fucking kidding me. You sound incredibly uniformed! DT doesn't have most of the inventory a supermarkets regularly carries. Get a clue!

You appear to be one of the nasty argumentative trolls who have permeated DL over the past few years. Do you know how to have an discussion without insulting someone? Too fucking bad people like you live in some bumfuck US state and live in a "food desert". Oh boo fucking hoo. Move to a fucking prosperous city.

My neighborhood has three public housing projects, as well as co-op complexes, $1-2 million+ new condo builds on the waterfronts, pre-war co-ops, rental apartment buildings and private houses. A very mixed bag and an extremely diverse neighborhood socio-economically.

Besides a Costco in my neighborhood there are tons chain supermarkets, such as Associated, Food Emporium, Bravo, C-Town, Key Food, FoodTown etc. No one is starving in my neighborhood. People always have carts stacked with food and many are are using their food stamp cards. Lots of trust funders are also moving in, who do you think is buying up those expensive condos on the waterfronts.

The repetitious mythology that ALL poor neighborhoods, including areas where housing projects are located, are "food deserts" and that these communities aren't located near any viable food sources, is total bullshit. In fact, Costco has has been accepting food stamps cards for few years.

btw, R308, I never posted that Costco was any sort of viable alternative to DT.

There are certainly ways to get food and other items from Costco without being a member. If you know someone with a membership, you can offer to pay for half and if they are decent people, they will shop for you or you can shop with them, then split the bill afterwards.

My partner and I shop for our elderly neighbor, we don't accept money from him to split our membership fee, we are happy to help this elderly gay man. He has no one to help, his partner died years ago and he doesn't have children. His siblings aren't nearby, his friends are scattered throughout the other boroughs. This man can sure depend on us to get whatever he needs from Costco.

Apologies back and fu! WTF do you think DG stands for? The hell you think most poor people live in large cities? Go to hell with your rotting cunt mother.

[quote]Apologies back and fu! WTF do you think DG stands for? The hell you think most poor people live in large cities? Go to hell with your rotting cunt mother.

Wow, who hurt you? Don't bring my family into this, you unhinged piece of fetid shit.

Take your damn SSRI meds. Or get off the meth or opioids! Step away from the cheap wine. Get help, Get fucked. Do SOMETHING with your sad pathetic life, which I assume from your posts, you are located in some bumfuck US backwater town.

If you can't keep up with a conversation, it's not my fault you are so dense. I wasn't mentioning Dollar General, there aren't any where I live, the Family Dollar closed awhile back, it's now a Mexican restaurant. Lots of Dollar Trees in my neighborhood.

Namaste, motherfucker.

I'm scared!

Mommie issues much?

Amazing how these days any discussion on DL always seems to devolve into an argument and then subsequently the angry posters then start putting down people the thread isn't even about.

How a thread about 'dollar stores' turns into posters name-calling others relatives, is downright mind boggling.

What bunch of a sad pathetic freaks on DL. I assume these extremely angry people are fairly new posters, I never remember DL being this crazy. Always snarky, but never to the extent of not even trying to discuss an issue. These new posters immediately go off the rails, their patience level os at zero. Can Agent Orange be blamed for this too? Someone needs to be blamed for this influx of crazies.

These new posters aren't even funny weirdos, they're just nasty crabby mentally ill creeps. I guess most are trolls. The types of repetitious freaks who ruined the IMdB forums.

Move it along, toots!

Thanks for ruining a great thread.

Damn fucking trolls. 👺👺👺