Dollar General

Tips and Tricks to Save Money at Dollar General

Dollar General can be a great place to score a deal, particularly on household and everyday items. The store is full of bargains, but with these savvy shopping tips you can be sure to get the most bang for your buck at Dollar General.

How to Get the Best Deals at Dollar General

• Look for penny sales. Dollar General puts items on sale for a penny after they’ve been on 90% off clearance for a week or two. These items typically aren’t advertised or clearly marked, so it can be luck of the draw in the clearance section. Look for out-of-season items that have an old code on the tag. For example, a tag that says “Winter 2015” has a good chance of being a penny if you find it in spring or summer.

• Stack coupons. Dollar General accepts both manufacturer’s coupons and store coupons, including coupons from newspapers, magazines, and the Internet. Unless specifically stated on the coupon, you can stack a manufacturer’s coupon with a store coupon on the same item, and there is no limit on the number of coupons you can use in a transaction. Even better is if you have a coupon on an item that’s on sale.

• Like the store on Facebook. Dollar General posts exclusive deals and coupons on its Facebook page as well as upcoming sales.

• Shop wisely. Yes, you can find nice discounts at this store (see our “Best Things to Buy at Dollar General,” below), but you can also spend more than you should if you get swept up in the idea that everything is cheap. The fact is although the word “dollar” is in its name, not everything costs a dollar. The prices come in dollar increments, but some items can cost more than $20. And the amount the store charges per unit may be more than the price you’d pay at another store (a packet of party invitations, for example, may be the same price tag at another retailer but have fewer invites in each package). If getting the best deal is a priority, you may want to do some math on some of your go-to items before you put something in your Dollar General basket.

• Shop around. Not every Dollar General location has the same merchandise or the same clearance sales. If you are looking for the best deal or for a specific item, call the store first to see if it is in stock. During clearance times, it can be beneficial to visit multiple Dollar General locations to find the deepest discount and best selection. For example, if one store has Christmas clearance for 70% off, another store might have already marked it down to 90% off.

• Check Dollar General’s website for coupons. Dollar General keeps a wide variety of coupons for printing on its website. And you can receive digital coupons if you sign up for a Dollar General account. Coupons might be for specific products or a more general $5 off any $25 purchase, which the company tends to release every Saturday.

• Sign up for emails. Join the Dollar General mailing list to learn about special discounts and promotions. You’ll get email alerts about upcoming sales before the general public and exclusive coupons.

When to Shop at Dollar General

• Go after the holidays. Dollar General tends to carry a large amount of holiday items, which the stores must clear out in a hurry after the festivities have ended. The best holiday sale days include the days after Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Halloween. You’ll find the widest selection the day after each holiday, but you’ll get the deeper discounts the more time passes. By waiting a week or so after a holiday, you can find products as low as 10 to 25 cents.

• Make a trip to your local store as a season ends. Similar to the holidays, Dollar General aims to get rid of its large selection of seasonal items as soon as the weather starts to change. Look for deep discounts of up to 90% towards the end of a season, such as discounted swimwear and beach toys at the end of summer or clearance hats and sleds towards the end of winter.

Best Things to Buy at Dollar General

• Cleaning supplies. Name brand cleaning supplies tend to be expensive, but Dollar General’s regular prices are reasonable. Pair with a coupon or special offer and you can score amazing deals.

• Milk. Gallons of milk in some regions are up to 50 cents a gallon cheaper than they are at grocery stores for the same quality.

• Party supplies. From wrapping paper to balloons, Dollar General tends to have a great selection of party supplies for much cheaper than you’ll see at other big box stores. For example, party invitations and rolls of wrapping paper retail for $1-$2 at Dollar General, and around $5 at other stores.

• School supplies. Dollar General runs back-to-school sales at the end of the summer, but even without the sales, the company always has great deals on notebooks, paper, pens, backpacks, and more.

What Not to Buy at Dollar General

• Medicine. Dollar General sells name brand and generic medicines and ointments. The prices are comparable to other stores, but the Dollar General brand may not be as effective and the name brand products might have shorter expiration windows than what you’d find at other retailers.

• Tools. Although some Dollar General stores carry small handheld tools, they tend to not be the best quality. Spend a few more dollars at the hardware store to get something that will last, saving you money in the long run.

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