- These are 10 Dollar Tree hacks to save you money in 2023.
Hack number one,
is tied to an overlooked hidden clearance section.
Have you ever noticed these green baskets
located by the very last register in the store?
Adjacent to or nearby these green baskets,
you'll find a shopping cart or bins
loaded up with clearance products
that can be marked down as low as 25 cents.
These reductions are indicated by an orange sticker
and often present significant value.
And just to note, at one of my local stores,
the clearance section was actually located
at the back of the store beside the cleaning products.
So this hidden area may vary by location.
Point two, is a valuable and much lesser known
Dollar Tree secret.
Did you know, the store holds annual discount days
that are not heavily publicized?
Referred to in-store as Associate Appreciation Day
and Customer Appreciation Day,
which often occur in July, October, or November.
You can score 10% off any purchase of $10 or more
just by shopping these occasions with a voucher
that's usually printed
and available at the cash register or online.
And if you've ever made a Dollar Tree purchase
only to return home and find that the item is faulty
or that it breaks too easily after a few days of use.
With a receipt, you actually have
30 days to swap any product.
Dollar Tree will allow the exchange of damaged goods
and unopened items with anything else in the store
provided you have that proof of purchase.
Before I expose some Dollar Tree couponing hacks,
point three, is tied to learning how seasonal stock works,
to ensure you don't miss the best buys at Dollar Tree
before they're all claimed.
Seasonal stock usually arrives one month
before an actual holiday begins.
That would mean Halloween items start to hit
store shelves the first week of September.
Celebratory Easter items make their debut
the first week of February.
4th of July decor is generally available by June 4th.
And Christmas often descends
upon Dollar Tree in early November.
Although this past year, it seemed that Dollar Tree
was extra festive and determined to bring
the spirit of Santa right on into
that first week of September
which both pleased and overwhelm me as a person.
Outside of seasonal decor,
spring is the best time to stock up
on organization products and storage essentials.
And for the most plentiful DIY product stock,
your best bet is to shop September through December.
Secret number four,
centers around a certain purchase, you might want to avoid.
If you frequent the food aisle at Dollar Tree,
90% of the time it's in your best interest
to shop elsewhere.
Anything canned at Dollar Tree
is typically much cheaper at Walmart or Aldi.
And the same rule of thumb applies to boxed items
like mac and cheese and baking supplies
like cake mix and flour.
School supplies are unfortunately no different.
Many parents assume this is a good category
to shop from at Dollar Tree, which is not the case.
A $1.25 cent notebook from Dollar Tree
is a fair bit cheaper at Walmart.
And Elmer's Glue is yet another example.
Crafters and the DIY community can benefit from point five,
especially if you've ever been disappointed,
that your local store doesn't carry an item
you've seen in one of those great
Dollar Tree DIY videos on YouTube.
If you're hesitant to shop the Dollar Tree website
over a fear, you'll be forced into a bulk order.
You can actually buy many of the most popular
crafting supplies in smaller quantities
than you might think.
These ever popular green foam floral rings
as an example can be purchased in quantities
as low as five rather than your typical
12 to 24 piece minimum you may encounter on other products.
Speaking of crafts,
another insider tip I collected from a helpful employee
in the comment section of a prior video,
is that if you find a damaged craft on a store shelf
more than likely, a manager will discount that for you
to 75 cents to save them the time
and trouble of having to dispose of the product.
Hack number six, is how to make
the Dollar Tree coupon policy fine print work for you.
If you weren't aware, the Dollar Tree accepts
printed manufacturer and digital coupons with a catch.
Here's everything you need to know.
Dollar Tree only accepts manufacturer coupons
and they will not accept coupons
designated for specific retailers like Walmart
or Target, as an example.
The products you're looking to buy
must be the same size specified on the coupon.
And because of this fine print,
coupons that indicate any size
are your best bet as Dollar Tree,
as you have free reign with an item size or weight.
A great example of this are Jimmy Dean coupons,
which allow for a dollar
off any size frozen food item from that brand.
Lysol is another product where there
typically aren't any coupon size restrictions,
in addition to GLAD Sandwich and Storage bags.
Even if a coupon allows for a reduction
greater than a $25 off,
Dollar Tree will cap that coupon discount
at the price of the product.
So unfortunately, Dollar Tree will not pay you
to buy something or apply any remaining credit
to another item in your shopping cart as other stores will.
And when it comes to coupon limits,
Dollar Tree will only accept four
of the same manufacturer coupons per day,
with a maximum acceptance of two digital coupons per day,
provided the coupons have unique serial numbers.
Number seven,
a frequent complaint that I read of in the comment section
is that many of you don't consider your local Dollar Tree
to be well stocked or welcoming.
This next tip actually comes
from the Dollar Tree Queen herself, do it on a dime.
And the advice is to help you narrow down
the best Dollar Tree stores in your area
by using the store locator tool on the Dollar Tree website
using Denver, Colorado as an example,
look for locations that feature frozen
and refrigerated food sections,
a snack zone and Dollar Tree plus sections where available.
By ticking these selections,
you are steering yourself toward a better store.
And while it may be a little further away
than where you typically go,
the savings will add up, if you can find items
that wouldn't have otherwise been available to you.
And number eight, that was a little intense,
but learn how your store restocks,
which can be accomplished from a quick conversation
with a helpful Dollar Tree manager or store employee.
Dollar Tree does not follow the rules
of a traditional retailer,
where stores like Target or Best Buy will restock
on specific days of the week,
and then repeat that every month from store to store.
Dollar Tree is all over the place.
Two stores in your neighborhood
may have completely different restock schedules,
and the average shopper
might not be able to pick up on a pattern.
Ask a manager what days of the week the truck comes in
and how long it typically takes for that stock
to get merchandised on the floor?
One of my local stores, as an example,
restocks on Thursday and Friday,
and I should mention none of this content is sponsored.
Dollar Tree is not paying me to make this video.
My next point is tied to a specific time to shop
to save huge on holiday decor.
If you've ever had the revelation at the end of Christmas
that your holiday serve-ware needs an overhaul
or that your Valentine's Day decor
looked rather tired this year,
planning ahead will pay off.
Stock up on decor for the next year.
After every big holiday comes to its point of completion.
That means right after whatever holiday you are celebrating
make your way over to Dollar Tree
and plan for the next year.
You'll find fantastic clearance prices of 50% off,
and prices sometimes reduced to as low as 50 cents.
Before I get to the bonus section,
my next point revolves around a resource
to help you better plan your Dollar Tree shopping hauls.
I have so much fun making my Dollar Tree videos
but I sometimes hear from those of you,
who aren't so happy,
you can't find a product that I have featured in a video.
You can overcome any potential disappointment
by using the weekly ad available on the Dollar Tree website
to understand when stock arrives
and departs from your local store.
And if you frequently succumb to impulse purchases
that prevent you from sticking to a monthly budget,
it may be worth it to consider getting Dollar Tree delivered
via Instacart.
It does allow you to ensure you only buy what you need.
It's kind of like having blinders on
when you walk down those Dollar Tree aisles to avoid
picking up something that might set you over budget.
And despite the delivery fee,
it could help you save money in the long run.
And now for the bonus section,
even if you don't own a Blu-ray or DVD player,
if you see a Blu-ray or DVD that interests you,
you might want to pick it up.
Dollar Tree often features highly popular movies
and well-known shows,
where the Blu-ray or DVD houses a digital code.
So you can enjoy that movie or show for a $1.25,
which is often far cheaper
than renting a movie from an online streaming service.
And from blockbuster movies to brand name toys.
This final piece of advice is tied to a tip
from a subscriber who says you can sometimes find
brand name toys during the months of August and September,
which I've noticed as well.
The theory behind this is larger stores
are clearing out merchandise in preparation for Christmas
and they often circulate that stock
through Dollar Tree stores.
So if you are shopping for loot bag items,
birthday presents, or an assortment
of Christmas gifts for kids,
these months may work well to your advantage.
If you enjoyed this video, please feel free to share it
with another Dollar Tree Shopper who could benefit.
Thanks for watching.
I love you, bye-bye.