9 Brutally Honest Reasons To Avoid Dollar Tree

In the current economy, it can be difficult to resist the siren-like call of Dollar Tree to help stretch your grocery budget, where most everything is just $1.25. However, there are several hidden costs to these seemingly affordable bargains they advertise.

From cheap quality products to increased consumerism and plastic waste, shopping at Dollar Tree is fraught with problems. Here are some of the main ones you’re likely to run into.

Starkist tuna is $1.14 and Chef Boyardee ravioli is $1 at Walmart. Garlic powder is $1 at Target. Yet each of these items is $1.25 at Dollar Tree. Just because it’s a dollar store doesn’t mean they have the best deals.

Plenty of items are more expensive here than at regular retailers.

This doesn’t really come as a shock, but it’s well worth noting. The adage “Buy it nice or buy it twice” definitely applies to Dollar Tree inventory with many unhappy customers online complaining about how things fall apart just a few weeks or months later.

As one Redditor noted, “I had a pair of Dollar Tree oven mitts in college, and they got holes in them within a few weeks … My [D]ollar [T]ree can opener was also frustrating to use and broke within a year or two.”

Finding what you’re looking for in a picked-over Dollar Tree location can be tough. The shelves are in constant disarray and it’s difficult to find one specific thing without having to roam up and down multiple aisles, only to find it’s sold out or hidden behind other items.

If you need a specific brand of item, you’re not likely to find it at Dollar Tree. Many times they can offer things so affordably because it’s an off-brand you’ve never heard of.

That off-market brand of item may be fine, but if you’re not willing to roll the dice, try another retailer that carries name brands you know will hold up.

Dollar Tree has been guilty of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations at a number of its stores.

It’s currently on a settlement plan to rectify issues with working conditions, but many employees still complain of being unfairly suspected of theft, long hours and poor pay.

Some customers have noted that certain items have been watered down, so you’ll go through them faster than you would if you’d bought the slightly more expensive higher-quality products to start with. Examples of this include dish soap and window cleaner.

Some Dollar Tree items have an off-putting odor. “I bought cool-looking cloth storage bins that I use in my office at home. They look great but smell like manure,” shared one online customer.

To keep items at less than $1.25, some products must be really small. That means you’ll likely run out of them faster.

It also means that more of the dollars you spend are going to packaging and fewer are going to the actual product inside.

When toys, decor, and household items are so cheap, there’s little thought about whether it’s prudent to spend money on these items.

Consumers think “It’s only a few dollars. What’s the harm? Why not?” This leads to people buying and consuming more goods than they truly need, and wasting more money.

Many cheap items from Dollar Tree break quickly, and then they end up in a landfill for hundreds of years. Moreover, consumers have to replace them with new items, continuing the cycle that creates more trash.

Rather than spending money for Dollar Tree products that will break in a week, spend money on quality used products that will last longer and keep more junk from entering the landfill needlessly.

In the end, the allure of Dollar Tree’s low prices often comes at a higher cost than you’d expect. While the initial savings appeals to shoppers with tight budgets, the hidden drawbacks—like subpar quality, deceptively higher prices on some items, environmental harm, and poor labor practices—can outweigh the benefits.

Instead of falling for the quick $1.25 fix, invest in higher-quality items whenever you can to prevent you from throwing your money away. Not only will you save money in the long run, but you’ll also contribute to a more mindful and responsible approach to shopping.