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In an effort to spend 5 minutes NOT thinking about how overwhelmed and excited I am to be getting married this weekend(!), I thought I'd throw out something useful--this guide to 99-cent store shopping, courtesy of the chock-full-of-neato-stuff website, Brokelyn*:
The Do's & Don'ts of 99-cent Store Shopping
DO BUY
Spices and herbs: Canadian-based Encore makes FDA-approved seasonings, spices and herbs you can find at many Brooklyn dollar stores.
Gift wrap: The recipient probably won’t notice if you spent on "good" wrapping paper—most times, it’s ripped up and tossed within 5 minutes.
Laundry detergent & cleanser: If you don’t balk at big names, try these instead: Trend (made by Dial), Suavitel (Colgate-Palmolive) or Ariel (Procter & Gamble). Among household cleaners, Spic ‘n Span is from the same manufacturer as Comet, but a lot cheaper.
Pregnancy tests: Dollar-store pregnancy tests are under $5 and detect HCG at the same levels as more expensive, name-brand tests.
Shampoo: Often, dollar stores have name-brands like V05 and Suave, but try out Hairvitalize, Fruitamin and Johnson Parker’s line—all $1.50 or less.
Baby wipes: You can get 80 for under $1.50. Sleek Sensations, one common brand, is hypo-allergenic and alcohol-free; Soffs wipes have aloe and vitamin E.
Kitchen utensils: A stainless steel whisk is the same at a dollar store as anywhere else. But stay away from dollar-store can openers—they never seem to work!
DON’T BUY
Batteries: Most dollar-store batteries are carbon-zinc, which drain very quickly. Look for alkaline—they last much longer.
Toothpaste: Some dollar-store toothpaste (even name-brand) is made in other countries, and may contain many times the amount of fluoride allowed by the ADA. Check the label.
Vitamins (dollar-store brand): In a 2004 study, over half the dollar-store multi-vitamins they tested were missing at least one listed nutrient.
Electronics: They can contain undersized wiring, which poses the risk of overheating. Be sure the product is UL certified.
Toys: Many have sharp edges or pieces that can be easily swallowed. No-name packages don’t always include the appropriate age range for the toy and many have been recalled for containing lead paint.
Jewelry: Also has been recalled for having high levels of lead.
*I know--it's a copout. I have so much I want to write about my emotions leading up to my wedding and I've been trying to organize my scattered thoughts in a way that won't leave me or anyone else completely flummoxed. I hope I can soon write something coherent to express the myriad emotions I'm experiencing these days. Most of all, I am excited and exhilarated!
Posted by ayelet at October 20, 2009 04:38 PM