When it comes to buying groceries, we all want the same things: the best quality food for the lowest prices. Larger stores such as Walmart, Albertsons or Kroger offer pretty good deals sometimes, but it can be few and far between. Aldi generally offers good prices, but their stock can sometimes be limited. If you’re looking for a quick grocery trip that won’t stretch your wallet quite so far, Dollar Tree or Dollar General are surprisingly good options.
While it is true that these dollar stores are generally on the smaller side, you can still find some decent deals on kitchen staples that you’d most likely end up spending more money on at the bigger stores. You may even find better deals on items that you’d usually splurge on. It’s no joke how tight things are right now in everyone’s budgets, and we think it’s important to point out how people can save money even while grocery shopping—every saved dollar counts!
So, to really see what these budget stores have going on, I went to both Dollar General and Dollar Tree to shop for some basic groceries and figure out which is the better deal. Continue reading to discover which dollar store is actually cheaper, and which one you should choose for your next grocery run.
Related: I Went to Dollar Tree To Shop for Dinner and Came Back With These 4 Easy Meals
Dollar Tree vs. Dollar General Groceries: Which Store Is Cheaper?
Dollar Tree is the winner for cheaper groceries overall based on my item-by-item price comparison.
That being said, Dollar General could be a better option for you if you’re looking to buy in bulk (I noticed 2/$6 or 3/$9 deals at Dollar General, whereas I didn’t notice any bulk deals at Dollar Tree), or if you’d prefer to have name brands vs. generic brands. And if you’re looking for smaller snack sizes, then Dollar Tree may not be the best choice, as they are still at their base $1.25 price despite the size difference.
But if you want your total to be cheaper at the end of your grocery trip, and you’re not buying in bulk (maybe it’s just you and your partner at home), Dollar Tree has cheaper options overall.
Related: The 7 Best Drinks to Buy at Dollar General Right Now, According to a Dietitian
Item-By-Item Price Comparison: Basic Grocery Staples
Canned goods and pantry staples
Courtesy Vanessa Hall
Black beansDollar Tree: $1.50 for Goya Black Beans 15.5 oz can = $0.09/oz Dollar General: $1.60 for Bush’s Best Black Beans 15 oz can = $0.10/oz Canned tunaDollar Tree: $1.50 for StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in water 5 oz can = $0.30/oz Dollar General: $1.20 for StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in water 5 oz can = $0.24/oz Pasta sauceDollar Tree: $1.50 for Founder’s Street Tomato Basil sauce 24 oz jar = $0.06/oz, or $2.50 for Ragu sauce 23.9 oz jar = $0.10/oz Dollar General: $2.50 for Prego sauce 24 oz jar = $0.10/oz, or $3 for Classico sauce 24 oz jar = $0.13/oz Pasta noodlesDollar Tree: $1.50 for Founder’s Street Spaghetti 20 oz box = $0.07/oz, or $1.50 for Columbia Oven Ready Lasagne 12 oz box = $0.13/oz Dollar General: $1.65 for Clover Valley Wide Egg Noodles 12oz bag = $0.14/ozDairy and refrigerated items
Courtesy Vanessa Hall
MilkDollar Tree: $1.25 for Marcel’s Modern Pantry whole or 2% milk 32 oz = $0.03/oz Dollar General: $4.10 for Clover Valley whole or 2% milk 1 gallon = $0.03/oz ButterDollar Tree: $1.50 for Imperial Vegetable Oil Spread 8 oz box = $0.19/oz, or $3.50 for Country Crock Butter Spread 15 oz tub = $0.23/oz Dollar General: $1.50 for Imperial Vegetable Oil Spread 16 oz box = $0.09/oz, $3.50 for Country Crock Butter Spread 15 oz tub = $0.23/oz or $3.50 for Land O Lakes Salted Butter 8 oz = $0.44/oz CheeseDollar Tree: $4 for Kraft Singles 12 oz = $0.34/oz, $1.25 for Breckenridge Farms Singles 7.2 oz = $0.17/oz, or $3.00 for Kraft Shredded Triple Cheddar, Mexican Four Cheese or Mozzarella bag 8 oz = $0.38/oz Dollar General: $3.95 for Kraft Singles 12 oz = $0.33/oz, $4.50 for Clover Valley American Slices 16 oz = $0.28/oz, $2.50 for Clover Valley Shredded Parmesan 6 oz or Shredded Mozzarella 8 oz = $0.42/oz or $0.31/ozSnacks
Courtesy Vanessa Hall
ChipsDollar Tree: $1.25 for Wise Golden Potato chips 3.75 oz bag = $0.34/oz or $1.25 for Chex Mix 3.25 oz bag = $0.38/oz Dollar General: $2.95 for Munchos Potato Crisps 4.25 oz bag = $0.69/oz, or $4.25 for Doritos (any flavor) 9.25 oz bag = $0.46/oz (they were running a 2/$7 deal at my Dollar General, which would equal $0.38/oz) PopcornDollar Tree: $1.25 for Skinny Pop White Cheddar Popcorn 1 oz bag = $1.25/oz Dollar General: $3.50 for Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn 6 oz bag = $0.58/ozBreakfast items
Courtesy Vanessa Hall
CerealDollar Tree: $1.50 for GF Brands Honey Nut Toasted Oats or Fruit Rings 10 oz box = $0.15/oz Dollar General: $3.75 for Malt O Meal Tootie Fruities 16.2 oz bag = $0.23/oz, or $3.85 for Kellogg’s Froot Loops 7.9 oz box = $0.49/oz (they were running a 2/$6 deal at my Dollar General, which would equal $0.38/oz) Granola barsDollar Tree: $3.75 for Nature Valley Crunchy Oats N’ Honey granola bars 8.94oz box = $0.42/oz Dollar General: $3.95 for Nature Valley Crunchy Oats N’ Honey granola bars 8.94 oz box = $0.44/oz (they were running a 3/$9 deal at my Dollar General, which would equal $0.34/oz)Paper products
Courtesy Vanessa Hall
Paper towelsDollar Tree: $5 for a 6-pack of Strong and Absorbent paper towels = $0.84 each Dollar General: $5 for a 6-pack of True Living Essential Prints paper towels = $0.84 each, or $7.95 for a 6-pack of Bounty essentials Double Rolls = $1.33 each Toilet paperDollar Tree: $4 for a 12-pack of Angel Soft Soft & Strong toilet paper = $0.34 each Dollar General: $12.95 for a 16-pack of Angel Soft Soft & Strong toilet paper = $0.81 eachRelated: I Tried Uber’s New Shuttle Service To Avoid Surge Pricing—But Was It Worth It?
The Catch: Why ‘Cheaper’ Isn’t Always a Better Deal (Price per Ounce)
As I mentioned earlier, the price at dollar stores does not always reflect the quantity of what you’re paying for. For example, the lowest price for any item at Dollar Tree is $1.25, regardless of how many ounces it is. That means you could be paying $0.38 per ounce or $0.20 per ounce depending on the item.
Because of that, it’s important that you really pay attention to the amount of what you’re getting as well as how much you’re spending on it. You may not need a larger amount of butter right this minute, but you’ll end up spending almost double if you opt for the smaller size (for example, see the cost of Imperial Vegetable Oil Spread above: $0.19 per ounce for an 8 oz size at Dollar Tree vs. $0.09 per ounce for the 16 oz size at Dollar General).
Related: Dollar General Teams Up With Hallmark for Exclusive New Holiday Collection Starting at $1
What To Buy at Dollar General vs. What To Buy at Dollar Tree
When you’re deciding on which dollar store to shop for groceries, there are a few factors that you should keep in mind. The first, of course, is proximity. No one needs to spend more on gas these days, so the closer option to you is most likely going to be better!
The second would be the type of items you want to buy. If brand is not important to you, then either store will work, but Dollar Tree may be the better option. If brand is important to you, Dollar General offers a lot more variety for you to choose from. I noticed this particularly in the breakfast section. I could only find a couple of cereal options at Dollar Tree, whereas there was almost an entire aisle of cereal options at Dollar General.
The third would be the quantity of items you need. Dollar Tree tends to offer lower prices overall, even though they may not always be the cheapest per ounce, and Dollar General offers better deals on bulk purchases.
Below, I’ve listed what to buy at each store based on the lowest price per ounce per single item.
Buy at Dollar Tree
Black beans Pasta sauce and noodles Milk (same price) Chips Cereal Granola bars Paper towels (same price) Toilet paperBuy at Dollar General
Canned tuna Milk (same price) Butter Cheese Popcorn Paper towels (same price)Up Next:
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