Just A Dollar

When I started this blog, I decided to call it, "Wade's Two Cents." But, the feedback I have been getting tells me I have a growing readership. So, for this blog entry, I decided to set my sights a bit higher. Let's talk about a dollar.

I enjoy shopping in dollar stores. You know what I mean, those stores where everything they sell goes for a dollar or less. Generally, these stores buy up large quantities of distressed merchandise. Now, the term "distressed merchandise" has nothing to do with the emotional state of the products. Rather, their previous owners (either manufacturers or middle men) are in distress because for some reason they need to dump the product. Maybe it hasn't been selling. Maybe they are going out of business. Maybe they got into financial trouble. Whatever the reason, they needed to unload their inventory in a hurry. So, they slashed their prices so low that these dollar type stores could buy them up, sell them for one dollar each, and still make a profit.

You can find some really good stuff in dollar stores. The inventory keeps changing, too. That is the nature of distressed merchandise. When the manufacturer is discontinuing a line or going out of business, you can't expect to keep getting a steady supply of the product. But many of these stores do try to keep certain things in supply. Take off the shelf reading glasses for example. You can pay as much as twelve dollars or more for a pair of these glasses if you pick them up at a pharmacy or department store. But, we found a dollar store that stocks them regularly. Whenever we need another pair, we don't even consider buying them anywhere else.

I keep a pair of polarized sunglasses in my car at all times. I consider that a vital part of driving safety. But, one day I broke my sunglasses. I'm not terribly fashion conscious while driving, and so, without a moment's hesitation, I swung by a dollar store and bought a replacement.

There are some important things to remember, though, about shopping in one of these stores. Sometimes distressed merchandise is distressed for a very good reason. A thing can be of less value than the sum of its parts. I have found a lot of useless kitchen gadgets that seem to fall in this category. There have been many items someone would have had to pay me to carry out.

Consider alternate uses for things. Perhaps, there is a huge bottle of shampoo available for a dollar. You might be afraid to use it on your hair, but it might make a suitable refill for your liquid soap dispensers. Those figurines on the shelf might look hideous on your coffee table. But if they are water safe, they might be just the accent piece for your aquarium.

Knowing what is available at a local dollar store can inform your other bargain hunting as well. I am a frequent visitor at a local thrift store. There have been numerous times when I have passed up a thrift store bargain because I knew where I could get an even better deal for only a dollar. I am sure the same thing could apply to yard sales.

Watch out, though, for some items that are actually overpriced at a dollar. These stores have been successful in getting people into a buying mood snapping up bargains for a dollar each. They catch customers when their sales resistance is down. Then, they will throw something else into the mix also priced at one dollar that may normally retail at a different store for 78 cents. You may want to buy your candy bars somewhere else.

That's my two cents.

Wade Houston
September 14, 2007