7 Things You Must Buy at Dollar Tree While on a Retirement Budget

What should you buy using your retirement budget at Dollar Tree? While you might not be able to find bulk items for sale or visit specialized departments, Dollar Tree offers plenty of everyday essentials retirees can save money buying to make their lives easier. Best of all, every item is priced at $1.25 to fit nearly every retiree’s budget.

Grab a notepad or open the Notes app in your smartphone. Retirees on budgets won’t want to miss out on shopping for these must-buys at Dollar Tree.

Dollar Tree has a wide selection of paper products for sale, whether you’re stocking up on paper napkins for hosting a holiday party or barbecue event or buying essentials like bath tissue and paper towels at home.

If you’re looking to load up your closet with toilet paper, try the Strong & Soft two-ply bathroom tissue. This comes in a package of four rolls for only $1.25. Dollar Tree also offers several paper towel and napkin options for sale. When possible, try to look for paper towels that come with plenty of sheets like this package of two-ply paper towels with 140-sheet rolls, also for $1.25.

Laundry detergent is a must-buy no matter where you are shopping. After all, you’re free to enjoy a variety of new hobbies in retirement, and that could mean a lot of washing.If you’re picking up laundry detergent at Dollar Tree, for example, you will be able to purchase Gain odor defense detergent in super fresh blast scent at $1.25 for a 10-ounce bottle. Compared to other laundry detergents sold at Dollar Tree in 8-ounce bottles, this buy offers you slightly more bang for your buck.

Most Dollar Tree locations have their fair share of cleaning supplies priced considerably lower than what retirees would find at big-box retailers. If you’re looking forward to enjoying free time in a clean house, you’d do well pick up some favorite cleaning tools for cheap.

• Cleaning cloths: Each pack of two Clean Life cleaning cloths is priced at $1.25. They hold a five-star rating on the Dollar Tree website, with shoppers praising their quality and eco-friendly use.
• All-purpose cleaner: At $1.25 per 20-ounce cleaner, LA’s Totally Awesome all-purpose cleaner has more than 30 five-star reviews on the Dollar Tree website. Many reviewers cited the product’s ability to clean everything, particularly stubborn stains on clothes and cleanup needed after working on arts and crafts projects.
• Scrub sponges: Rather than pay top dollar for a name-brand sponge, pick up a few packs of Brillo Basics sponges at Dollar Tree for $1.25 per package. Each package includes two sponges, coming out to about 64 cents per sponge.

Whether you’re taking medications or vitamins to stay in good health, you’ll be able to organize everything in a snap with the help of a pill case. 

If you’re shopping for a new case, Dollar Tree sells pillbox organizers for $1.25 each. Inside, you’ll find compartments labeled for each day of the week, with times of day noted to ensure organization. Keep them on hand or bring them along whenever you travel.

Part of being a retiree means getting out into the world more often. Maybe you like to get your hands dirty in the garden. Or perhaps you’ve taken up crafting or working on old cars. Whatever you get into, your hands will likely take a beating, which means you’ll need hand cream.

At Dollar Tree, you can pick up a tube of Udderly Smooth hand cream for only $1.25. It’ll help soothe your hands after a hard day of doing what you love.

Just because you’re no longer on the clock doesn’t mean you won’t need writing supplies. Whether you’ve decided to write your memoirs, pen a detective novel or take up journaling, you’d do well to grab any of the plethora of pens available at Dollar Tree for only $1.25.

Most notebooks at Dollar Tree are also $1.25, no matter whether you want to recapture your own school days with a marbled notebook or grab a brightly colored journal.

Retirement gives retirees plenty of time to pursue artistic hobbies, like painting, jewelry making and crocheting. Rather than shop for these supplies at a boutique arts and crafts storefront, consider swinging by Dollar Tree to try your hand at various forms of crafting and artwork.

For example, if you are interested in painting, you will find all the necessary equipment, including canvas, watercolor paints, brushes and wood easels. Other crafting essentials available to shop include, but are not limited to, colorful yarn, crochet hooks, knitting spool sets, crafting jewels and gems, beads and much more. 

Retirees who plan on spending more time with their grandchildren will be excited to discover Dollar Tree has tons of supplies to craft together with the kids. From drawing paper to crayons and coloring books, you have to spend only a little of your retirement budget for the kids to enjoy hours of fun.

Laura Bogart contributed to the reporting for this article.

Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact items listed. Prices and availability are accurate as of July 31, 2025, and are subject to change.