Dollar Tree Deals To Boost Your Retirement Fund: Save $100-$300 a Month

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When it comes to retirement planning, keeping your expenses low can really help boost your savings in the years leading up to finally leaving your 9-to-5.

Earning more isn’t always an option if you are already putting in long hours and barely making ends meet, especially if you have other responsibilities like caring for young children or aging parents. Instead, many people look for additional ways to save on necessities like food and household goods to free up more of their budget to put toward savings. And shopping at discount stores, like Dollar Tree, can really make an impact on your grocery bill.

While Dollar Tree is known for its low prices on craft items, seasonal décor and party goods, some shoppers also save money on food, cleaning products and laundry soap. With the prices of goods constantly rising, even basics can cost you hundreds at the grocery store. For some, shopping at Dollar Tree is the best way to free up money now to have more by the time you reach retirement age.

Dollar Tree vs. Common Grocers 

Below are some examples of common pantry staples and how much money you can save by shopping at Dollar Tree. Keep in mind that prices will vary depending on location and availability, and make sure to do some comparison shopping as not all items are always cheaper at Dollar Tree. 

Here’s how much you could save by shopping at Dollar Tree:

• $3.54 savings on pretzels: Snyder’s Pretzel Pieces will run you $4.79 at Kroger but only $1.25 at Dollar Tree. 
• $5.24 savings on oat milk: Rise Brewing oat milk will cost you around $6.49 at Whole Foods whereas Marcel’s Modern Pantry oat mill will run you only $1.25 at Dollar Tree. 
• $4.36 savings on applesauce: Walmart is a tight competitor with Dollar Tree on pricing, but a pack of Mott’s Applesauce in resealable pouches is $3 at Dollar Tree and $7.46 at Walmart.
• $2.74 savings on tuna: A can of Skipjack wild tuna will cost you $3.99 at Whole Foods whereas a can of Star-Kist tuna will cost you $1.25. 
• $1.04 savings on soda: A liter of Pepsi is $1.25 at Dollar Tree whereas a smaller 20-ounce bottle of Pepsi is $2.29 at Target. 
• $2.74 savings on toothpaste: A tube of Colgate toothpaste is $3.99 at Kroger and $1.25 at Dollar Tree. 
• $2.49 savings on frozen pizza: A Tony’s frozen pie will run you $4 at Dollar Tree and a frozen pizza selection like DiGiorno will be closer to $6.49 at Target. 
• $3.04 savings on bread: A loaf of classic white bread will cost you around $4.29 at Whole Foods and only $1.25 at Dollar Tree. 

With just these eight common items you’ve shaved $25 off your bill. If you shop for groceries once a week, that’s a savings of $100 a month. You can use this as an example to keep the math simple for further evaluation, but you can imagine how you can save closer to $200 or $300 a month when you extend your typical grocery list. 

For instance, if you generally have a grocery list of about 24 items, you save $300 a month just estimated by these approximations.

Final Take To GO: Boosting Your Retirement Savings

The bottom line is that with any savings from $25 per month up to $300 a month or more, it’s easy to see that your savings may vary if you’re shopping at Dollar Tree. However, if you can take that savings — no matter how small — and invest it, you can see some solid returns. For instance, if you aggressively invest $300 a month in the stock market at a 12% rate of return, you could have more than $1 million saved in 30 years.

Depending on your situation — and if you are facing retirement in the next 10 to 15 years — it might be better to invest your savings in a 401(k), especially if your employer matches funds. However you decide to invest it, applying your shopping savings to high-yield investments can help you get closer to your retirement goals.

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