10 Dollar Tree Items To Skip This Winter

Dollar Tree is a great place to shop for a lot of quick and easy items that you don’t want to spend a lot of money on or run to a bigger department store for.

However, not every item at the store is a great buy for reasons ranging from quality to value. Here are some items you will want to skip purchasing at Dollar Tree this winter.

While these tasty little treats, often used in hot chocolate or ice cream, seem like a great idea, according to Samantha Landau, consumer expert at TopCashback, customers are actually not all that jazzed about them. Landau reported, “Many reviewers noted that this product came broken and were disappointed the spoons were not individually wrapped.”

Candles do add a beautiful glow that builds ambience and a cozy atmosphere, but they are also a fire risk and easy to leave burning and forget about them. These tall prayer candles at Dollar Tree can also easily be knocked over.

Consider investing in battery-operated candles, instead, which have become sophisticated enough to mimic real flickering candlelight without the risk of fire.

Gloves are a winter essential if you live in a chilly area, and while you probably don’t want to spend a lot on these, as kids lose them and grow out of them quickly, Dollar Tree might not be the place to look, Landau warned. 

Even though the Kids’ Magic Gloves come with two pairs of gloves for $1.25, Landau pointed out, “This product has 3.5 out of five-star ratings with reviewers noting quality issues. Invest in a higher quality glove to keep your little ones warm so you don’t have to repurchase gloves,” she said.

Some decorations are timeless and great to pull out each year for the house, tree or entryway. The Holiday Tinsel Garlands from Dollar Tree, however, are not likely to hold up well from year to year and will probably end up going into the landfill. Better to invest in some fresh pine boughs, garlands made of sturdy beads or other decorations that won’t be a waste of your money.

As a rule, purchasing any aspect of winter attire at Dollar Tree is probably not the best idea, Landau suggested.

“When looking for a quality hat this winter season, the Juncture Adult Striped Knit Hats at Dollar Tree may not live up to your standards.” She said reviewers noted that this hat did not keep them warm on cold days. “Look elsewhere for a warm hat to avoid having to repurchase later in the season.”

Potpourri is often full of artificial fragrances that can irritate people’s eyes and noses, and the scents may not even last long enough to make it worth the time you spent laying it out. Instead, consider putting on a pot of fresh mulling spices when you have guests over, or make some actual mulled cider to cozy up your bellies and your home.

If you think picking up a few small electronics at Dollar Tree is a good idea for stocking stuffers, you might want to think twice. Dollar Tree doesn’t have the best reputation for always guaranteeing that these items work once plugged in. Better to spend a few bucks on a higher quality product elsewhere.

Dollar Tree carries a number of toys, but the small plastic ones are easy to break, and can be considered choking hazards for small children. Better to invest a little bit more in something sturdier elsewhere.

You may be planning to get healthier as part of your New Year’s Resolution and think you’ll stock up on cheap vitamins and supplements at Dollar Tree. Unfortunately, you may get what you pay for, which is low quality. Better to spend a little bit more on products you know will improve your quality of health rather than take your chances.

Winter may seem like a good time to stock up on easy to make canned goods, but according to one reddit user, unraveledflyer, on the r/poverty/finance channel, canned goods are actually not a great deal compared to other stores like Aldi. Also, it’s very important to check expiration dates on all food items, just to be safe.

You can still find lots of great items to make your winter bright at Dollar Tree, just avoid these buys to avoid shopping regrets.