The price of rent and groceries keeps increasing and it's driving us crazy! Thankfully, we have dollar store businesses like Dollarama and Dollar Tree that are lifesavers 🛟.
If you are a newcomer, tourist or international student, you must keep reading. A dollar store is mainly focused on selling low-price items and you could think that it only sells small stuff like nail clippers, pens, and buttons. However, it has many things like cleaning supplies, toys, candy, gifts, personal products (healthcare), party supplies, and so much more! And although the original idea was for everything in the store to cost one dollar, it has become a place where everything costs 5 dollars or less.
Getting into the dollar store groove is great as a student because you can make the most out of the money you have left after you pay rent and all your food and transportation-related expenses. We know everyone has their own story, and we all came to Canada with different ideas, thoughts or concerns. However, pricing in Vancouver has gone wild and we need to be smart about how we spend our precious dollars.
I’m not saying you should stop eating out or anything like that. If you are craving a pizza, go buy it! 🍕. The thing is that saving money will help you to settle faster and these stores will definitely help you do that. Dollarama and other dollar stores can be found in different locations, so you should have at least one close to you or your school.
Shopping at these stores will also help you find supplies that you will need to go out with your friends. Picnic at the beach? You can find a cloth to sit on, baskets, and snacks. Canada Day party? They sell hats, glasses and all other merch you can think of. Feeling crafty? They also have paint and arts-related supplies you can buy.
When it comes to food and groceries, know they are the same in every store. Dollarama has some basic groceries like tuna, cereal, pancake mix, and condiments like mayo, mustard, and ketchup. And even though they are cheaper than Walmart sometimes, know they are still good quality products.
Our recommendation: purchase wisely. Even though it is a low price for the products, buying many things daily won’t be the best idea because it can become a very expensive experience.
Examples of items you can really save on:
Gift bags and boxes for birthday presents
Toys for kids
Snacks (chocolates, cookies, and granola bars)
Energy drinks (Monster and Gatorade)
Please avoid going to London drugs to buy $7 snacks when you can get the same for $1 in these stores. 💰
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