Thank you for all your suggestions.  I had to go to the dollar store to buy a birthday gift for a kid and I looked closely at all the items mentioned here.  Contrary to my previous belief, there are some great buys and cheaper than Walmart!

Carmina

Some one has a baby , we send food , Some one passes we send food .. for just about anything we send food . I get pans to send things in and I dont have to worry about them coming home .

 I have 3 different styles of dollar stores here in Phx Area. Asian dollar stores that have lots of things house hold related plus electrical stuff. I have Dollar Tree stuff then 99 Cents store where I purchase lots of food at :O) Produce to milk to meat to canned goods most of the time I use the dollar stores and walmart only for certain things the dollar stores don't carry.

I buy whatever I can get free with a coupon.  Dollar General and Family Dollar both take manufacturer coupons.  Some of the things I've gotten for free or just the cost of tax include:  toothpaste, cleaners, tissues, pet food, tp, razors and shampoo.

I keep whatever my family likes or can use and the rest I pass along to a local shelter for abused women.

Other than coupon stuff I like to get plastic storage totes, stationary items and cleaning odds and ends such as scrub buckets and dust pans.  

Hershey bars!

goldenblaise:

 I don't have a dollar store in my town 

cyn

Start a petition. We'll all sign. LOL.

1. Gift bags
2. Greeting cards - last year I bought a pack of 8 Christmas cards for $1 - we slipped the cash and gift certificate gifts into those.
3. Household stuff - scouring pads, etc
4. Kitchen tools - spatulas etc
5. Glassware
6. Stationery
7. Party favours
8. Hair accessories
9. Paperback novels and puzzle books
10. Small tools
11. Food bags
12. Reusable plastic bottles for DD's lunch box 
13. Just about anything that'll make a good stocking stuffer

I don't buy food or toiletries unless it's a brand with which I am familiar.  Too many allergies and sensitive skin issues in my family to experiment with those products.

Bargains, and there are many at dollar stores. There are dollar stores everywhere I go.