I think someone was asking about storage items from the dollar store. Last weekend I found some really neat plastic storage caddies with flat hooks on them and slits on the back so that you can hook two or three of them together. This would be a great idea for use as a shower organizer (use two or three of them hooked together) or in a child's room used the same way but hooked on a closet door or the clothes bar to store small toys or clothing items. The caddies are about 6" deep and 10 1/2" long.

Look for an article including these caddies in the near future.

Marlene nice to see you in here. I didn't think Canadians could blog here, but i like it. I like your articles on the Dollar stores. In would like to know who turned you onto them. Me myself I was in Texas when I saw a store that said Dollar Mania. It intrigued me to  go into it. Everything you need to live was in there, and that was four years ago. I was told by the owner that Dollar Stores were started in Texas by Texicans families or singles who are Mexican American or Immegrants because they thought Wa-Mart was too expensive. They were right, but I was wondering do you know if it was really started in Texas or Canada? I don't know and I was wondering if you did know where they were started. Caddies are best found at expensive dollar stores, not the true dollar stores which is where my family shops. You know the ones where it is a dollar storewide with just state tax to worry about at the end. Another interesting fact you should know tax-free states have dollar stores to now in the USA. Hope to see more articles from you in the future on the dollar stretcher.

Tanya

I am not Marlene nor am I Canadian but I remember The Dollar General and Family Dollar as places we shopped when I was a kid. Since these were familiar stores, I shopped there as an adult for my own family.

The first Family Dollar opened in 1959 in South Carolina. " Leon Levine believed he could offer his customers a variety of high-quality, good-value merchandise for under $2. Because he had grown up in his family's retail store, he understood value, quality and customer satisfaction.", from History of Family Dollar.

The first Dollar Tree opened in Georgia in 1986 but the stores that led to it date back 50 years. History of The Dollar Tree 

But the earliest date for any of them that I could find is for The Dollar General. " The company pioneered the dollar store concept in 1955, opening retail stores that sold all items for $1" from Profile of Dollar General.

Hi Tanya,

 I don't know that anyone turned me on to dollar stores, I just sort of gravitated to them because I like to shop and I like to save money. I think that dollar stores are an American invention. My initial research talks about Woolworth's being one of the first five and dime stores way back in 1878 in Utica, New York. As inflation rose, five and dimes became variety stores, which is what I remember as a child growing up in the 60's and then the dollar stores of today.

What got me writing articles about dollar stores originally was reading decorating magazines and thinking that I could probably use dollar store items for some of the smaller projects, rather than paying big bucks for the items pictured in the magazine. The response to my website and articles tells me that I'm on to something. I'm glad that you enjoy my column. I expect to be contributing many more.

 I saw something interesting at Dollar General for food storage--some plastic jars that had slanted bottoms so they sit like the old-fashioned "cookie jars."  The lids had easy-open tops for getting a scooper in them, but it also snapped closed on a bigger screw-on lid (perfect for moving--you don't have to empty the contents of these for moving companies).  I'm ex-navy, and am used to having to empty and re-pack all my loose spices and foods into zippy bags so the movers could pack my cannisters separately without risk of food getting everywhere and attracting bugs.

I miss having a pantry, and I miss having pantry-sized food storage containers. Now I'm in an apartment, and think I've found a solution that will fit inside my current cupboards with easy access (not having to remove the entire thing from the cupboard and unscrew a lid).  Now it seems I can scoop and go, but I'll measure first before buying any of these.

I go mainly to Family Dollar store, I can get Angel Soft double rolls 4 pack for $2 and lately they have it for $1.89... I get the foil the name brand thick, for $2 the storage bags for $2, they have the 6 pk of Basics paper towels for $4.00. I get mostly all my nonfoods there, even the canned dog food mighty dog,3 for.99 the only thing they don't carry that i need is the laundry det. they don't carry the scent free/color free, they use to carry the Purex. So I have to go to the grocery store. And I get the generic over the counter meds there too, for example the generic Claritan sinus med. its the same thing but costs $2.50 for 15 pills. They do accept coupons, but not food stamps, maybe someday they will.

The Dollar Tree does now accept food stamps and they now have cold and freezer items like frozen veggies by Birds eye. At least the ones around here do.

I find the Dollar General has a wider variety of products that I use. But Family Dollar has great sales on gift items, clothes, household and yard items.

 We are so new to the Dollar Stores we are still perusing them as we come across them.  Learning, even though they have the same name, they do not carry the same items.  I like to wander each aisle, hubby goes right to the food section.  : )

Kidsnbutterflies, I don't have a name-brand dollar store here, but at Walgreen's I buy TP for 99cents for 4 rolls, heavy-duty aluminum foil & gallon-sizedd "Zip-Lock" bags for $1 each, & so forth.  (These are on sale with store coupons.)  At a grocery store called Big Apple, I can get 4 inferior rolls of TP for 89cents, but I don't generally bother.

Deborahmichelle I can understand that, We have Walgreens here also, but mine is a little far, unless I take the bus. Sometimes they have a milk on sale, but by the time I get there they are out. Is that an off brand of TP and storage bags? I think there is 28ct to the storage "Glad" bags I get for $2. I've found that the off brands were made cheaply, I use them for my frozen meats, but I wrap them in heavy foil first, then put them in the bags. Since I have a large family here we go thru the 4 pk of TP in a week. They still had the Angel Soft on sale yesterday at Family Dollar so I got 2 pks. If I had extra money I would have gotten 10 pkgs. Hahaha hey at $1.89 a pkg how can you beat that. don't like the inferior rolls either. I also get Food Stamps, and it's very hard to make them last a month.I have $48. and change left, but I did stock up on my meats and such.