12 Grocery Items To Buy at Dollar Tree

Dollar Tree might not be the first place you think of when it comes to purchasing your groceries, but you might want to add it to your rotation, or you’ll miss out on great grocery deals.

For incredible prices, you can get a number of staples and fill in between a major shopping trips without messing up your budget. While you probably won’t find much in the way of fresh fruits and veggies, here are 12 groceries items you should buy at Dollar Tree.

1. Baking Mixes & Supplies

If you’re a busy person who loves to bake but doesn’t always have time, energy or money to bake from scratch, take advantage of Dollar Tree’s baking mixes. According to the Food Network, they often have an interesting variety, particularly because their stock rotates constantly, so you might find something surprising and for a lot less than even at stores like Walmart.

2. Canned Beans

People on a budget are always looking for ways to stretch meals and still make them nutritious. Canned beans can be added to so many dishes, from soups and pastas to stir-fries and salads, packing a protein-full punch that you can purchase on the cheap at Dollar Tree, according to Taste of Home.

3. Packaged Grains & Pasta

Talk about easy to make staples that go a lot further than other foods — dry goods like pasta and rice should be an essential you never run out of. Dollar Tree makes it easy to make your favorite spaghetti, pasta salad or risotto by often keeping a variety of different types on hand for a fraction of the price.

4. Breakfast & Cereal

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so start your day right! Find hearty cereals, pancake mix, oatmeal, cereal bars, and other breakfast food favorites for less.

5. Ice Cream

Though ice cream may be seasonal at some Dollar Tree locations, Food Network recommends keeping an eye out for the cool sweet treats, which can vary in flavor and brand at different locations and times of year. Dollar Tree even laid out which other items you can purchase at their stores to make your own ice cream social, including syrups, paper bowls, plastic spoons and sprinkles.

6. Frozen Foods

While you’re not going to find any fresh produce at Dollar Tree, you will find a lot of frozen produce, great for adding to dishes for nutrition and flavor and easy to store. In fact, their frozen section is the answer to a busy person’s meal planning. You can find such things as chicken nuggets, burger patties, breakfast wraps and pot pies, to name a few. Don’t forget to take a stroll through their frozen section.

7. Chicken Broth

Another cooking staple that has many uses in the kitchen is chicken broth. It’s great to have on hand during cold and flu season in the winter months, because it’s full of vitamins, minerals and protein but easy on the stomach. Taste of Home says you’ll probably find this item on the shelves most of the time at a better deal than typical grocery stores.

8. Oatmeal

The cooler months mean warmer breakfasts, but who has time to make a full breakfast with eggs, bacon and toast before work or school? Oatmeal is a healthy alternative that is quick and easy to make, and can be jazzed up with so many condiments, from fruit to cocoa. Keep your eye out for Quaker quick oats at your local Dollar Tree.

9. Condiments

Condiments are those unsung grocery items that do a lot of heavy lifting, enhancing and adding flavor to our favorite foods. Think how dull your daily meals would be without them. Fortunately, you can find a variety of different condiments at Dollar Tree, from hot sauce and salsa to mustard and barbecue sauce, and many others in between.

10. Chips

Where Dollar Tree really shines is in its tasty snacks, such as chips. You can often find brand name bags of your favorite salty treats that are bigger than snack size. Mashed recommends Lays Stax chips, or opt for something healthier like Mum-Mum’s pea crisps. Whatever your preference, you’re sure to find something to satisfy your savory craving.

11. Spices

Everything at Dollar Tree costs $1.25 each, and the spices and seasonings are no different. Each container costs $1.25, and container net weight generally ranges from 2.25 to 3 ounces.

12. Lunch Meat

A common staple in many a school (or grown up) lunch is sliced lunch meat, from tasty honey baked ham to sensible sliced chicken. Every Dollar Tree will have a different selection, but you can usually find something to satisfy your stomach and your budget.

13. Drinks

While it may be a nice treat to buy your coffee at a coffee shop, you’ll be spending significantly more money on a single cup of Starbucks or Peet’s coffee than if you buy your coffee (and tea) at Dollar Tree. According to Food Network, they sell both full bags of ground coffee and single-serve pods for your Keurig or similar type of coffee machine. And most Dollar Trees have a wide selection of tea, as well.