I’ve mostly had bad luck with store brand shoes. I’ve had fails with both Target and Walmart footwear, and only marginally better luck with non-name brand department store shoes. When it comes to what I put on my feet, more often than not, I get what I pay for. In that context, buying shoes from…
Two of the biggest dollar stores in America are Dollar General and Dollar Tree. You can’t go anywhere in America without running into at least one of them. Dollar General rules supreme in rural areas and also many urban areas, while Dollar Tree is especially popular in larger towns and bigger cities. Some people might…
Any tissue I buy doesn’t seem to last very long. I work in an education setting, and it’s astonishing how quickly a large box of tissue can end up empty. My tissue boxes see some use during the fall and spring months, thanks to allergy season, but winter is the worst. Cold and flu season…
Potato chips are a staple of American cookouts, and no small number of lunches. Tasty — if not nutritious — they are made to complement whatever burger, hot dog, or sandwich you want to pair with them. If you want to know how popular potato chips are in the United States, just consider who sells…
Conventional wisdom says that it’s probably a bad idea to buy clothes from a dollar store. You know there’s a high chance they’re cheaply made and possibly even poorly fitted. Yet people do buy clothes from dollar stores, not only because they’re convenient, but because the clothes themselves are nearly always cheaper than what you…
I grew up eating peanuts. They’re one of my favorite snack foods. I like other nuts, too — cashews are fun — but peanuts sit atop the nut hierarchy for me. Now, normally I eat peanuts in a can or jar, because they’re easier to eat and don’t make a mess, which suits me well…
Dollar Tree has long been known as the store where you can get everything for $1. While that price is going up to $1.25, the store is still a fascinating place to go if you’re trying to see what’s available at a single price, whether it’s a necessity or a luxury. Toilet paper is pretty…
In a store where everything is the same tiny price — $1.25 as of now — there are certain things you figure probably won’t make the cut. You’re not going to see an expensive appliance at Dollar Tree, or furniture, or a television. But what about, say movies? Sure, a dollar and some change is…
Conventional wisdom holds that sequels are never quite as good as the original. That’s often true in movies, and it can be true in other places, too. But not always. Sometimes a company developing a product strikes silver on the first try but hits gold later on. Honey Nut Cheerios are, in my view, an…
Years ago I had a sign on my door that read “NO SOLICITING (except for Girl Scout cookies).” One day, a Girl Scout came up to my door. She stared at the sign for a few seconds, confused, until her mom coaxed her to knock. We bought cookies from her. Girl Scout Cookies remain one…