February Kitchen Dollar Deals – Because Why Pay More?

Here are some great dollar deals on items you can use to spruce things up a bit in your kitchen or just replenish basic items you use on a regular basis. You can find these items at any store but why pay more for something simple like a sponge or toothpick when you can find them at the dollar stores? (I did my shopping at the Dollar Tree.) I do feature items you mostly use in the kitchen but I added some personal care product deals that you could use or, that you could donate to the shelters (with the cold temperatures and snowy conditions, there is a need at the homeless shelters.)

I do love shopping at the dollar stores but I shop with a list so I don’t overspend thinking, “But it’s only a dollar!” And I check the labels on things made of plastic to make sure they are BPA free and safe.

This crisper liner, which fits in the crisper drawer in your refrigerator, actually helps keep produce fresher by reducing moisture build-up. If a buck or two can help keep my fruit and veggies last longer, well, it’s money well spent.

The liner measures 12 in. x 12 in. which was a bit shy of covering my entire drawer but it covered enough to do the job. You could always get a couple and cut to measure if you prefer.

Yes, it’s just hand soap but it’s also only a dollar. I like to keep an extra container or two in each bathroom so we never run out. In the cooler months I like using the coconut and warm ginger fragrance because it just smells great. I know some people don’t like using off-brand products but the Dollar Tree (and other dollar stores) usually offer name-brand items too, like this Softsoap hand soap. And a lot of dollar stores take coupons too.

The cold temperature and snowy conditions have homeless shelters pretty full this time of year so I like to pick up personal care items to donate to those who really need them. Even if you only have $10, you can really help someone out who would appreciate a new toothbrush or deodorant. Of course you can also use these in your own home too.

Antibacterial wipes, small packs of tissues and small hand sanitizers are great to keep in your car, bags and backpacks, especially during the cough and cold season. Great items to donate too.

I keep a couple of extra toothbrushes, along with toothpaste in all our bathrooms for potential guests and/or cleaning purposes so I stock up a coupe of times a year. And again, these are items that if donated, could really help someone out.

I pick up these 2-pack ice-cube trays 2 or 3 times a year because I use them for so many things. I use them with water for regular ice cubes that we keep in an extra freezer for when we have a lot of guests. They are perfect for freezing wine and broth leftovers, which when once frozen, you can pop out and put in a freezer bag for future use in broths and sauces. I keep one in our junk drawer where I keep change, picture hooks, small nails, etc. They are also great for storing earrings and buttons.

These shelf liners are non-slip and really do stay in place. They are perfect for shelves, drawers, floors, counter tops and more. Each roll size is 5 ft. x 12 in. and they come in various colors. I’ve been keeping several rolls on hand at all times and when I have an extra thirty minutes or so, clean out a drawer here and a drawer there, line it, get it organized and dump/donate/or find an appropriate place for what I just pulled out. It’s not so overwhelming to organize when I do it that way.

A 6-pack of Scrub Buddies, which are durable and shaped to fit your hand and a 2-pack of Scrub Buddies printed scrub sponges make cleaning a breeze. I do run my sponges through the dishwasher on a regular basis to kill the germs but like to replace them a couple of times a year.

We have cats who make messes with their dry food and the cat litter. I know this little dustpan and brush don’t look like much but they sure do make sweeping up those little messes easier than pulling out the vacuum.

I love these Cooking Concepts Microwave Cooking Covers which prevents splatters in the microwave. They save money since you can reuse them versus using paper towel or plastic wrap that you toss. They are dishwasher save and made of FDA approved materials. (I just rinse and dry mine off.) And if you’re cooking just a few pieces of bacon in the microwave, this Cooking Concepts Microwavable Bacon Rack is perfect. It cooks your bacon perfectly without a greasy mess and is also dishwasher safe. (It’s not great for large amounts of bacon since it is small and can only be heated for 3 minutes at a time.)

Ok, this portable wine glass isn’t a necessity but I thought a couple of these would be great to keep in our picnic basket. And they are great to keep on hand if you do a lot of outdoor entertaining. They are compact, the stem tucks away to save space, each glass holds 10 ounces and they are BPA free.

Another item I always keep on hand and had actually run out of…toothpicks. Again, it’s just a toothpick but why would you spend more than a dollar on them? I use them for mini skewers of fruits and veggies or cheeses, cleaning small crevices, in art projects, and then of course they are nice to have if you have something stuck in your tooth.

I really don’t wash that many dishes by hand so I finally got rid of our dish drying rack which just took up a lot of room. But I still needed something a bit more absorbent than our kitchen towels for those occasions I do wash a dish or two by hand.

The mat measures 12″ x 18″ and folds flat for easy storage. (My colander also came from the Dollar Tree and only cost a dollar.)

I’ve been wanting plastic lemons for our dining table but certainly didn’t want to pay $2.50 or $3.00 per lemon. I had been using real lemons but that was getting expensive and wasteful when I couldn’t use them all before they went bad. Anyway, I saw these, thought they looked pretty real, picked up a few just to see how they’d look and now I’m headed back to pick up 3 or 4 more. Love these! Put them in a bowl or different sized and shaped glass dishes for an easy kitchen/dining room accent.

Nothing too terribly exciting about these items, which you can find anywhere, but hey, if you need them and they only cost a buck at a dollar store…why pay more?