How We Prep For Our Travels: The Dollar Store

Cheap travel ideas at the dollar store.

One of our favorite places to visit before any trip is the Dollar Store just down the street from us here in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

It has a treasure trove of items that Target and Walmart love to mark up. A normal visit consists of Beth and I wandering the fluorescent lit aisles a few days before a trip and always being surprised by some item we never imagined we’d find for $1. Heck, in Italy, you can even buy cold beer from the “Tutto 99 cent” stores in Florence and Sienna. We actually had one right across from our last apartment in Florence, which was pretty sweet.

This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about travel items you can get from the Dollar Store. We’ve been fans of these stores for a while now, and when we found ourselves there one recent Sunday, we decided to create an impromptu Instagram video for our 15 second travel tip segment to show you guys firsthand the possibilities that places like the Dollar Store (a.k.a 99¢ only stores, etc.) can hold for travelers prepping for their journey.

Now, I know that video went by a little quick. So I’ve laid out the items below along with the lowest cost of similar products at Target. And trust me when I say this list is really just like the first layer of the onion; keep peeling and you may just find yourself shedding tears of joy with how much money you can save, I know I have.

So there you have it. You could either pay $6 for all of these items at the Dollar Store or $41.46 at Target. That’s a savings of $35 that you can put towards your travels! And, if you can’t make it to the Dollar Store, then Amazon is often your next best bet.

Do you have a favorite Dollar Store travel item? If so, Beth and I would love to hear about it in the comments!

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Randy Kalp is a semi-intrepid journalist traveling the world and missing his 7-pound hound. He smells of rustic cherries and smiles like a pineapple. He is the all round awesome sauce that keeps the wheels of Beers & Beans 'a spinning. He also loves the Lakers.

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9 comments

  1. Paper towels. I never travel without a roll of these. Usually cheaper at the dollar store than at the supermarket.

  2. The Dollar Store is a great resource to stock up prior to any trip. I wish they had them down here! 🙁

  3. Like you we hit the ‘reject’ shop (equivalent to the dollar shop) for many of the things that you also get. I always stock up on the stylus touch pens for my iPhone and iPad, otherwise I have no hope of hitting the button. Weird because I am small and my husband isn’t but he can actually hit right keys.

  4. Great shopping! Some $1 shops have been trying to squeeze extra dollars into the price. It’s sad. The best is going abroad to Korea and Japan and finding $1 shops there. The stuff they sell is kinda amazing. There’s a rotating plug/outlet thingie that’s being advertised on TV for $19.99 or something like that… 100 yen in Japan.

  5. Love the dollar stores. Before a camping trip I purchased a good number of disposable rain ponchos. We had nicer ones already, but these were so flat and small and wouldn’t take up as much room in our backpacks. I’ve also picked up the small LED flashlights, small toiletry bags with empty containers for holding shampoo, etc and a couple of small pouches that open up into full-size tote bags.

  6. Dollar stores (or Pound Shops where I’m from) are a life-saver for travelers. If you’re trying to save up, the last thing you want to be doing is wasting money on preparations when you could be getting bargains.

    All the toiletry essentials when I go – toothpaste, deodorant etc. And then just wander round to see what surprising things I can find!

  8. I never would’ve thought of looking for a mini-tripod at the dollar store and this is on my Christmas wish list. Awesome tips post!

  9. fantastic thinking. I never would of thought to go to the dollar store for things. I hear Japan has some good ones over there

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