What not to buy at the dollar store

When I first started prepping, the dollar stores and $.99 store became my friend.  It was just so darn gratifying to spend $20 and actually have two bags of stuff to show for it.  But now I realize not everything is a bargain at these stores.  I thought I'd start a list and see who else can pipe in.

1.  Light bulbs -  yes, a packet of 4 sounds great for $1, but they burn out quickly and often the metal base gets stuck in the socket.

2.  Batteries - They just aren't very good - don't last.  I've gone to rechargeable batteries. 

3.  Hot dog & hamburger buns - They were only $.75 at my local grocery store.  Though the $1 buns did taste just fine.

4.  Off brand candy - some is alright and some is awful.

What else can you think of?  Or does anyone disagree with any of mine?  Let's be the smartest we can be while we prep.  Now excuse me, I have to go fish the base of a light bulb out of the socket! 

Thanks Bluebird,  I didn't know about the toothpaste.  Ick.

I thought of something else - dishwashing soap.  It is very thin - high on water and low on actual soap.

Gee, Renys looks great, but its on the other side of the country from me 

And as for the toothpaste, the FDA posted warnings about it (and so did the major news outlets...Drudge, Fox, etc) about the contaminated product from China and the counterfeit stuff from Africa that had ethylene glycol as an ingredient. Apparently, the chemical is LEGAL for food and food-related products in China...it's used often in medicines as a stabilizing agent...to make sure the product stays in liquid or gel states.

FictionWriter wrote: And as for the toothpaste, the FDA posted warnings about it (and so did the major news outlets...Drudge, Fox, etc) about the contaminated product from China and the counterfeit stuff from Africa that had ethylene glycol as an ingredient. Apparently, the chemical is LEGAL for food and food-related products in China...it's used often in medicines as a stabilizing agent...to make sure the product stays in liquid or gel states. But the Chinese aren't taking things well. They've refused some shipments from the US for poor quality or too high bacterial counts. One shipment of raisins was recently refused...improperly dried they said. If that's their idea of 'retaliation', i think the US companies should keep the raisins in the domestic market.

Singapore Bans China-made Toothpaste Possibly Containing Deadly Chemical

Singapore has banned three types of China-made toothpaste after tests showed they contained a poisonous chemical that has also raised concerns in other countries.

The city-state tested all toothpaste manufactured in China in response to recent concerns elsewhere that the products may be tainted with diethylene glycol, a Health Sciences Authority statement said Tuesday. The chemical is a thickening agent used in antifreeze and also as a low-cost, but frequently deadly, substitute for glycerin, commonly used in medicines.

The health authority found that three kinds of toothpaste sold in Singapore Hei Mei, Hei Mei Calcium and Maxam contained between 0.8 percent and 3.9 percent of the chemical, and ordered the companies to pull the items off the shelves.

"The presence of an undeclared ingredient like (diethylene glycol) raises questions on the quality of these products," the statement said. It did not say how many tubes were seized, and calls to the agency rang unanswered Wednesday.

The ban by Singapore's health authorities follows reports of contamination in several countries, including Panama, where diethylene glycol was blamed for the deaths of 51 people after they took tainted cold medicine.

China has admitted it was the source of the deadly chemical, but insists it had originally been labeled as being for industrial use o­nly.

             (my comment: Industrial use toothpaste and cold medicine?????)

Officials in Panama and several other Latin American countries have removed tens of thousands of tubes of Chinese-made toothpaste from stores amid concerns that they contain diethylene glycol.

In the US, authorities have warned consumers to avoid using toothpaste made in China. (AP)