Dollar Tree Items That Are a Waste of Money

Many of Dollar Tree’s generic batteries have phrases like “Super Heavy Duty” in large, bold print. In a much smaller and more concise font are the words “For low drain devices”.

Unless it says “alkaline” on the packaging, your super heavy-duty batteries are actually carbon zinc batteries, which are “used to power low-power devices on a short-term basis, while alkaline batteries are used to power devices on a long-term basis,” according to Tycorun Batteries. “In addition, carbon-zinc batteries have a shorter life than alkaline batteries.”

Although alkaline is usually better, high-quality carbon-zinc batteries can be good for devices like watches and remote controls – but you won’t find these at Dollar Tree.

The store’s 1.6-star reviews of E-Circuit brand batteries include:

• “Most of them leaked acid and damaged my candles.”
• “The battery leaked and ruined my window sills.”
• “I’ve tried them on different devices and they are completely useless. 0 stars.”

Dollar Tree also sells alkaline batteries, but reviews suggest that at $1.25, you get what you pay for. Instead, try Amazon Basics, which offers large packs of affordable, high-quality alkaline batteries.

On the r/Frugal subreddit, “Best/Worst Dollar Store Shopping?” A recurring theme emerges on the titled thread. That theme is to avoid picture frames.

Redditors commented:

• “The frame is literally made of foam to look like wood. If you bend the metal things back to change the picture, they rip the foam.”
• “Uh, I just bought a lot of picture frames for my classroom (forgot $1 is now $1.25) and they were already falling apart when I took them out.”
• “Generally, they’re trash.”

Reviewers on the Dollar Tree website mostly agree. For example, the store’s Special Moments Classic Black Picture Frame gets only 2.3 stars, with the reviewer writing:

• “I am very dissatisfied with this product!!! As soon as you put the frame on the back breaks!!! What is the matter?”
• “Wrong measurement!”

In 2009, a commenter on Virtual Larry in the AnandTech Computer-Building Forum cautioned against buying cheap USB cables from the Dollar Tree, writing, “I had a USB cable that didn’t work, so I took it home and tried it on my machine, but it wasn’t working either. So I pulled another USB cable out of a new package, and it wasn’t working either.”

Fifteen years later, it seems little has changed. The USB cable is a common complaint on subreddits dedicated to this topic, and recent buyers are mostly dissatisfied.

E-Circuit – the same company behind “super heavy duty” batteries that are prone to leaking acid – sells standard and flat wire 39-inch Micro USB cables. Both have sub-three-star ratings.

Complaints include:

• “Stopped working after 2 weeks.”
• “Empty charger!”
• “The end of the cable broke after three months.”
• “I caused more damage to my equipment. Buyer Beware!”
• “Nothing.”

You’re always rolling the dice on off-brand tape, which stretches rather than tears clean strips and often fails at its sole function – sticking. Dollar Tree has trusted names like Scotch, but quality is not a reason to avoid buying tape there. This is the quantity – always check the roll volume.

At Dollar Tree, a roll of Matte Scotch Magic Tape costs $1.25. You can get the same six rolls on Amazon for $15. These are $2.50 each – twice as expensive.

But upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that Amazon’s roll holds 800 inches of tape versus Dollar Tree’s 200. It’s four times the size of the tape, which means it’s actually half the cost.

If you’re not a contractor, you probably don’t need top-tier tools, but be wary of tools that cost $1.25 — especially if a complete set goes for a buck and a quarter.

Business Insider reports that even former employees have said Dollar Tree tools aren’t durable, meaning you can save money by springing for a screwdriver or hammer that will last you a lifetime and avoid mistakes that require costly repairs or wasted materials.

For example, one of several dissatisfied buyers described her experience with the paint roller this way: “I used it for less than a minute and it broke in half at the neck. The paint-saturated roller then fell to the ground and ruined my brand new carpet.”