Top 10 Household Items That Are Always Worth Buying At Dollar General

When it comes to purchasing basic household essentials, Dollar General can help you save your hard-earned cash. According to a 2024 report from Mintel, 52% of consumers in the United States shopped at Dollar General, furthering the rise of discount store shoppers. Instead of overspending on brand-name items from chains like Target or Walmart, you can pick up many of the products you need from your local Dollar General, often for much lower prices. Sometimes, Dollar General even has those name-brand items you're looking for available at discounted rates, like products from Clorox or Lysol. 

Safety-wise, there are some products worth splurging on at other stores (you should avoid buying batteries at Dollar General, for instance), but items like basic cleaners, food storage, and fabric sprays can be purchased at Dollar General and used without any issues. This discount chain also often has trendy storage and decor, typically available for under $5 a piece. If you're looking for easy and affordable home essentials, adding a discount store like Dollar General to your shopping routine could help you save. We picked these must-buy Dollar General items based on a combination of factors, including price comparisons and customer reviews, which will be explained at the end of the article.

Before you head to a pricier store like Walgreens or CVS for your favorite cleaning sprays, you may want to browse your local Dollar General. While most locations carry top cleaning brands, like Fabuloso, Clorox, Lysol, and Mr. Clean, you can also pick up a generic version for half the price. Dollar General's TrueLiving brand offers inexpensive all-purpose cleaning products, like their 35-count Disinfectant Wipes for $2.50 (compare this to Lysol's Disinfecting Wipes available at CVS for $5.99). 

If you live in a household that goes through numerous trash bags every week, it's understandable to want to save as much money as possible on them. At Dollar General, you can pick up multiple versions of this product from top brands like Hefty and Glad or budget-friendly options from DG's TrueLiving and Smart & Simple lines, all for under $10. The highest-rated product in this category is Glad's 13-Gallon Tall Kitchen Quick-Tie Trash Bags with Clorox, with over 2,700 5-star reviews. 

Sponges are another cheap item to stock up on at your local Dollar General. From $1 versions in the Dollar Deals section to brand-name products like Dawn, Sponge Daddy, Mr. Clean, and Scotch-Brite, DG has a wide range of sponge designs available, all for under $5. It's recommended to regularly check for signs that you need to throw out your kitchen sponges, though you should generally aim to replace them every one to two weeks. With that in mind, it's smart to keep backups handy at all times to ensure you're ready for any immediate cleaning need. 

When the holidays arrive, you can always find a plethora of seasonal home decor at your local Dollar General. While product availability may vary by location, most DG stores have multiple aisles of affordable holiday gifts, essentials, and decorations, from Christmas trees and window clings to ornaments and $1 wrapping paper. You can also find seasonal scented candles for as low as $2 a piece. 

If you love a scented candle but aren't a fan of the pricing from high-end brands, you can always find affordable and sweet-smelling alternatives at Dollar General. The discount chain typically has 13-ounce candles for $5 as well as 7 ½-ounce candles for just 50 cents. By contrast, pricier brands like Bath & Body Works often offer 8-ounce candles for $15 or more. At DG, it's easy to keep costs low even as you stock up on brands like Kōze Place, Club92, and Glade. 

Alongside their selection of all-purpose cleaners, Dollar General has a wide variety of glass cleaners available, all for under $5. You can find popular brands like Armor All, Dawn, and Windex, the latter of which has the highest reviews. While there are all kinds of low-cost natural cleaning ingredients to stock in your home, Dollar General's prices make it easy to justify picking up almost all of your essential cleaners the next time you head to your local store, including value-priced options from the True Living line (its 32-ounce bottles of Glass Cleaner is only $2.50).

There's no need to sacrifice quality for a lower price point. When it comes to household essentials like paper towels, Dollar General has your favorite brands at discounted prices, including Scott, Bounty, Brawny, and Viva. You can easily fill out your cleaning supply stock with paper towels from DG for as little as $4.50 for a 6-pack of Scott Paper Towels (Walgreens has the same product available for $5.00 a piece). 

Laundry detergent is one household item you should never leave Dollar General without. Not only does the discount chain offer top brand names like Gain, OxiClean, Purex, and Tide for competitive prices, but their own off-brand lines are about half the standard price. Instead of spending $13.79 on 80-ounce Tide detergent at Target, you can spend just $6.95 at Dollar General for nearly the same amount when you get the TrueLiving detergent. 

With so many holidays and events to consider throughout the year, it's important to always be prepared for hosting. This means ensuring you have plenty of paper products, and Dollar General has tons of affordable options for you to choose from. While the discount chain has themed items, like birthday and holiday selections, it also offers basic cups, plates, silverware, napkins, plastic tablecloths, and more. For these, prices typically range from $1 to $5. 

Whether you love to meal prep or you plan to stock up on holiday leftovers, you can find a plethora of options for glass and plastic food storage at your local Dollar General. The discount store offers multiple designs from Rubbermaid, including these 4-count Rubbermaid 3.2-Cup TakeAlongs for under $5. If you prefer glass containers, DG has options for as little as $1.50 a piece. For name-brand glass, like Pyrex, the prices are reasonable at $20 and under. For something as important as food storage, we recommend glass, as it's freezer-proof and more resistant to scratches and stains. 

We selected these products as must-buy items based on customer reviews from Dollar General listings online, as well as product popularity via the star rating system and online forums. We also researched expert online reviews and product breakdowns to determine the highest-value items and product groups. Price comparison to discount and grocery store competitors (including Dollar Tree, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, CVS, etc.) and the breadth of selection in each category was also used to recommend products.