The best deals at dollar stores

MONEY-SAVING MOMENT: I saw a cute item on Yahoo! News recently about the best screaming deals at dollar stores.

Unfortunately, the list was as dull as dishwater, with mostly products for household chores making the cut. Here’s the tally according to the editors of Yahoo! News:

• Dish soap
• Bleach
• Fabric softener sheets (Try tearing them in half!)
• Dishwasher detergent
• Toilet cleaning bleach tablets
• Bleach spray cleaner
• Sandwich bags

My senior producer Kim wants to add an eighth entry to the list: Paperware and party supplies. She says anything that you would normally get at a big party store can be a real steal at dollar stores.

My favorite item in the dollar store? Jelly Belly jelly beans that are rejects from the production line!

Inquiring minds want to know what does Jelly Belly do with all the jelly beans they fudge? They sell them at Dollar Tree and 99 Cent Only as “Belly Flops,” two pound bags of irregulars. So you get this huge quantity for $1 in all these weird shapes! (But who eats the licorice-flavored jelly beans? Anyone? Bueller…? Bueller…?)