MORE DOLLARS & LESS SENSE

 

As a preschooler it was a special treat when my dad or grandpa took me to the Ten Cent Store. I was allowed to get whatever I wanted. However by the time I entered first grade the Ten Cent Store was history.

Later I fell in love with Dollar Stores! I was amazed at all the wonderful and useful things available for just a mere dollar. Unfortunately Dollar Stores are going the way of the pterodactyl much the same as the Ten Cent Stores of my childhood. To me, this is a cause of major grief as well as frustration.

Being a senior on a fixed income they've saved me tremendously! Nearly every item I bought from a drug store I'd purchase there instead; items such as cosmetics, hair products, & toothpaste.

Many had foreign writing on them, but so what, I'm a woman of the world! Plus I've found the best deodorants to be Dollar Store cologne. You know, the cheap knock-offs of the over-priced brands. I think they're wonderful! I feel undressed if I'm not wearing a fragrance.

And the dollar laundry detergent with the cheesy name of L.A.'S Totally Awesome worked every bit as well as the name brand ones. -- Sadly the bottle has now shrunk significantly.

Also I bought food there. I enjoyed sitting down to my Dollar Store individual frozen pizza. It was quite tasty after I added black olives & goat cheese. And for dessert I enjoyed their blue & pink cotton candy colored ice cream which was probably packed with sugar. But were perfect for my cheat on healthy diet days!

But alas, my one dollar days are over. The Dollar Trees now are similar to General and Family Dollar which I also frequent.

Five Dollar & Under stores have emerged. The one here in my town is not close; plus I hate self-check outs (which are the only available) so I rarely go there.

Another sign of the times is that Thrift Shops now charge more for clothes and other articles than what I used to pay for new at Sears and J.C. Penny's during the 1970's. Needless to say, my days of recreational shopping there are over just as with Dollar Stores.

Of course I know everyone is already aware of skyrocketing prices. I'm just venting!