This Opinion article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Given that I live in Toronto and I rent, my life can get overwhelmingly expensive pretty quickly which is why I often rely on Dollarama for necessities that can cost a pretty penny when shopping elsewhere.
When I moved to a new apartment last year I found myself without a lot of the basics one needs for the kitchen and instead of shelling out big bucks on higher-end items, I focused on budget products from the dollar store.
Of course, many of these products (okay, all of them) cost more than a dollar, but Dollarama prices still offer a ton of savings over shopping at even big box stores like Walmart or Giant Tiger.
Here are some of the products that are only worth buying at Dollarama and what they roughly retail for at other stores.
An instant read thermometer
This little thermometer has saved me and my partner from food poisoning on countless occasions.
I'm a pretty impatient person and I tend to err on the side of "eh, I'm sure the chicken has cooked long enough," but this little tool thankfully tells me when I have not hit the minimum temperature needed to safely consume poultry.
It reads temperatures fairly quickly, which in turn allows me to prevent heat from escaping from my oven, and similar non-digital scales like this one cost upwards of $10 on Amazon and at Walmart Canada.
For just $4.00, I have saved myself from some very unpleasant nights spent near to the bathroom (or worse, a trip to the ER), which is money well spent, in my opinion.
Price: $4.00
A silicone sink strainer
There's nothing worse than having to fish out bits of leftover food from clogging up your kitchen drain, so this sink strainer is invaluable.
Dollarama has a version of these that is non-silicone and even cheaper, but I found that after time gunk tended to build up in the mesh itself that's hard to clean, so this has been a handy upgrade.
After I wash my dishes, I dump whatever is in the strainer into my compost bin and then wash the strainer itself to keep my sink nice and clean.
A very similar product costs $12.99 at Kitchen Stuff Plus, which I think is far too expensive for the function of the product.
Price: $3.25
A wire skimmer
I've always known this product to be called a spider, but I recently discovered that some people call it a skimmer. I don't actually use it for fried foods as I don't tend to make those items at home, but I do use it quite frequently to get things out of boiling water.
I'm trying to be more conscious of the environment, so if I use a pot of water to boil some broccoli and know I need to boil pasta as well, I'll use the skimmer to get the broccoli out without having to toss the water out, which allows me to use the water again later in my cooking.
Compared with price tags of $15 and upwards on Amazon, this Dollarama product is a steal.
Price: $4.50
A stainless steel sponge holder
I absolutely hate letting my kitchen sponge sit in a wet sink as it then doesn't get a chance to dry out properly, so having a little doodad to stick it in is ideal.
It has suction cups that adhere firmly to the side of my sink, and it just does it's job really well for the cost of a toonie and change which is about half of what a comparable product costs at Walmart.
Price: $2.50
Reusable bags
I love using baggies to store vegetables and pastries, but the single-use kind is bad for the environment and adds up in price as you need to keep buying them.
These reusable bags solve that problem, and they're super easy to wipe clean. I don't necessarily use these "sandwich bags" for sandwiches as I prefer putting those in more structured containers, but for that half-used set of herbs I need to store, these totally work.
At Kitchen Stuff Plus, one bag can cost around $12 and with the Dollarama set, you get five bags for $4.
Price: $4.00
Kitchen shears
Earlier this summer, I found myself in a predicament with my car where I needed to buy scissors and zip ties right away from the nearest possible store.
I am unsure why the scissors from Home Hardware cost me approximately $12, but I was forced to buy them in the moment.
Since then, I've had time to compare them to the $3 pair I owe from Dollarama, and I haven't noticed any difference in quality, so I can't say it's worth the considerable price hike.
Price: $3.00
Tiny dressing cups
I love having salads for lunch, but finding the perfect container to hold dressing was always a struggle until I found these little guys at Dollarama.
They screw on, so your dressing doesn't spill all over your bag, and they're absolutely the perfect size — not too big, not too small. They're not very expensive at other stores (around $5 at Kitchen Stuff Plus) but Dollarama's price is unbeatable.
Price: $1.25
Multi-purpose clips
Kitchen clips are essential to keep your opened bags of food items fresh (like chips, pasta, or anything in a bag) and at $2.00 for eight clips, this set from Dollarama is a steal compared to a similar set at Walmart for $8.00.
Price: $2.00
A serving spoon
And last but not least, the product I use almost every single day at least once, if not multiple times: a serving spoon.
I have thoroughly abused my Betty Crocker Dollarama sppn for the past two years and it's none the worse in terms of wear and tear for it.
This is my most-used kitchen item out of every other item I own and it only cost me $3.00, which is once again a fraction of what it costs on Amazon.
Price: $3.00
If you're looking to save some money on groceries, Dollarama also might be the place to check out depending on what you need as it stocks some unexpected items.
From bagels to butter chicken sauce to chia seeds, Dollarama offers lower prices on some food items in comparison to grocery stores.
And, while you're there, you might be able to pick up some products that you maybe wouldn't think to find at a dollar store, like an axe, a window insulation kit or a letter board kit.
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
9 Kitchen Products That Are Only Worth Buying At Dollarama Because They're So Much Cheaper
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