This Opinion article is part of a Narcity content series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
I love Dollarama and shop there on a regular basis, particularly with the rising costs of just about everything in Canada taking a toll on my wallet.
From basic home necessities to snacks and home decor items, I've bought more than my fair share of Dollarama items over the years, and while for the most part they serve their purpose and come at a great price, there are a few items that have let me down.
From products that straight up fail to do what they're supposed to do to items that fall apart way too quickly, here are a few things that are definitely not worth buying at Dollarama, despite how cheap they are.
A shower caddy
When I first moved into my new apartment with my boyfriend, I realized we needed some space in our shower to hold all of the combined hair products we now had to deal with.
I bought two of these shower caddies (one for me, one for him) and affixed them to our tub only to have them both come crashing down shortly after.
I wouldn't say my shampoo and conditioner are overly heavy products, but this caddy definitely couldn't support the weight of them and it also ended up in me losing a good amount of my pricey cleanser.
Price: $4.50
A mortar and pestle
While trying out a new recipe, I bought the Szechuan peppercorns that the author called for only to then realize I needed to crush the peppercorns to add them to the dish.
I bought this mortar and pestle from Dollarama to assist me with the task and it was pretty rough. The item doesn't have enough weight to adequately do its job of crushing things and generally just pissed me off.
After giving it a few tries, I ended up ditching it and putting the peppercorns in a plastic bag and then bashing them with a rolling pin — it was much more effective.
Price: $4.25
A sink sponge basket
I hate letting my sponge sit in the sink because it doesn't ever dry out properly, so I thought this little sink sponge basket was genius.
Unfortunately, much like the shower caddy, the suction on the item wasn't sufficient and it kept sliding down to the bottom of the sink.
Price: $1.25
A stainless steel sponge holder
I likely should have known better at this point, but I decided to try out the more expensive stainless steel sponge holder at Dollarama to see if the extra dollar would make for a better product.
Alas, it did not, and this one actually fell off the sink multiple times instead of just sliding down. After this purchase, I decided it wasn't worth it to buy anything with a suction cup from Dollarama to save myself the grief.
Price: $2.50
A toilet brush
Listen, cleaning the toilet is one of life's duties that no one really wants to do, and having a shoddy toilet brush makes the task even worse.
I bought one of these when I first moved into my apartment as an interim until I could research and buy a better one, but honestly, this item is bad — it's flimsy and doesn't really get the job done, which is lowkey the worst in that particular situation.
Price: $1.50
Kitchen sponges
For $1.25, these kitchen sponges are definitely a great price, but this is a case of "you get what you pay for."
These sponges will get the job done in terms of cleaning your dishes, but they don't last longer than three or four uses before they start to break down and get kind of gross.
Instead, I bought a bamboo dish cleaning brush from a local store for ten dollars that has held up for more than a couple of months, which feels better both for my wallet and the planet.
Price: $1.25
Flip flops
I recently picked up a pair of flip flops from Dollarama on a whim because the pair I usually use while showering at the gym had somehow disappeared.
Not only are these uncomfortable, but they also broke after a few uses — the band that goes across the toes snapped. Much better to buy a few pairs from Old Navy as those last forever, in my experience!
Price: $2.75
A mosaic craft kit
I was recently in charge of looking after my young cousins, and after panicking because I don't know how to entertain children, I picked up a few craft items from Dollarama.
The girls were old enough to understand how to do the craft, but the beads didn't adhere to the backing properly and ended up making a royal mess that I then had to get on my hands and knees to clean up off the ground. Not worth it!
Price: $2.00
A cross stitch kit
During the pandemic, I picked up a cross stitch kit from Dollarama as a way to be creative and keep my mind occupied.
The plastic needle is straight-up garbage and I got so mad at trying to thread it through the holes that I gave up, put it in a drawer and eventually threw it out. Better to invest in some quality items from Michael's or similar store to save yourself the frustration.
Price: $1.25
Pantyhose
I absolutely hate wearing pantyhose, but a recent event I had to go to called for me to wear a pair under my skirt.
I barely got my foot into this pair before it started falling apart. It's a good thing that my skirt was long and hid all the runs in these nylons, otherwise I would have been mortified.
Price: $1.25
A mop head
And lastly, everything about this mophead made me mad. It kept coming apart from the handle and mainly just moved water across my floors instead of doing any kind of scrubbing action.
Price: $4.25
While I wasn't impressed with these Dollarama items, I do want to stress that the majority of the things I've bought from the store over the years are totally worth it and have lasted for a long time.
Just be mindful when making purchases!
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.
11 Dollarama products that just aren’t worth buying, despite the cheap price (PHOTOS)
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