5 Things I Buy at the Dollar Tree Instead of Costco

Both the Dollar Tree and Costco can be great places to shop. Both stores allow you to take it easy on your credit cards by offering great deals on personal care products, household items, food, and more.

But, there are certain items that I always opt to purchase at the Dollar Tree instead of Costco. That may be because the Dollar Tree has a better selection, lower prices that are easier on my bank account, or both.

Here are five specific things that I stick to the Dollar Tree for, instead of buying at my favorite Costco store.

1. Dishes and glasses

Dishes and glasses are items I always get at the Dollar Tree instead of Costco. The main reason is that the Dollar Tree has a great selection and much better prices.

At Costco, the dinnerware and glassware comes in at a much higher price than at my local dollar store. The store's cheapest set -- a 12-piece porcelain one -- is $29.99 and it's just plain basic white. That comes to about $2.50 a piece. I can get much nicer stuff at the Dollar Tree for $1.25 per item.

2. Party goods

When it comes to party items, the Dollar Tree actually has a better selection than Costco. Costco offers a few theme paper plates but doesn't have great options for napkins, tablecloths, balloons, and other decor.

By contrast, Dollar Tree has tons of choices including things like dinosaur and mermaid themed plates, napkins, and decor. And while its prices may be a little more per-plate than Costco's, the reality is I don't really need 100 Let's Party paper plates as I'm very unlikely to have a party with that many people invited.

3. Organizing bins

Costco has a lot of storage bins -- probably more than the Dollar Tree offers. But their prices are quite a bit higher. A set of six fridge bins, for example, is a shocking $59.99 -- $10 per bin! By contrast, the Dollar Tree's bins are $1.25 per bin, so I'd much rather pay the lower price even if I may not have quite as many options.

4. Sponges

Costco's sponge options are limited and the sponges it does have for sale are almost $0.60 for each one. At the Dollar Tree, I can get a six-pack of scrubbing sponges for $1.25 which is about $0.21 per sponge. Since I toss my sponges out pretty regularly because I'm kind of grossed out by the whole concept of sponges sitting around (even after being dishwashed), I want to pay rock-bottom prices for them.

5. Toys

Finally, I prefer the toy aisle at the Dollar Tree to Costco's offering. Costco has fancier and more expensive toys, but the Dollar Tree has cheap ones. Since my kids are still at the age where their attention spans are approximately eight seconds long, I'm much better off letting them pick a bunch of little Dollar Tree items to play with rather than one big Costco splurge.

For each of these items, shopping at the Dollar Tree simply makes more sense for me. You may have different items that work for you -- but the important thing is to really compare all your options, including thinking outside the box for where to buy, rather than assuming your Costco membership will always offer you the best deals.