I like critters. And I like to watch the wild things that come to my backyard. In order to encourage that, I have bird feeders in my backyard. Keeping them filled can be a strain on the wallet but it's easier a buck at a time.

This little bird feeder opens at the top and holds a full bag of the finch food shown here.

Seed and feeder are $1 each. You can also get a bigger bag of mixed seed for the same price. I keep only bird food that is peanut and sunflower seed-free in one feeder so that the squirrels will leave it alone. Another flat open feeder contains peanuts for my busy-tailed friends and there's a wire hanger containing a suet cake, as well. The suet often attracts woodpeckers.

Dollar stores have bags of peanuts in the shell in the people food aisle, as well as suet cakes for $1 each.

Marlene Alexander is a freelance writer and dollar store diva. She writes about free decorating ideas and tips using only items found at the dollar store.