Not worth it at the dollar store: sugar substitute
Filed under: Bargains, Shopping
Sugar substitute
Sugar Twin comes in a box of 40 packets for $1 at the dollar store. Wal-Mart sells Sweet 'n Low in boxes of 100 packets for $2.25 and you can get 800 packets of Equal at Costco for $16.84. Compare the costs: .025 cents at the dollar store, .023 cents at Wal-Mart and .021 cents at Costco. Not huge savings but every little bit helps, and if you prefer one of the bigger brands, you'll want to head to one of the big superstores.
Dollar stores are known for having mostly off-brand merchandise. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. It's good if the quality is comparable to a name-brand but costs a lot less and it's bad when you end up throwing something out because it's terrible. A bargain is only a bargain if you're getting quality for the money. My motto is: try it once and if you like it, buy it again, if you don't, you're only out $1 and now know to avoid that product.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-18-2008 @ 9:47AM
Joe said...
First of all I thought sugar twin was a splenda knock off.
So it's going to be more expensive then sweet and low because sweet and low and equal suck compared to splenda.
I'm pretty sure the person doing the research on this article is an idiot.
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7-18-2008 @ 11:51AM
care said...
Sugar Twin is not a Splenda knock-off. Don't let the yellow packet fool you. Sugar Twin came in yellow long before Splenda was invented. Sugar Twin is dextrose and saccharin. Check out their web-site. Ingredients in the packet:
"Dextrose, sodium Saccharin, artificial flavor.
Contains 3.68% Saccharin. Each packet contains 29.3 mg of Saccharin."
7-18-2008 @ 10:11AM
TC said...
i would rather spend my money at a dollar store than the evil walmart any day
walmart is bad for America
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7-18-2008 @ 11:46AM
Pennypinchin Pete said...
I FAIL TO SEE THE EVILS OF WALMART EXCEPT TO FIND IT MAKES SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS MORE HONEST WITH THEIR MARK-UPS, ALL OF WHOM RANT ABOUT THE "EVILS OF WALMART. HOW ABOUT EXERTING OUR ENERGY ABOUT THE "EVILS OF OIL COMPANIES" WHO ARE MARKING UP THE OTHER WAY. EVILS OF WALMART, INDEED!
7-28-2008 @ 3:46PM
pat said...
I wish I had a Wal mart while growing up. We could have had a lt more. Instead it went to the local rich "mom and Dad." Why is that bad?
7-18-2008 @ 11:33AM
Barb said...
You flubbed this one. Sweet N Low is available at Sam's in a box of 1500 for just under $10.00. It may have gone up a little. It has been several months since I bought it.
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7-18-2008 @ 1:26PM
woody said...
Sweet & LOw is Posion.. This is just a ad for Walmart . pretty sad to.. Wake up America!!
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7-18-2008 @ 12:54PM
greysareevil said...
Like she said in the first part of the article...prices may vary depending on where you live, not to mention grocery item prices haven't exactly stayed stable these last couple months.
I think that the majority of us shop at dollar stores in those times of desperation when you're going to need to count out quarters for that tube of toothpaste/soap/whatever and having them there at a buck a pop really helps...but these are a couple of great examples of needing to bring your calculator shopping with you if you're serious about a strict budget.
This is going to sound silly, because it's always been true and is just the way businesses work...but I think it's become a lot more prevalent with this new grocery crunch, where they assume everyone is buying the smaller containers now: I'm seeing more and more items coming out (usually in the tasty "extras" that you put on top of stuff and usually don't NEED) where buying the tiny amount isn't just a bad idea anymore, it's a horrible one! $4.50 for a pack of shredded cheese, but 2 for $5, small jar of marchino cherries 20 cents less than the jar three times the size, etc. Same brand, same store, huge difference. I can't think of any other exact numbers off the top of my head, but it does seem to happen a lot now. Watch out!
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7-19-2008 @ 7:11PM
SKILLSHOPPER said...
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AOL AND WALMART. I NEVER SHOP FOR THAT CRAP FROM CHINA AT ANY STORE. I GET THE BEST BUYS POSSIBLE. I DON'T NEED ADVERTISEMENTS WHEN I PAY AOL FOR THE SERVICE. THANKS, AOL, BUT AMERICA CAN PRODUCE GOOD QUALITY AT FAIR PRICES. LET'S PATRONIZE SOME OF THE SMALLER BUSINESSES.
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7-22-2008 @ 6:59AM
Inna said...
He he, sounds more like a Wal-mart or Costco advertising. I agree that people should really shop around to get a better view of the final cost of their purchases. I don't agree with the prices that have been quoted in the article, though. I have yet to see $0.63 tube of toothpaste anywhere. Maybe she wrote this article several years ago.
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8-16-2008 @ 7:57PM
BusyBee said...
Want to save money..talk to your grandparents. We senior citizens learned to shop & save a long time ago and it still works for us. As for Walmart, I have had good experiences buying there and some bad experiences. One of the best ways to save on your grocery bill is to stop kitchen waste. Only you know what & where you waste & only you can stop it. You get what you pay for, if you need a good sweater that last a long time, pay the price. If you want a little extra one to wear occasionaly, go to the Dollar store or Walmart.
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8-17-2008 @ 4:04PM
wes said...
i work at albertsons so i know a few things about a grocery store. i have found that in a lot of the stores, like mine on the tag it says how much you are going to be paying per oz. i think wal-mart has pretty much the same thing. but i have noticed that sometimes at wal-mart buying the smaller bottle is cheaper. just bring a calculator or you could just pretend your going to make a call on your cell phone and use its calculator. most have them now... and i would stay away from oranges. $4.99-3.99 a pound and each one usually is over a pound.
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