Dollar stores are great places to find bargains on any number of household needs but you can't always assume that, just because it's only $1, you're automatically getting the most bang for your buck. Prices and quantities may vary according to stores in your town, but going by my shopping list, here are 10 things you might want to go elsewhere for:

According to a 2004 Consumer Reports study of multi-vitamins, some of the nutrients listed on the label were missing from half of the 18 dollar store brands tested and other vitamins didn't dissolve fast enough to be absorbed by the body. They recommend sticking to the tried and true mainstream brands sold in pharmacies.

Apparently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not tightly control these products.