I Love the Dollar Store

I love the dollar store. Really, I do. I don't fully understand where my deep-seated admiration of a place full of crappy plastic toys and alternate-brand merchandise comes from, but it's there. Let's go over a normal trip, shall we?

You walk into the dollar store and you're blasted with the scent of plastic and overly-scented candles. There are all kinds of people milling about--families with overly excited children, incredibly old people, women who are embarrassed about being there, and college students that are bemused by the setting in general (that would be me.)

As you move forward you are greeted by a haphazard display case generally filled with holiday decorations of some sort and plastic wine glasses. Since you don't have an interest in either, you begin your slow walk down each isle of the store. Dollar stores are like thrift stores in that you have to really pay attention if you're going to get something good. While you pass up on the angel statues and badly woven baskets, you are totally digging the school supply section. New mechanical pencils and gel pens that no doubt produce toxic fumes go into your basket.

Next you have some stinky candles to get. You can't beat a couple of bucks to get enough candles for your tiny apartment. They'll even throw in a spiffy lighter for only a dollar more. After that you hear the siren call of the candy section (theater boxes! For a dollar!) but your eye is caught by that sanctuary, the Best Part of the dollar store, and you drift the other way.

The giftwrap section. It's beautiful. Even the biggest of gift bags are advertised in bright green letters as "A dollar!" And for those small, adorable gift bags? They come three in a pack! Only a dollar! There's wrapping paper rolls (a dollar each!) and big curly bows (a dollar cheap!) and even tissue paper, to stuff into the ten gift bags you've hoarded in your cart (only a dollar!). You're pretty sure wal-mart, with their $3 gift bags is howling in pain right now, but you don't care. It's all about saving money.

Except... at the register, where you're tempted to throw on a pregnancy test from their selection of "tempting" items just because it seems so ridiculous, you're amazed to hear the clerk tell you "25.56." You turn, shocked and amazed, and realize those dollars really added up. But it's too late now. Your 'savings' are in the bag, and as you walk to your car, your shopping high wearing off, you turn one last look back at the dollar store with a sigh.

That temptress really got you again.

Source: http://debbiebarr.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-love-dollar-store.html