CINCINNATI — When it comes to your holiday budget, where you shop for the little things — like gift boxes, gift wrap and decorations — can make a difference in what you spend this season.
Those holiday extras can add up: gift bags, tissue paper, gift tags, ornaments and stocking stuffers all come at a cost on top of the gifts themselves.
WATCH: How dollar store swaps can help you save this season
To see how prices compare, I went price checking at Dollar Tree and Dollar General and checked their prices against popular retailers like Hallmark, Walmart, Target and Wayfair. Here's what I found.
First stop: Dollar Tree
My first stop was Dollar Tree, which had a wide selection of holiday items.
Holiday gift bags, tissue paper and packs of gift tags were $1.50 each. At Hallmark, similar gift bags were $3.99.
Decorations
If you're decking the halls, here's how some of the decorative items were priced:
- Ornaments: $1.50
- Reindeer and Christmas countdown decorations: $5
Stockings and stocking stuffers
- Stockings: $1.50, with prints like Minions and Spider-Man.
- Stocking stuffers: Most candy started at $1.25, and Skittles candy canes were $3.
Holiday baking items
If you're doing some holiday baking, Dollar Tree also carried:
- Oven mitts: $1.50
- Disposable aluminum pans: $1.75
Next stop: Dollar General
My next stop was Dollar General. I started with gift wrap and cards.
At Dollar General, 50 square feet of wrapping paper was $3. Compare that to $5.99 for 30 square feet at Hallmark. A pack of 28 Christmas cards was $3 at Dollar General.
Decorations
I compared pre-lit Christmas trees across stores:
| Tree | Store | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 6-foot pre-lit tree | Major retailers, such as Wayfair | More than $100 |
| 6-foot pre-lit Virginia pine | Dollar General | $38 |
| 4-foot pre-lit Nordic pine | Dollar General | $25 |
| 4-foot tree | Dollar General | $6 |
Ornaments and gift boxes
I also compared prices on ornaments and gift boxes:
- 30-pack of shatterproof ornaments at Dollar General: $5
- 30-pack listed at Walmart: $18
- Gift boxes at Dollar General: a range starting at $1
- A single gift box at Target: $8
The takeaway
Based on this price check: For things like gift bags, tissue paper or gift boxes, the dollar store version may work just fine — and a few of these small swaps could add up to some big savings, so you don't waste your money.
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