Pound shops and 99p stores are a great place to get a few bargains but are they really bargains?  Just because the items are a pound (or 99p) don’t be fooled in to thinking it’s a good deal.  Don’t get me wrong, some items are a bargain but some items can also be found cheaper in your local supermarket.  As a seasoned pound shop bargain hunter I thought I’d give you a heads up on some of the best items to buy.

Books, DVDs and CDs - Books are often a good deal, I have often seen Horrid Henry books, Mr Men & Little Miss books and various Autobiography and TV Series books.  Also DVDs and CDs are a good buy for a pound.

Weight Watchers - Packets of 5 Weight Watchers crisps normally cost around £1.80 in your local supermarket, so a pound is a bargain.  I recently bought some boxes of cookies which were 9 packs of 2 cookies and found that Tesco are currently selling 6 packs of 2 cookies for 85p.  It’s always worth checking the quantity you’re getting for the price too.

OXO cubes - OXO cubes are a staple kitchen cupboard ingredient.  Supermarkets usually sell boxes of 12 OXO cubes for around £1.19 however these can often be found in pound shops and sometimes even boxes of 24 which is quite a saving.

Greeting Cards & Wrapping paper - You can easily pay around £3 for a greeting card these days which is ridiculous.  Pound shops often do nice greeting cards at £1 each and sometimes even 2 for £1 or 4 for £1, so it’s worth stocking up when you see them.  Also look out for wrapping paper and gift bags.

Stationery - Stationery is often a good buy, from notepads to pens, pencil cases, folders and envelopes.  It’s a great place to get kitted out for when the kids go back to school and to stock up on general items for the home office.

Party goody bags - If you’re throwing a kids party pound shops are always a great place to find a few bargain bits and bobs for those party bags.  You’ll often find party poppers, balloons, whistles, pots of bubbles and packets of kids stationery items.

Make-up - Pound shops often sell branded make-up which works out at quite a saving.  Some brands that have been spotted are Revlon, Rimmel, Bourjois, Maybelline and Sally Hansen.  So if you ever happen to see your favourite lipstick, eyeshadow or nail varnish I’d stock up as they go very quickly.

Hair dyes - You can easily pay around £8 for a box of hair dye so a quid is a massive saving.  I’ve often heard good reports on the hair dye they stock but always read the packet first because if you have dark hair and you want to dye it a bright purple or red you will need to pre-lighten it first.  Just use common sense really.

Specialist hair products - Every now and then you can find a real gem such as Andrew Collinge products which you can usually only buy from a salon for a small fortune.  Also Naked shampoos and conditioners which normally retail for around £4.

Seasonal items - Watch out for seasonal items especially around Easter, Halloween and Christmas.  You can often buy craft items, fancy dress outfits and accessories and Christmas decorations.

TIPS

Make sure you check the quality of the item and if it’s boxed make sure the correct item is actually in the box before you put it in your shopping basket.  I have heard many stories of people getting home only to find the item is damaged, the box is empty or the wrong item was in the box, the bottle is part used or bits are missing.

Also, check the sizes of bottles and tubes as often they will be smaller than what you’d buy in leading supermarkets which means you’re getting less product for your money.  So don’t get caught out.