Back to School Deals 2016   |   Back to School Sales   |   Tax Free Weekend 2016   |   Back to School Email Alerts How to Save Money Read More Money Saving TipsSet up your dream room @ walmart. Free Shipping on orders over $50.March 18, 2016 My grandfather’s favorite place to shop was the dollar store. Whenever I visited, we’d go on a field trip and he’d stock up on everything from to bananas. Before accompanying him, I never realized the breadth of items available at the dollar store. I was amazed by all the things you could buy — for much less than at other retailers.Ever since then, I’ve told myself I should start going to the dollar store, but I always forget. I still do the bulk of my shopping at the , or Amazon. That is, until, I read this post about — and got all fired up. But before I turned over my new bargain leaf, I had to figure out which one would become my go-to. Of the three major dollar stores — Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and Dollar General — which is best?

And by best, let’s be honest: I mostly mean cheapest. To find out, I went on a mission and shopped at all three. Here’s what I discovered… I decided to compare prices for 10 at each dollar store.Here are the results: *Since everything at Dollar Tree costs $1 or less, its items are often much smaller. Fishing Reel Ringtone DownloadIn the totals at the end of the post, I account for size discrepancies. Siamese Cat For Sale In ChicagoNow for the grand totals… Bed Bug Proof Mattress Covers At WalmartHere’s how much I spent at each store: So, though the prices are fairly similar, it looks like Family Dollar is the winner! It had brand-name items for a cheaper price than the other two stores. However, it was also the least friendly and most cluttered of the stores I visited.

It might just have been that one location, but it’s worth noting. Even though Dollar Tree came in second, I don’t think I’ll return. The items were generic and in such small containers you’d have to buy 10 tiny bottles of at a time. Yes, mini everything is pretty cute — but it’s annoying to buy and store, and the extra packaging is wasteful. Despite the fact Dollar General rang in as the most expensive, I’m not writing it off: Its store was clean and well-stocked, and also had the friendliest employees. Lastly, I price-checked my shopping list at the two retailers I shop the most: Walmart and Amazon. If I’d made the same purchases at these stores, here’s what I would’ve spent:Wow. I can’t believe Amazon’s prices are 81% higher than the least expensive dollar store — for the exact same items. That’s not counting , or the fact some of those prices are only available to . I don’t usually for household goods, and after seeing these numbers, I’m definitely not going to start.

My grandpa’s gone now, but the more time that passes, the more I realize he was right about a lot of things: You should be nice to everyone, marry someone with the , dance to get your exercise… And shop at the dollar store. Your Turn: Do you frequent the dollar store? Which one is your favorite?Cottonelle Clean Care Toilet Paper I seem to have an opinion on everything, and toilet paper has not escaped my gaze. This is mainly because I hate toilet paper that's too billowy and thick and clogs my toilet. I hate toilet paper that has dancing flowers all over it. I hate toilet paper that feels like parchment and tears as it leaves the roll. What do I like? My top toilet paper is the Cottonelle (above) which has nice pin stripes and is perfectly in the middle of my road with regard to all the other issues. It's a great choice, but, over the years, there are others I have liked a lot too, as well as one that is winning the reviews... (Image credit: White Cloud) White Cloud 3-Ply Ultra Bathroom Tissue - $1.25 Per Roll

The huge winner in reviews by Consumer Reports, Good Housekeeping and The Sweet Home, White Cloud is a upstart brand that is sold at Amazon and Walmart. As Kevin Purdy of The Sweet Home confessed, "When it comes to performance, the major testing houses’ assessments matched our own hands-on impressions: White Cloud is soft to the touch without feeling decadent; it doesn’t break in use, yet consistently and quickly dissolves in water; it’s easy to tear off your desired amount; and has the “grip” you need." Toilet Paper Origami for Valentines Day (Image credit: The Cheese Thief) Here's just a little TP tip to put a smile on your face today via The Cheese Thief. Scott 1000 Bathroom Tissue - $.77 Per Roll I grew up with Scott and still love it for it's spartan performance, affordability and super long lasting presence. It's not my first choice these days, but I will always have a soft spot for it. It's my value go to choice. (Image credit: Seventh Generation)

Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissues - $1.15While most toilet paper companies have gotten a lot better in the environmental department, I believe that Seventh Generation is the best. They just really care about this approach to living, and their toilet paper is excellent despite all the green hoops they have jumped through to make it. Not the most comfortable, not the cheapest and not the most attractive, it is, nevertheless, the greenest and it works. A Brief History of Toilet Paper For those of you who have curious minds and want to go a little further, click on to see how it all began, as well as how corncobs and fruit skins predated our bright white TP.In the ongoing retail war of brick versus click, subscription ordering is now a key part of the strategy to grow e-commerce sales. Few consumers enjoy shopping for basic household items such as laundry detergent, toothpaste and vitamins, but everyone has to do it, and do it regularly. Retailers of all kinds are hoping to seize the opportunity to make shopping for consumables more convenient—and win the consumer over and over and over again as a result.

Online retail behemoth Amazon launched its "Subscribe and Save" program in 2007, but traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are only recently jumping in to offer competing programs. There are also start-ups such as BirchBox and Dollar Shave Club that are making the subscription space even more competitive. Read MoreWarby Parker co-founder takes on Gillette Sam's Club, a business unit of Wal-Mart, began a pilot program for subscription service in February. Wal-Mart tested, but ended, a snack subscription program called Goodies. Target recently expanded its pilot subscription service, from just 200 eligible items to about 1,500. The big box discount retailer also added a 5 percent discount and free shipping for all subscription orders. If shoppers pay with a Target REDcard, they can layer on the additional 5 percent savings. Target initially launched the service in September 2013, with a focus on baby-care items. The retailer said the subscription service now accounts for more than 15 percent of online sales for eligible items.

Read MoreAMZN vs. GOOG: Who wins on same-day delivery? Target does not provide total online sales numbers, but is expected to report its latest earnings on Wednesday. In its fourth-quarter conference call, Target said its online sales grew more than 20 percent, year over year, while total sales fell 3.8 percent. In the first quarter, analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expect the discount retailer to earn 71 cents a share on revenue of $17.01 billion. So which subscription program is better, Amazon or Target? CNBC did a test with identical products to compare the two. (And neither company was immediately available to comment on the results.) A link to Target's subscription service is right on its main homepage, and was easy to find. I couldn't even find a page for Amazon's "subscribe and save" program on its site, so I went to Google and did a phrase search, which did get me to a link explaining the program. I'd give Target the win on this part. There are thousands fewer options available on Target's subscription model, compared with Amazon's.

However, fewer choices actually made Target's site easier to navigate, but it also means there are fewer choices. If you are very particular about the goods you want, Amazon might be better for you. Although it might be hard to know exactly when you'll need to re-order your basket of goods, you'll have to give it your best guess and pick a delivery schedule when using both services. Read MoreAmazon Prime membership could be a budget buster Amazon's delivery interval schedule is monthly, and it ranges from a shipment every month to intervals as long as a shipment every six months. Target's delivery schedule has more interval options, including a six-week option. As a result, Target may have the advantage here because if I have learned anything about consumer behavior, it's that we all like choices. We looked at a basket of six items, shown in the table, and found that Amazon was less expensive for those particular items, coming in $23.34 cheaper without the REDcard savings, and $17.49 with the extra REDcard savings.

(Comparisons were made before tax.) As you'll see in the table, the size of the price gaps varied. For baby wipes, for example, the difference was pennies, but for others (i.e., toilet paper) the difference was significant. Subscription services, Target vs. Amazon Yes to Cucumber Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes, 30 count (2 pack) Seventh Generation Natural Dishwasher Detergent packs (45 packs) Cottonelle Ultra Comfort Care Double Roll Toilet Paper (32 Rolls) Claritin RediTabs 24 hours Allergy, Non-Drowsy, Loratadine Orally disintegrating Tablets, 30 tablets Pampers Sensitive Wipes 7x Box 448 Count Gillette Fusion ProGlide Manual Men's Razor Blade refills, 8 count Total (pre-tax) with 5% off for Target REDcard As for shipping costs, both retailers offer this free. But CNBC didn't actually place the orders, we can't comment on the delivery experience. —By CNBC's Courtney Reagan. Watch CNBC's "Street Signs" Wednesday to hear more from John Mulligan, Target's interim CEO.