What really is good value in the pound shops?

[Meglet]

I know they can be a bit shifty with pack sizes etc so it's not always as cheap as you think but I'm sure the following is ok.

Kids toothbrushes, pack of 5. (they're something like a £1 each in Boots).

4 for a £1 birthday cards. Not seen them much cheaper.

Huge bottles of bubble mix in the summer.

Anything else to keep my eyes open for?

Yes to the Toblerone. Also the six packs of McCoys crisps.

I love the art canvases - some are huge - and the 12-packs of wooden handle fine bristle brushes - fantastic value if you have arty DC. Also, the fluffy bedsocks 2 pairs for 99p, arm and leg warmers and wooly caps. DC love them all.

They do brilliant seasonal stuff and stocking fillers: velvet santa stockings and light up velvet santa hats; 20-packs of glow sticks; rainbow slinkies.

If you have a Tiger nearby, they have loads of stuff for £1: mini easels with a tiny canvas on, watercolour brush pen sets, magic colour change pen sets, gorgeous notebooks in gel folders with little pens. Also mini pool tables and bowling alleys for £3 and wooden puzzles for toddlers for £1-3.

Card Factory are doing nice cards at 7 for £1, better than our 3/ £1 pound shop

I have it on good authority from my mother that the reading glasses are good. The exact same ones in Boots cost nearly a tenner!

Mum also bought some turkey foil today and was delighted with her purchases. :)

Vajazzles.

Card Factory cards at 7 for £1 are v good.

In Poundland, I only ever buy Toblerones or those Weightwatchers biscuits, which are in little packets so good to take to work.

And my friend loves her Poundland geeky reading glasses!

kitchen foil

Cadburys brunch bars 1.99 in most supermarkets. I love weight watchers cheese puffs 1.85 in tesco for the same quantity. Cadburys highlights, curly wurlys, I could go on forever!

Vosene, when in stock, half the price of rip-off supermarkets.

Craft supplies.

Child size cutlery.

Batteries, their version of 4head is very good, ice packs for first aid, kids books, canned drinks, tea bags, camera cases,

4 for a £1 birthday cards. Not seen them much cheaper

If you've got a Card Factory they often have 7 for a pound

The kids cutlery is great.

I got polly pockets and squinkies in poundland which were great as stocking fillers.

sparkly hairclips for school. about 24 for £1 in our local one (claire's accessories about a fiver). They usually get lost before they'd wear out anyway!

also tupperware type containers and weaning pots. even Wilco ones cost more than the pound shop types.

Car air fresheners. 2 in a pack. They are little teddies tat are infused with the air freshener stuff. My DDs love them and they look cute in the car.

Finish dishwasher tablets - 10 for £1. That's way cheaper than standard.

If you wear make up check out the branded bags, usually hanging up.

Books! I check the new books in my local pound shop every time I go past. I have numerous books with an RRP of £25 or more plus loads of hardbacks that were on my Amazon wish list.

My biggest bargains were 2 x sets of 10 books in October; one set of Phillipa Gregory and one Antonia Fraser, each set's RRP total £70 +. I couldn't believe my luck!

The melamine stuff in ours is really good. I bought plates and bowls for a children's party there as it worked out cheaper than buying branded paper plates that would go straight in the bin. 3 dinner size plates for 99p and 4 bowls for 99p. We have used them lots, in the garden in the summer, taken them on holidays and days out and they are still going strong.

Packs of small brown envelopes are great for sending money and payments into school.

Those magic gloves are great too. And car stuff like large cans of windscreen de icer.

Do NOT get the cotton buds though. Very flimsy.

soda crystals in my local one. 99p for a kilo and not in an annoying sack that spills everywhere. I found tea tree oil the other day too, smells right enough but not had a chance to really give it a work out thou.

I find its best too know your pound store and see whats there that isnt usually IYKWIM - a few weeks back i found buffalo mozzarella in the fridge - obviously overstock from wholesalers with short shelf life they'd got a deal on - 2 for 99p when its usually £2.49 in waitrose for exactly the same. Only problem was I has two days to eat it, but thats not a problem ( I have a weakness for the stuff)