In light of the demise of the Berkeley 99 cent store, not to mention how 99 cent store inflated so many of their prices into the $2+ range, I think Dollar Tree is my new go-to place for bargains. They're not great for food, but for shelf stable items and kitchen ware, I was impressed.
The closest stores to SF are either the Daly City or Oakland locations. Daly City Mission St. location can be reached via SF Muni (multiple buses!), and the Oakland one via Muni + BART + walking around Lake Merritt and then up a few blocks.
Here are some deals I found 1/21/23 at the Daly City Mission St. location. Of note, I had searched the Dollar Tree website in advance. I noticed some things on the website were *not* available in-store here, and vice versa, some deals were not on the website.
- Apple cider vinegar: they had 3 different brands tucked on the lowest shelf. I nabbed the 32 oz. bottle made in the USA!
- Spices- slim pickings vs. what I've seen in the past. I got McCormick bacon bits, which are vegan. They also had black peppercorns, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, dried basil, dried chives, etc.
- Potato gnocchi
- Panko bread crumbs
- Taco shells- box of 12, yellow corn, made in Mexico
- Jams, pepper preserves
- Pretzels- stick and round shapes which could be used as antlers, horns, or arms for pastry decorating. Made in Pennsylvania, and expiry is summer 2023.
- Pickles
I have developed an interest in cake and cookie decorating. They had these supplies:
- Offset (i.e. curved) small spatula
- Offset palette knife
- Flat small metal spatula
- Icing scrapers/combs, set of 3 (round, square, and serrated)
- Cake decorating tool set pf 3 (double ended round tool- large and small balls for shaping fondant; small plastic knife for cutting fondant with other end being pointed tool; double ended third tool with fan on one end for molding shape)
- Palettes- 6 wells, set of 6 of them
- Paint brushes- not clear if food-grade, but they come in a pack of 5 medium and "small" brushes. Larger brushes (pack of 2) also available. I'm not sure I'll use them as I have finer tip brushes from Amazon designed for use on pastries.
- Cake boards- rectangle and circular with scalloped edges. Cardboard covered with foil. Thinner cardboard vs. the Wilton ones I got online, but thin ones may be good for the upper layers of multi-tier cakes.
- Smaller and large mesh sieves/strainers- for dusting on sugar, sieving flour, etc.
- Latex balloons of different sizes which can be used for making clear sugar globes.
- Set of 12 disposable piping bags
- Box of 150 sandwich bags (no zip top)- which could also be used for piping
- Lots of other baking supplies: mixing bowls (plastic), measuring spoons, metal slotted spoon, baking pans (square and pie tins), plastic spatulas, star cookie cutter.
- Small glass or plastic bowls which could be used for storing different colored icing
- Sprinkles and colored sugar- all made in China
- Paper straws
