17 Dollarama household products that can save you hundreds of dollars a year

Bagels 

Bread is a staple in most households, and Dollarama has its own D Gourmet options for regular loaves, bagels and tortillas.

I compared everything bagels and found you're paying almost double for a very similar six-pack.

If you buy a pack of bagels weekly, switching to Dollarama saves you over $100 a year compared to Country Harvest at Loblaws. The savings add up, and that's just for bagels alone!

Dollarama everything bagels: $2.25 for a six-pack ($0.38 per bagel)

Loblaws Country Harvest everything bagels six-pack: $4.29 ($0.72 per bagel)

Toilet paper

O.K., it sucks spending money on toilet paper, but it's a necessity, so why not save half the price by shopping at Dollarama?

An eight-roll pack costs $5 at Dollarama versus nearly $12 for the same amount at Loblaws.

Both are 2-ply double rolls, so they seem quite comparable, though it's hard to know for sure without trying both.

If you're living solo and buying an eight-pack each month, that's $60 a year at Dollarama, compared to $143 at Loblaws. Those savings are doubled and tripled depending on how many people are in your household.

Dollarama toilet paper, 8 rolls: $5 ($0.63 per roll)

Loblaws Purex toilet paper, 8 rolls: $11.99 ($1.50 per roll)

Mouthwash

If you use mouthwash daily, then don't sleep on this Dollarama deal. A 1-litre bottle of peppermint mouthwash sells for just $2.75, while the Listerine equivalent at Loblaws is almost $10 for the same size.

If you're going through a bottle a month, that's around $33 a year at Dollarama versus $114 for Listerine, a saving of $81 annually on just mouthwash.

Dollarama mouthwash 1L: $2.75

Loblaws Listerine mouthwash 1L: $9.49

Spices

Spices are another staple in many households, and if you're like me and try new recipes often, you probably have every spice imaginable in your kitchen. You also know that some of them aren't cheap.

I'll be honest, I had no idea Dollarama's spice section was this good. It may not have every spice under the sun, but it covers all the essentials like onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and even parsley flakes, each for just $1.

The Club House version over at Loblaws is nearly $8.50 per spice. That's quite a bit of money kept in your wallet.

Dollarama spices 130 grams: $1 ($0.77 per 100 grams)

Loblaws Club House spices 165 grams: $8.49 ($5.15 per 100 grams)

Basmati rice

Basmati rice is a pantry item, and Dollarama has it for just $2.50 a bag, basically a third of the price of the Dainty version at Loblaws for nearly the same quantity.

If you're buying a bag of rice per month, that's $30 a year at Dollarama versus nearly $90 at Loblaws. That's $60 back in your pocket annually, just on rice.

Dollarama basmati rice 800 grams: $2.50 ($0.31 per 100 grams)

Loblaws Dainty basmati rice 900 grams: $7.49 ($0.83 per 100 grams)

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are a great source of protein and a versatile pantry staple. I use them in everything from curries to salads.

While a can of chickpeas won't cost you a fortune at any store, why overspend when you don't have to?

The Dollarama version is half the price of the Unico can at Loblaws. If you're going through a can a week, that's savings of over $65 a year.

Dollarama chickpeas: $1 for 398 millilitres ($0.25 per 100 millilitres)

Loblaws Unico chickpeas: $2.25 for 540 millilitres ($0.42 per 100 millilitres)

Chips

Is it just me, or have certain chip brands gotten way too expensive? Five or six dollars for a bag of chips feels like a lot when you consider what you're actually getting: no nutritional value, and half the bag is just air.

Thankfully, Dollarama has created its own dupe versions of many classic chips, including kettle-cooked varieties, at half the price of the Miss Vickie's version at Loblaws. If you're buying a bag of chips a week, that's savings of over $165 a year.

Dollarama kettle-cooked chips 190 grams: $2.25

Loblaws Miss Vickie's 200 grams: $5.49

Paper towels

Just like toilet paper, paper towels can quietly eat into your budget depending on how many rolls you go through. I go through them pretty quickly between cooking, cleaning and having a toddler at home, so finding a cheaper option makes a real difference.

Dollarama sells a two-pack for $4, more than half the price of the Royale version at Loblaws. If you're going through two rolls a week, that's about $104 a year at Dollarama versus $234 at Loblaws. The savings are $130 on just paper towels.

Dollarama paper towels, 2 rolls: $4 ($2 per roll)

Loblaws Royale paper towels, 2 rolls: $8.99 ($4.50 per roll)

Pads

Period products are a monthly necessity for many women, and the costs add up fast.

A 24-pack of heavy-flow maxi long pads is just $4 at Dollarama, while the Always version at Loblaws is about three times the price. The brand name may not be as recognizable as Always, but at a third of the price, it's worth trying.

If you buy one pack a month, that's $48 a year at Dollarama versus $156 for Always, a saving of over $100 annually.

Dollarama pads, 24-pack: $4 ($0.17 per pad)

Loblaws Always Maxi pads, 27-pack: $13 ($0.48 per pad)

Body wash

Body wash is one of those everyday essentials that can quietly add up, but Dollarama has a great alternative that actually gives you more for less.

This SIMILE body wash comes in a 750-millilitre bottle for just $5, compared to the 591-millilitre Dove body wash at Loblaws for $11.99. You're paying less money for more product; that's a win-win.

If you're going through a bottle a month, that's $60 a year at Dollarama compared to $144 at Loblaws. That saves you $84 a year.

Dollarama body wash 750 millilitres: $5 ($0.67 per 100 millilitres)

Loblaws Dove body wash 591 millilitres: $11.99 ($2.03 per 100 millilitres)

Body lotion

I had to include this Nivea dupe at Dollarama because the price difference is too good not to share. The body lotion comes in three different varieties at the discount store, and each 621-millilitre bottle sells for $3.50. The Dollarama lotion has more product than the 500-millilitre Nivea bottle at Loblaws, which costs $12.49.

If you go through body lotion quickly and go through a bottle a month, that's $42 a year at Dollarama for the one seen in the photo. Compared to the $150 Nivea lotion at Loblaws, that saves you just over $100 annually.

Dollarama body lotion 621 millilitres: $3.50 ($0.56 per 100 millilitres)

Loblaws Nivea body lotion 500 millilitres: $12.49 ($2.50 per 100 millilitres)

Ibuprofen extra strength liquid capsules

I couldn't believe it when I found Ibuprofen at Dollarama. While it's not the Advil brand, both contain the same active ingredient.

The Dollarama version gives you 16 capsules for $4.50, while a 12-capsule pack of Advil at Shoppers Drug Mart costs $11.19. That's more capsules for less than half the price.

Dollarama Ibuprofen 16 capsules: $4.50 ($0.28 per capsule)

Shoppers Drug Mart Advil extra strength 12 capsules: $11.19 ($0.93 per capsule)

Allergy remedy tablets

If your allergies are really bugging you this season, it's worth checking Dollarama before reaching for name-brand versions like Claritin. The store sells its own allergy tablets containing the same active ingredient, loratadine, for a fraction of the price.

A box of 10 tablets costs $4.75 at Dollarama versus $14.49 for Claritin at Loblaws. If you're taking one tablet a day through a three-month allergy season, that's roughly $43 at Dollarama compared to $130 for Claritin, a saving of nearly $90.

Dollarama allergy medication, 10 tablets: $4.75 ($0.48 per tablet)

Loblaws Claritin 10 tablets: $14.49 ($1.50 per tablet)

Laundry detergent

Laundry detergent is a household necessity, and the Dollarama version is one I haven't personally tried yet, but given the price difference, it's at the top of my list.

Both are cold-water formulas and similarly sized, but the Dollarama version works out to just $0.09 per load, versus $0.19 for Purex at Loblaws.

Dollarama cold water detergent 1.89 litres (47 loads): $4 ($0.09 per load)

Loblaws Purex cold water detergent 1.94 litres (58 loads): $10.99 ($0.19 per load)

Garbage bags 

Garbage bags are another item I hate spending money on, so I almost always buy them at Dollarama. With all the garbage bins scattered around my house, I go through a lot of bags, and the costs add up fast for something you just throw away.

However often you buy them, the per-bag savings are significant. For a family going through multiple packs a month, the annual savings really add up.

Dollarama garbage bags 18-pack: $2.75 ($0.15 per bag)

Loblaws GLAD garbage bags 30-pack: $9.49 ($0.32 per bag)

Foaming bathroom cleaner

Dollarama has an impressive selection of cleaning products, and this foaming bathroom cleaner is one of the best dupes in the store. It looks almost identical to the Scrubbing Bubbles version and works the same way: spray, foam and wipe.

At just $2.50, compared to $6.79 for the Scrubbing Bubbles at Loblaws, it's nearly half the price of a similar product. If you're going through one can a month, that's $30 a year at Dollarama versus $81 for Scrubbing Bubbles, a saving of $51 annually.

Dollarama bathroom cleaner 369 grams: $2.50 ($0.68 per 100 grams)

Loblaws Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner 567 grams: $6.79 ($1.20/100 grams)

Glass cleaner 

This is one of the most striking price differences in the whole list. This Dollarama glass cleaner comes in an almost 2-litre bottle for just $2.50, compared to the nearly identical-sized Windex bottle at Loblaws for $11.99. You're essentially getting the same amount of product for less than a quarter of the price.

Dollarama glass cleaner 1.89 litres: $2.50 ($0.13 per 100 millilitres)

Loblaws Windex glass cleaner: 2 litres: $11.99 ($0.60 per 100millilitres)