Do you use a pound shop/dollar store? →[More:]
I'm a huge fan of pound shops. There are two in Chingford, my nearest shopping area. One is actually a 99p shop, which moved into the space vacated by Woolworths a year ago. It's part of a big chain. The other is an independent, so it often has one-off runs of bankrupt stock, where you can get a great bargain.

Today I bought:

- washing-up liquid (dish soap)
- a huge bag of sponge/scourers
- body lotion (heavy duty winter stuff with Vaseline and Vitamin E)
- some of that stuff you spray in your shower to stop soap scum
- a little kit to repair glasses. It is not, in fact, to repair glasses. One of my, ahem, Cartier watches lost a little screw from its strap. My local jeweller wouldn't fix it because it's a fake but he suggested I try using a little screw that's meant to hold the arm on a pair of glasses. So I now have the kit and will attempt to fix this later.
- a new chuck key for my drill. You have no idea how happy this makes me. I can't imagine where my old chuck key is, and now I've bought a new one, no doubt the old one will turn up.
- next year's Christmas cards. With bunnies on. It's vital to buy these when you see them, as bunny cards are hard to find at Christmas, bunnies being Easter critters and all.

Not everything was £1. The cards, for example, were two for £1. Two boxes, that is. And the washing-up liquid and scourers were 50p each.

I've learned to be selective in pound shops. A lot of what they sell isn't great quality. But they're invaluable for stationery, party things like disposable plates, cups, cutlery etc., cleaning supplies, and my 99p store also has a food section where they sell great marinades in amongst the piles of cakes made from chemicals and bars of 'chocolate-flavoured confectionery'.

And in a Turkish deli, which isn't a pound shop, I bought a tub of Muhammara, but this, too, was only 99p, so I'm including it in my list of bargains.

Do you use a pound shop or dollar store? What do you buy there?