Updated August 15, 2024

Shopping for a travel adventure doesn’t have to be a purse-emptying experience. It’s surprising how many items you’ll be able to scratch off your packing list by visiting a dollar store. And if you love travel gear hacks, feed your creative spirit by figuring out new uses for stuff as you cruise dollar-store aisles. Looking for inspiration? Let’s get started with these 31 cheap travel essentials on dollar-store shelves.

Travel essentials on dollar-store shelves

Many products on the shelves of your local dollar store are of questionable quality and need to be assessed for quality and durability. An umbrella, flip flops, or electronic accessories may be cheaper than trusted brands but if they don’t last and need to be discarded and replaced, your purse and the environment both suffer. Most of the travel essentials on the following list have lasted me for several years.    

1. Hair clips

These little beauties keep electrical cords organized. No more fighting with twist ties, as a simple release provides access. Leave the clip attached to the cord while in use and it’ll never go astray. Placing a different colour on each cord makes it easier to grab the right one at a glance.

2. Notebook

A notebook and pen are ‘old school’ but ideal when using paper is preferable to using a phone to make notes. It’s especially useful as an alternative to handing your phone to a stranger. As I leaf through my little notebook, I see recommendations from other travellers, and names and email addresses of people I’ve met. There are directions to a difficult-to-find hostel deep in a Moroccan medina, mud maps of cycling routes, and notes made during conversations with locals. Seeing handwriting of countless individuals brings back fond memories of each and every encounter. Electronic devices are great for making notes but sometimes, good old pen and paper can’t be beat.

3. Hair elastics

Elastic bands are handy, but their life expectancy is far too short. Hair elastics come in different lengths, widths, and colours. They’re sturdy aids for keeping something contained, or when bundling things together.

4. Folding scissors

I’ve carried one of these handy little tools on many trips, and had a pair confiscated just once at an airport screening checkpoint in Singapore. It doesn’t hurt as much to lose the dollar store variety.

5. Stretch utility straps

With Velcro at both ends, these straps compress rolled clothing beautifully, or bundle items together to take up less space. Tighten wide sleeves at the wrist to keep out the cold. Tame long trousers at the ankle to keep the fabric free of a bicycle chain. Strap pants to boots to keep out insects or leeches. They’re so versatile, you’ll want to pack a couple for every trip. At Dollarama they’re located in the automotive section. Each pair comes in a choice of lengths — 12 or 18 inches (30 or 45 centimetres).

6. Three-ply tissues

Travel packs of tissues (they have to be three-ply) double as emergency toilet paper. I was pleased to see my local dollar store stocks tissues created from 100% bamboo pulp, a sustainable, fast-growing plant. Keep a pack in your purse or in the comfort pack in your day bag.

7. Currency sleeves

Durable closeable sleeves the size of banknotes can usually be found in dollar stores. Or, make your own non-closeable variety by cutting the desired size from one of the corners of a plastic page protector, also available in dollar stores. These keep banknotes organized by currency, and notes remain dry when they’re close to the body in a security pouch.

8. Craft bags

Zip-top craft bags are perfect for keeping small items organized and protected: microfibre wipes, tablet towels, cord clips, or coins categorized by currency.

9. Self-sealing padded envelopes

These can be handy as packing materials for souvenirs. Or, pack a few pre-addressed envelopes if you expect to be mailing things home. They could also be used for protecting and camouflaging a tablet or laptop.

10. Duct tape

Pack a small amount. Make a key fob, or wrap some tape around a plastic hotel key or depleted gift card. Check out 31 Practical uses of duct tape when you travel  for the many uses of duct tape when travelling, and how to make a key fob or card.

11. Pill organizer

Keep track of medication, vitamins, or toothpaste tablets with a daily or weekly pill organizer. Or use it to store earrings, studs, or small pieces of jewellery.

12. Self-laminating cards

Make your own luggage tags with a kit containing self-laminating cards and silicone straps.

Or look for the version for laminating business cards. In my local dollar store, a pack of 50 costs $3. These are perfect for creating your own emergency contact cards, or laminating an existing card. For example, I can download a credit-card-sized card with the contact information of the nearest embassy or consulate. My emergency medical insurance provider has a downloadable card for carrying with me on my travels. Both of these will last longer if they’re laminated. But most importantly, I like to create my own emergency contact card. It contains:

• my name
• my phone number and email address
• country of citizenship and passport number
• emergency contact numbers for consular services, financial institutions, and ICE (In Case of Emergency) contacts
• emergency medical insurance policy number and toll-free number

On my last trip, I carried five copies. One was in each of my two bags next to the laminated copy of the information page from my passport. Another was in my wallet, one in the pocket of my phone case, and the other in my passport sleeve. Overkill? Perhaps, but chances are one of these will always be accessible to myself (or others if I’m not in a position to speak for myself).

13. Emergency cash stash

Create hiding places with secret pockets in bags or clothing. Or hide cash in plain view in unlikely containers. For each place, choose a single undamaged note in a currency and denomination that will be easy to change in an emergency. Protect notes with a craft bag or cling wrap if they’re likely to come in contact with moisture, or residue from the container’s original product. Look for possibilities on dollar store shelves. Dental floss? Band-Aid dispenser? Lip balm? Travel-sized deodorant? There are lots of possibilities.

14. First-aid supplies

Assemble a basic first-aid kit for carrying in your day bag. Pick up over-the-counter medication such as Advil or Tylenol in travel sizes. You’ll also find alcohol wipes, surgical tape, plasters, cough drops, and miscellaneous items. When updating your kit, discarding expired items hurts less if they’ve been purchased at dollar-store prices.

15. Soap leaves

Travelling with soap leaves fills a need in situations demanding bar or liquid soap and there’s none available. These are so handy that a small case of 50 soap leaves has earned a permanent place in my purse and the comfort pack in my day bag. At travel stores, packs of 50 soap leaves cost almost $5. Coleman soap sheets are available at my local dollar store for a little more than a dollar.

16. Tablet towels

These little babies are about the size of two Life Saver candies. Add a little water and watch it explode into a durable washcloth. Travel with tablet towels for freshening up, wiping spills, or cleaning cuts and scrapes. Before venturing out, have one or two fully expanded in a small reusable zip-top bag ready for instant use. They’re durable enough to be used over and over.

17. Country-specific souvenirs

Pencils, erasers, and stickers make great gifts for children. Any item displaying an easily recognized country-specific emblem facilitates conversation and positive contact. You’ll be rewarded with a smile and a great photo.

As an aside, Canadians can obtain a supply of maple leaf lapel pins from the office of their local Member of Parliament. They’re a hit with people of all ages. In Türkiye, after pinning one on a child doing her homework in her family’s restaurant, the rest of the family seemed just as pleased to receive one.

18. School supplies

School supples are a luxury in some countries. My travelling companion and I signed up for a bicycle tour in Zambia that included a stop at a school supported by the tour. Unfortunately, the tour didn’t take place but we found a school in Zimbabwe that willingly accepted the erasers, pencils, rulers, and other school supplies we’d purchased at a dollar store. The visit to the school was one of the highlights of the trip.  

19. Child’s activity kit

If you’re travelling with children, a surprise activity kit may be just the ticket to keep them occupied and entertained during a flight. Look for a colouring book, pencils, crayons, playing cards, games, puzzles, and story books.

20. Packing organizers

For packing-organizer devotees, check out pencil cases, plastic filing envelopes, and bags designed for cosmetics, electronics, and laundry. Some of them have loops or clips that can be handy for connecting to O-rings or other attachment points within a bag. They can be viable alternatives to the more expensive versions from travel stores.

21. Denture cleanser tablets

Cleaning a refillable water bottle can be a challenge when travelling. Denture cleanser tablets are a viable substitute to the more expensive water bottle cleaning tablets. Wash out a water bottle with warm, soapy water as often as possible and at least once a week, sanitize it with an effervescent denture cleanser tablet. A 30-minute treatment (or follow the directions on the product) will kill bacteria. 

22. Travel-sized toiletries

Many of the travel-sized toiletries and beauty products are from recognizable brand names. I love finding travel-sized versions of products I use at home because it means travel-sized toiletries are a more economical and environmental choice if the container can be reused and decanted from larger supplies. Or purchase travel-sized containers of products such as mouthwash, lotion, or hand sanitizer with the plan to refill them with similar products. I find these containers are usually more robust and functional than the empty ones in kits.

23. Travel bottles and jars

Look for the kits with a variety of containers of different shapes, sizes, and functions for decanting your favourite toiletries and cosmetics. Many kits contain adhesive labels.

24. Contact lens cases

Contact lens cases are ideal for easy-to-lose items such as small pieces of jewellery. Or use one for medication to be taken while out and about. I also like them for products where a little goes a long way (e.g., nasal moisturizer or skin gel). Cut the case into two separate containers and they’ll squeeze perfectly into a corner of your 3-1-1 toiletry bag or comfort pack.

25. Disinfectant wipes

Disinfectant  wipes tend to dry out in their sealable travel packs. Just before your next trip, stock up on supples to wipe armrests, tables, and handles on planes and TV remotes and the other ‘germiest’ spots in hotel rooms.

26. Carabiner

Carabiners are used to securely attach two or more objects. They can clip objects such as shoes, a water bottle, or damp clothing to a bag, hang a purse, bag, or jacket, or create an impromptu clothesline.

27. Luggage tags

A luggage tag attached to the outside of a bag quickly identifies the owner. A colourful tag helps distinguish one bag from another.

28. Water bottle, mug, and cutlery

My local dollar store has recently stocked several Camp-brand products including refillable water bottles, collapsible bowls, metal mugs with a handy carabiner that doubles as a handle, and a lightweight cutlery set.

29. Small flashlight

A flashlight is indispensable for finding your way in the dark, searching for missing items under furniture, or reading in conditions where lighting is limited. The flashlight on a phone does a superb job but it’s handy to have an inexpensive backup.

30 Backup reading glasses

If you rely on eyeglasses, a backup pair can be indispensable in case your expensive prescription glasses are lost or damaged.

31. Paracord zipper pull

Paracord is an essential item in a survivalist’s kit, stored in hiking gear, hooked to keys or worn as a bracelet. For travellers, a paracord zipper pull serves a dual function. Paracord can be used as a clothesline, replacement shoelaces, luggage handle wrap, eyewear retainer, camera wrist strap, or to attach something to a bag. 

 

If you found this post helpful, please share it by selecting one or more social media buttons. How have you used dollar stores for travel purchases? What additional products or uses have you found? Please add your thoughts in the comments. Thank you.

 

Might you be interested in the following related posts?

• Are you travelling with expired toiletries: 15 tips to avoid doing so
• 12 Tested examples of packing cubes and other organizers
• Create a travel comfort pack of self-care essentials 
• Travel with tablet towels: a multipurpose essential every traveller should pack
• No soap? No problem travelling with soap leaves
• 16 Tips on how to assemble a perfect travel first-aid kit
• 31 Practical uses of duct tape when you travel
• My favourite travel gear hacks
• How to make a traveller’s emergency contact card in 5 easy steps 

 

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