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14 Things to Buy at Walmart by Mike Kalasnik (CC BY-SA)

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14 Things to Buy at Walmart by Mike Kalasnik (CC BY-SA)

Walmart Vs. Dollar Tree

Dollar stores are brimming with bargains, and often beat Walmart on the price of many items. But Walmart can give shoppers more bang for the buck on some consumer favorites. Cheapism compared prices on similar items at Walmart and Dollar Tree, the nation's largest chain of dollar stores, and found 10 that are cheaper at Walmart. The savings are substantial on some items, and pocketing a few extra pennies on others can add up over time. (Although the products were comparable, they weren't always identical, as the dollar store carries relatively few name brands.)

Note: Prices and availability subject to change

Courtesy of walmart.com

Salsa

A buck for a jar of Pace salsa sounds like an amazing deal, especially when compared with the $5.94 Walmart charges for a 64-ounce bottle of the same brand. But in this case, a larger size results in greater savings. Walmart comes out ahead with a cost of about 9.28 cents an ounce, while Dollar Tree's 8-ounce jar costs 12.5 cents an ounce, nearly 35 percent more per ounce. Dollar Tree customers have to spend $8 to get the amount of salsa that Walmart sells for less than $6.

Courtesy of walmart.com

Canned Beans

Dividing out the cost of Great Value brand black beans from Walmart — $4.32 for six cans or about 73 cents each — shows that they're a better value than the canned beans at Dollar Tree, which are a comparable size and sell for $1 each. Walmart shoppers save more than 25 percent.

Courtesy of walmart.com

Sandwich Bags

Buy sandwich bags in larger packages at Walmart to pare down costs about 40 percent. Great Value Double Zipper sandwich bags are priced at $5.34 for 300 (1.8 cents each) at Walmart, while a $1 package of Good Sense Zipper Seal bags at Dollar Tree holds 35 bags (2.9 cents each).

Courtesy of walmart.com

Mason Jars

Preserving fruits and vegetables by canning is a smart way to save money and reduce waste. Save even more — nearly 50 percent — by purchasing the mason jars needed for the project at Walmart, where 12 pint-size Ball jars, including lids, cost $8.78, or about 73 cents each. At Dollar Tree, the same 16-ounce jars cost (you guessed it) $1 each.

Courtesy of walmart.com

Disposable Diapers

At Dollar Tree, customers can snag a five-pack of size 3 disposable baby diapers for a buck. That's a good deal if just a few are needed in a pinch, but Walmart's house brand, sold in bigger packages, is a better deal. A 144-count pack of Parent's Choice size 3 diapers is $17.57, or about 13 cents a diaper — a 35 percent savings when compared with Dollar Tree brand diapers.

Courtesy of walmart.com

Ramen

The staple of college students and anyone else trying to save cash, Top Ramen is cheap nearly everywhere it's sold. Dollar Tree sells a five-pack of chicken-flavor ramen noodles for $1, or 20 cents apiece, but Walmart has a better deal: A similar 12-pack sells for $1.94 — just 16.1 cents a package, a 17 percent savings.

Courtesy of walmart.com

Dry Dog Food

A mere $1 may sound like a good deal for a 3.58-ounce serving of Cesar dog food from Dollar Tree. But the same product, sold in bulk, costs less per ounce at Walmart. A 5-pound bag sells for $8.47, or about 10 cents an ounce, a 64 percent savings.

Courtesy of walmart.com

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix

For bakers who prefer the convenience of a store-bought mix, both Dollar Tree and Walmart sell Betty Crocker brand chocolate chip cookie mix. At first glance, Dollar Tree's version seems a better deal. Priced at $1, it's about half the cost of the $1.98 Walmart charges. But the price-per-ounce advantage goes to Walmart. Its 17.5-ounce pouch costs about 11.3 cents an ounce, while Dollar Tree's price is 13 cents an ounce, a 13 percent savings.

Courtesy of walmart.com

Dog Treats

Dollar Tree offers 5-ounce bags of Alpo Variety Snaps Little Bites for $1, or about 20 cents an ounce, but Walmart sells the same Alpo Variety Snaps Little Bites dog treats in a 60-ounce bag for $4.92, or 8 cents an ounce, a significant savings. 

Courtesy of walmart.com

Cereal

If all you need is a few snack-sized bags or boxes of cereal, the dollar store may be your better bet because you're more likely to find smaller sizes of products like these. We spotted a 5.5-ounce box of Cap'n Crunch for $1 at Dollar Tree, which works out to about 19 cents per ounce. At Walmart, a 20-ounce box of Cap'n Crunch is $2.74, cheaper at 14 cents an ounce.

Related: 30 Things You Didn't Know About Your Favorite Childhood Cereals