Dollar Tree is NOT your ordinary store. Because of their insanely low prices, are returns even allowed? Turns out you’re not the only one wondering that. I’m still scratching my head as I got very conflicting answers to that question. Grab some Tylenol (or a beer) and I’ll explain what I discovered.

Their Return Policy Is Shaky to Say the Least

Their website says you CAN do an in-store return and get your money back, but most store employees say “NO, an exchange only”.

The actual answer is “maybe” and it’s left up to the individual store manager.

It’s kind of messy folks, but I guess we should expect that from a dollar store. More on this below…

PRO TIP: DOLLAR TREE WEBSITE IS WRONG

The Dollar Tree website currently says that “a refund will be issued in the original form of payment”.

This is not the policy at every store. I called a dozen Dollar Tree stores and 10 of them told me “exchange only”.

After telling them about what their website says, several of the managers told me that they would give me my money back if that’s what their website said.

So if you really need your money back, bring this information to their attention and you stand a good chance of them complying.

Gotta Hold On To That Receipt Folks

Unfortunately, you cannot make a return without a receipt.

But…see my “Pro Tip” below as you still stand a good chance of being able to do an exchange if you don’t have your receipt.

PRO TIP: RECEIPT-LESS RETURNS

I was recently in my local Dollar Tree and the person in front of me was trying to get an exchange without a receipt.

She was very polite about it and the manager on shift granted the exchange.

When I got to the front of the line, I asked if that was standard policy and the manager told me they’ll usually do it if the items being exchanged is still in-stock and it’s a reasonable amount of items.

Use this information to your advantage if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Tips To Make an Even Exchange

You can make an exchange for ANY unopened item at Dollar Tree.

Just bring the item back, with your original receipt in-hand, to any Dollar Tree location.

I cannot find any official time restriction on the exchange, but you stand a much better chance of the exchange going smoothly if it’s been less than 30 days as they’ll typically still be able to sell the item you’re exchanging.

PRO TIP: EXACT EXCHANGE NOT REQUIRED

Since everything is the same price at Dollar Tree, you can exchange an item for ALMOST ANYTHING else in the store.

I spoke with a manager about this and she told me that the exchange can be for anything with the same price that is NOT a food item.

See Also: Dollar Tree Raising Prices: Why?…PLUS Some Hacks to Save

No “Official” Time Limit on Exchanges or Returns

There website does NOT mention any time limit on doing an exchange or a “possible” return.

Also, you are not limited to making just one exchange per visit. So if you bought 3 toys and have your original receipt, you can exchange all 3 of them if you wish.

Many shoppers online claim that Dollar Tree has a 30-day exchange policy but I cannot find this information posted anywhere on the Dollar Tree website.

See Also: The Walmart Return Policy Explained So YOU Can Understand It

Defective Item? Get an Even Exchange

If for whatever reason you buy a product and then it ends up being broken or defective, you can still exchange that item at Dollar Tree.

But you cannot get a straight refund for the item.

Just remember to keep the item within its original packaging, bring your original receipt, and exchange the item within 30 days of purchase.

Tips to Return an Online Purchase

For online purchases, you CANNOT make a return and all sales are FINAL unless item arrives damaged.

If this happens to you, call them at 1-877-530-TREE and speak to a representative about getting a return authorization and they’ll also send out a replacement product.

How To Get an Exchange on Items Bought With a Coupon

Technically, you can exchange a Dollar Tree item even if you bought it using a coupon.

However, this can be considered coupon fraud against the manufacturer.

Therefore, try not to get into the habit of using coupons and then exchanging the item.

See Also: 20 Slick Ways to Save Money at Dollar Tree

Other “Dollar Stores” Have a Different Policy

All Dollar stores do not hold the same return policy as Dollar Tree.

So, if you absolutely hate the idea of only being able to exchange items, you’re in luck.

Family Dollar and Dollar General have arguably far better return policies than Dollar Tree.

The Family Dollar return policy allows you to make exchanges or refunds for up to 30 days with your original receipt on hand.

And, at Dollar General, it’s even better.

You can make a return on most of their items within a 90-day return window.

So, if you think that Dollar Tree’s return policy is absolutely terrible you can always shop at these other Dollar stores.

Plus, it’s worth noting there may be even some slight variation among certain Dollar Tree locations when it comes to their return policy that you should be aware of.

Specifically, when it comes to exchanging seasonal items.

For example, while most Dollar Tree stores have that same exchange-only rule, there may be some restrictions when it comes to exchanging seasonal items.

When in doubt, consider calling your Dollar Tree beforehand and ask if they’ll let you exchange seasonal items.

Ask the Reader: What’s been your experience with the Dollar Tree return policy? Good, bad or indifferent?

By Kyle James

Many companies today offer some sort of employee discount as a way to incentivize their employees to stay. Kroger is no exception. The Kroger employee discount can save you big on groceries, especially if you shop their own in-house brand. So if you’re considering working at Kroger, here’s exactly how their discount works.

Their Discount Breaks Down Into 3 Categories

Kroger offers these 3 discounts for all eligible staff members:

• 10% discount off Groceries
• 15% off Kroger brand’s home goods
• 10% off your Starbucks order located within Kroger.

This means that any part-time or full-time eligible employee that works at Kroger has the chance to use this 10% off discount.

Also, employees must work at Kroger for at least 1 paycheck to be eligible for the discount and you’re limited to using your discount only once per day.

PRO TIP: LOOK FOR HOLIDAY DISCOUNTS

During major holidays like the Fourth of July and Christmas, the grocery discount increases to 20% off Kroger-branded items.

This serves as a great time to stock up on non-perishables for the pantry.

See Also: Does Kroger Take Apple Pay? No…But Check Out This Workaround

Here’s Exactly How It Works

When you get hired, you’ll be given your own Kroger Plus card during the on-boarding process.

This card has your employee discount loaded onto it and will be scanned by the cashier when checking out.

Both full and part-time employees qualify for the discount.

YOU’LL NEED YOUR WORK I.D. CARD

To get your employee discount, you’ll need your work ID card.

Then, when you go to the checkout aisle, the cashier will simply swipe your Kroger card to apply your employee discount to your purchase.

Family Members Can Use the Discount Too

The “official” policy at Kroger is that the employee discount can be used by anyone living in the some household as the employee.

I’ve been told that the cashier will scan your Kroger Plus Card for any family member and typically won’t ask any questions.

This means family members don’t need to live in the same house as the employee to get the discount.

Please correct me in the comments section if your understanding is different than my information.

PRO TIP: STACK YOUR DISCOUNTS

Use your employee discount alongside Kroger’s digital coupons, cash-back offers, and weekly deals.

You can stack these for significant savings, especially on Kroger-branded items.

Also, check the Kroger app for double discounts during holidays when employee discounts increase.

See Also: 11 Simply Smart Ways to Save Money at Kroger

Can You Still Get the Discount After You Quit?

Sometimes.

It really depends on the Kroger store, but many will let you use your discount for up to 2 weeks after you give notice and quit.

Employees Can’t Get a Discount at Kroger Gas Stations

Unfortunately, employees cannot use their Kroger employee discount to save money on gas at Kroger gas stations.

However, an employee can sign up for the Kroger loyalty program to save some money at Kroger gas stations.

BE AWARE OF POSSIBLE PRODUCT EXCLUSIONS

I’ve gotten some conflicting reports on whether Kroger excludes certain products like alcohol, tobacco, and lottery tickets.

I’ve reached out to their corporate office to try and get some answers. I’ll report back and update this article as soon as they get back to me.

If you know something, please leave it in the comments, thanks.

Discount Works at All Company-Owned Stores

You can use the Kroger employee discount at ALL Kroger company stores.

Includes the following:

– Ralphs

– King Soopers

– City Market

– Smith’s

– Baker’s

– Owen’s

– Jay C Food Stores

– Pay Less Super Markets

– Food 4 Less

See Also: The Trader Joe’s Employee Discount is Better Than Kroger’s

Ask the Reader: Do you work at Kroger and regularly use the employee discount? How much money has it saved you?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Phillip Pessar.

For all eligible teachers who sign up, you can save 15% off your entire purchase at Michaels, including sale items. While there are some exclusions to the discount, you can save a lot, especially if you shop frequently at Michaels. So, if you’re a teacher looking to save extra money, read on.

The Michaels Teacher discount is a 15% discount on your entire purchase, including sale items.

All Teachers Qualify for the Discount

All teachers, staff, and faculty Pre-K through Post-Grad within the U.S. can qualify for the Michaels teacher discount.

This includes teachers who work at daycare centers, early childhood learning centers, and home schools, or instructors/ teachers of after schools programs, Boys & Girls Clubs, etc. also qualify for the discount.

See Also: Michaels Return Policy: Get Crafty and Use the Policy Wisely

Steps to Join the Discount Program

If you do qualify for the discount, here are the three steps you can do to gain access to the teacher discount:

1. Create an Account: Log in or create a Michaels Rewards account online.

2. Get Verified: Fill out your information online to get your teacher status verified.

3. Shop: Use your discount online or in-store to save.

Note: Michaels allows you to use a valid educator ID in-store on up to 3 initial purchases if you don’t have the time to register for the teacher discount program online.

You can use your teacher discount for both in-store and online purchases.

For in-store purchases, you simply give the cashier your phone number tied to your Michaels Rewards account and automatically get the 15% off.

PRO TIP: HOW TO USE THE DISCOUNT ONLINE

To use your discount online, you’ll want to sync your teacher status to your Michaels Rewards account.

If you don’t have a Michaels Rewards account, you’ll want to create one to then sync your teacher status.

Then, whenever you login into your Michaels account and shop online, your 15% discount will automatically be applied.

See Also: 50+ Retailers That Hand Out Teacher Discounts

You Can’t Stack Coupons on Top of the Teacher Discount

According to this Reddit thread, started by a Michaels employee, you can only use 1 coupon per item.

So if you’re shopping with a 20% off coupon on “Full-Price” items, that will always trump the 15% teacher discount as it’s a larger discount.

But if your purchase consists of 3 full-price and 3 sale items, the 20% would apply to the full price and the 15% would apply to the sale items.

So the takeaway here is to ALWAYS tell the cashier about your teacher discount so they can apply it to your purchase.

PRO TIP: USE TEACHER DISCOUNT IN CONJUNCTION WITH WEEKLY AD

Michaels releases new weekly deals every Sunday morning, typically valid for 4-5 days.

As a teacher, pair these deals with your 15% teacher discount to maximize your savings.

For example, Michaels often includes deals on storage bins and classroom organization items in their weekly ads, such as “30% Off All Storage Solutions.”

Using your teacher discount in conjunction with these sales allows you to organize your classroom VERY affordably.

Example Storage Bin deal:

Original Price of Storage Bin: $25

Weekly Ad Sale (30% off): $17.50

Teacher Discount (15% off): $14.88

Family Members Are NOT Eligible

Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that family members are eligible to use your teacher discount, especially if making in-store purchases.

However, technically family members may be able to use your Michaels Teacher discount online if you give them access to your Michaels Rewards account.

See Also: Here’s How to Get The Target Teacher Discount

Some Items Are Excluded

There are some product exclusions you cannot use with your teacher discount.

This includes the following:

– Great Buy items

– Clearance

– MichaelsPro Packs

– Custom Framing

– Michaels Photo Gifts

– Beverages & Candy

– Books & Magazines

– Gift Cards

– Classes

– Craft Technology Machines

– Cricut

– Glowforge

– Silhouette

No Annual Discount Maximum Per Year

There doesn’t appear to be any maximum discount on how much you can save per year with the teacher discount.

That being said, you can only use your teacher discount once per day.

Ask the Reader: Do you regularly take advantage of the Michaels teacher discount? Was it an easy process to sign-up?

By Kyle James