How to Save Money Shopping at Dollar General: 10 Top Tips

In the summer of 2023, Dollar General announced that they were launching an exciting new way for shoppers to save money at their discount stores: the DG Cash Back Program. This new rewards program works just like your favorite cash back apps (such as Ibotta and Rakuten) to give you a rebate when you select certain offers in the Dollar General app or on the DollarGeneral.com website. Dollar General breaks ground as the first dollar store to offer a cash-back rewards program. Yet, this is just the latest savings innovation from a store that has a long history of helping shoppers save money. Keep reading for more on how to save money shopping at Dollar General.

10 ways to save more money shopping at Dollar General

From the day Dollar General opened its first store in 1955 in Springfield, Kentucky, its founders, J.L. Turner and his son Cal Turner, strived to keep prices as low as possible. That’s why they capped price tags at an affordable $1. Their store’s $1-or-less concept was such a huge success that just 2 years later, the father-son duo opened 27 more stores together. Soon after joined by a third generation of family, Cal Turner, Jr., Dollar General exploded in growth and continued to grow. Indeed, today there are more than 19,000 Dollar General stores in 47 states around the US.

While increasing supply costs have meant that Dollar General’s prices have expanded beyond the $1 limit, the Turner family’s goal of saving shoppers cash still holds true. That’s why you’ll find the majority of products are priced below $10. And about 25% of the merchandise is still priced at $1 or under.

On top of that, Dollar General offers lots of other ways to help you keep more money in your wallet, including issuing a coupon for $5 off a purchase of $25 or more every Saturday, sales on top of their already low everyday prices and free store pick-up for online and app orders.

Now, to make sure you’re taking advantage of all the many ways to save at Dollar General, our money-saving pros are sharing their savings secrets with you.

1. Save money with myDG savings

Saving a bundle at Dollar General starts with signing up for a free account at DollarGeneral.com and downloading the free Dollar General app. This enrolls you in Dollar General’s newest money-saving program, myDG, which gives you access to hundreds of dollars in savings every week through digital coupons and the DG Cash Back rewards program.

And the savings are huge! In some cases, these offers pay for the whole product you’re buying. “My favorite ways to save money at Dollar General are using digital coupons or cash back to get free items such as toothpaste and toothbrushes,” shares extreme couponer Brenda Rodriguez of TikTok’s BrodieSaves.

An added bonus: Creating a Dollar General account means you’ll get personalized offers based on your shopping habits, helping you save even more on products that you buy most often.

2. Earn & redeem DG Cash Back Program offers

Once you’ve signed into your Dollar General account online or in your Dollar General app, you have access to DG Cash Back Program offers.

The DG Cash Back Program works just like other cash back apps you use (such as Ibotta, PayPal Honey and Rakuten). Simply open the Dollar General app or log onto DollarGeneral.com and select the DG Cash offers you want from the Deals page. After you redeem these offers at the checkout when shopping at any Dollar General store, you’ll receive a rebate in the form of DG cash that’s put into your account’s wallet within 48 hours. You can then apply your accrued DG cash toward future Dollar General store purchases by scanning the barcode in your app’s wallet at the register.

3. Save money shopping at Dollar General with digital coupons

Woman viewing discount coupon on mobile phone (how to save money shopping at dollar general) — grinvalds/ Getty Images

An important way that the Dollar General myDG program helps you save is by offering hundreds of dollars in store and manufacturer digital coupons every week that you can use when shopping in person and for pick-up orders at stores. To find these offers, open the Deals section on the Dollar General app or visit the DollarGeneral.com Deals section. Then, “clip” the digital coupons you want. They’ll be automatically added to your account and deducted when you check out at the register.

4. Stack coupons at Dollar General for twice as many discounts

According to Dollar General’s latest coupon policy, the retail chain no longer offers “overages”, where any value of a coupon that exceeds the price of a product is applied to the balance of the transaction. However, Dollar General does encourage you to use multiple coupons (known as “stacking”) when shopping in stores or picking up orders from stores. For example, you are allowed to use:

2 or more Dollar General store coupons in a single transaction unless otherwise noted on the coupon or promotional art
1 Dollar General digital coupon and 1 manufacturer print or digital coupon per item when shopping in stores
1 Dollar General digital coupon and 1 manufacturer digital coupon per item when using the store pick-up option

For more details about Dollar General coupon policies, visit their Help Center.

5. Save money at Dollar General by shopping on Saturdays

Head to Dollar General on Saturday and you’re sure to save even more. That’s because Dollar General issues a digital coupon for $5 off a purchase of $25 or more every Saturday. And sometimes you’ll find even bigger Saturday DG digital coupon offers, such as $10 off $40.

“I think most people are unaware of the fact that this promotion happens every Saturday,” says money-saving expert Kiersti Torok of TorokCouponHunter.com. “You can literally use this day to stock up on items that you need and use coupons to get automatic savings every week. And while $5 off $25 doesn’t seem like much, when you’re combining that with coupons and getting 60% to 75% off household necessities every week, it can be a huge game changer for any budget! I have followers who say they’ve never had to buy laundry products anywhere else, because they’re always able to get their items for a fraction of the cost during Dollar General Saturdays!”

To find this $5-off coupon, just open the app, tap “Explore digital coupons.” Or go online and visit DollarGeneral.com, then click “Coupons and Deals”. Tap “Add deal” to add the Saturday coupon to your account.

And don’t forget to stack! “The thing that makes Dollar General so great is that it offers another level of stacking with their store coupon,” says Torok. “Now, in order to get that $5 off $25 you have to ensure your subtotal is at least $25 before coupons, but after Dollar General instant savings. However, once you’ve met those criteria, you are able to stack coupons and sales to get a $25 basket of items for, oftentimes, $10 or less!”

To learn more about how to use this weekly coupon. watch this video from
Bree The Coupon Queen:

6. Avoid shipping fees with Dollar General’s free in-store pickup

Woman checking out using coupon (how to save money at dollar general) — bernie_photo/ Getty Images

If you love the convenience of shopping online or with the Dollar General app, but aren’t a fan of shipping fees, there’s an easy way to dodge them: Schedule a store pick-up. It’s free and fast!

Just use the store locator to find out which Dollar General near you offers pick-up service, then select it as your store when shopping. You’ll get an alert when your order is ready. Then, just head there to grab your order from the in-store DG Pickup shelves and be on your way.

Tip: Don’t forget that you can use digital coupons on store pick-up orders, so add available offers before you check out!

7. Snap up Dollar General deals for $1 or less

When you visit a Dollar General store, be sure to browse their “Value Valley” aisle. This is where you’ll find more than 2,000 products priced at $1 or less. These include many of your favorite brand name foods, beauty products and household goods, such as Campbell’s, Colgate, Crest, Dove, Gain, Ghirardelli, Gold Bond, Oreos, Purell and Scott. Shopping online? You’ll find these $1 and under items in their Dollar Deals department.

And despite high inflation, don’t expect these $1 bargains to dwindle. In fact, in 2022, Dollar General actually increased its selection of dollar-priced products.

8. Take advantage of drastic discounts at clearance events

Discount 50% label of sales tag price (how to save money shopping at dollar general) — Inverse Couple Images/ Getty Images

“The best way to save at Dollar General is when they have clearance events,” says Rodriguez. These are 3-day in-store sales that happen periodically throughout the year where prices drop by 50% or more on clearance items that have already been reduced by 25% to 90%.

And, surprisingly, you can save even more! How? By using digital coupons. “A lot of people are unaware that you can use digital coupons with clearance items,” notes Rodriguez. In fact, you can start by cutting $5 off your clearance haul right off the bat. Explains Rodriguez: “Dollar General usually has clearance events on weekends, so you can use the $5/$25 Saturday digital coupon for more savings.”

To find out the dates of the next clearance event that’s happening at Dollar General, follow the retailer on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, or ask your store’s manager for the dates of the next scheduled clearance event.

9. Deploy Dollar General’s return’s policy

You won’t need to worry about trying new products at Dollar General. According to their return policy, if you’re not satisfied with an item you purchased, you can return it within 90 days if it’s still in good condition and you have everything that came with the product, such as original packaging, accessories, manuals and parts.

Merchandise needs to be returned in the method you purchased it, for example, bring the item back to the store where you bought it and if it was shipped to you, it will need to be shipped back. Visit DollarGeneral.com/help-center for more return instructions.

10. Choose Dollar General private brands

Sure, you know that Dollar General offers brand name products at discount prices. Well, the retailer also offers its own versions of these products under its more than 2 dozen Dollar General private brands, saving you even more money. These include:

Root to End: Haircare essentials, such as conditioner, shampoo and styling products
Breeze: Feminine care needs
Clover Valley: Line of food that includes beverages, breakfast bars, cereal, cookies, fresh products, frozen items and snacks
321! Party: Party essentials, such as balloons, decorations, disposable tableware and games
Shavely’s & Sierra: Shaving supplies for women and men including razor cartridges, razor handles and shaving gel
Five Deep Breaths: Calming aromatic products that include body scrubs, mineral bath and foot soaks and shower steam fizzies
Sweet Smiles: A line of sweet candies and snacks, such as chocolate peanut clusters, gummi sharks and yogurt covered pretzels
DG Home: Household kitchen and cleaning supplies, such as brooms, dish gloves, slow cooker liners and sponges
Comfort Bay: Home goods, such as blankets, pillows, sheets, shower curtains, towels and window treatments
Office Hub: Workplace and school supplies that include envelopes, glue, paper, pens and tape
DG Health: Over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen, allergy remedies, cold and flu relief, hydrocortisone cream and ibuprofen
Gentle Steps: Baby care, such as diapers and wipes
Rexall: A collection of over-the-counter healthcare needs including digestive treatments, first aid, footcare and vitamins
Forever Pals: Dog and cat product line that includes beds, bowls, food, litter and toys
NTense Energy: Energy drinks
Smart & Simple: Kitchen needs, such as containers, disposable forks, paper napkins, paper towels and straws
Good & Smart: Sweet and savory snacks and beverages that include coconut water, dried fruit, nuts and trail mix
Believe Beauty: Collection of cosmetics, makeup tools and skincare
Composure: Women and men’s bladder protection products
iMagine: Kids’ school needs, such as crayons, erasers, pencils and pencil sharpeners
Nature’s Menu: A line of natural cat and dog food
Scent Happy: Body care and fragrances that include bath bombs, body scrubs, body washes and fragrance mists
Drive MXD: Automotive needs, such as oil and tire gauges
TrueLiving: Household goods including bleach, facial tissues, food storage, laundry detergent and paper towels
Studio Selection: Collection of personal care products, such as facial products, haircare, nailcare and shaving gel
Heartland Farms: Pet food line of cat food, cat treats, dog food and dog treats
Oh Good!: Supplements including black elderberry, collagen, melatonin and vitamins
Kōze Place: Home fragrances including candles, fabric sprays and room sprays