I know what you mean. I'm very picky about pens and I hate pens that skip. I also hate those cheap stick pens with blue ink. I would never buy pens or markers at a dollar store. I'd rather pay $3 for a pack of the black fine tip Sharpie pens. Sharpie pens are different from the markers in that they're made for writing notes on paper and don't bleed.
I agree with you both. For how often I need to use a pen during the day at work and at home, I don't want it to be running out. I also think that those cheap blue ones not only function poorly - but they LOOK cheap. Some people get those to hand out at an event or for their staff and I think it doesn't look good.
I love dollar stores and I always go to 1 or 2 of them before going to the grocery also. Between shopping at dollar stores and cutting coupons I'm certain that it makes a substantial difference in my finances, verses shopping at the higher priced or convenience stores first.
I usually get my stuff at the dollar store because I'm already there buying other stuff and I don't like to run around too much. But those deals at Walmart sound too good to pass up on. I don't get out to Walmart very often, but now that back to school shopping is coming, I might as well take advantage of it.
It works the same way for me. I'm always able to find ways to save through office supplies because it is most often that they are the ones where you have an alternative to buy. The price difference can be rather huge. I once saw a branded stapler at a regular store costing $30 and almost equally the same quality of a stapler at $5 in a bargain store. $25 dollars is definitely not a bad amount to save.
No, I go to the Dollar Store for these items. I don't see the point of spending a fortune on items I can get for a dollar. I'm a writer, and I write my stuff on paper before typing it. So I go through a ton of pens and paper. If I went to an office supply store to refill my supply I'd probably spend $20-$30 when I can spend $5-$10 at the dollar store for the same quality of stuff.
