9 Home Office Items You Should Stock Up on at the Dollar Store

Before this year, working from home was something of a rarity for many people—the result of a random cold or really bad weather, or perhaps an inconvenient delivery or repair you couldn’t reschedule. Depending on your living situation, you might not have even owned a desk… that is, until you suddenly found yourself tasked with outfitting a home office. While working from home may be a necessity right now, it may become a more mainstream option in the years to come. 

That instant shift doesn’t come without some key pain points, such as how some remote workers are left footing the bill on office supplies that came standard in many office settings. While it may seem worthwhile to splurge on a new printer or office chair, you don’t need to break the bank on everyday supplies and office accessories. Dollar stores offer various quality goods you can put to use and implement in your home office. 

We rounded up eleven useful home office supplies you can source from dollar stores. You’ll never have to worry again about keeping your home office stocked, organized, and looking stylish. 

Most financial and market experts agree: Dollar stores offer fantastic deals on paper goods, and saving money can help you brush up on your note-taking skills. Putting pen to paper can be a great way to take notes during Zoom meetings and keep track of your daily tasks. Furthermore, using a notebook to do certain work can give your eyes a much-needed break from a computer screen.

Buy:

• Wide-ruled 1-subject notebook at Dollar General ($1)
• Wide-ruled 3-subject notebook at Dollar General ($1.85)
• Wide-ruled notebook paper, 125 sheets, at Dollar General ($1)

Desks can get messy quickly, but staying organized is essential in maintaining a healthy relationship with your work. Thankfully, there are unlimited options for staying organized, whether you like to store your pens in a mug or a drawer, or your papers in a folder or a basket. You can find almost any type of organizer at your local dollar store for $10 or less.

Buy:

• Gold iron rectangular basket at Dollar Tree ($1 per unit)
• 3-drawer cart at Dollar General ($13.50)
• Holographic magnetic organizer cup at Five Below ($3)

Many office workers keep a photo frame of loved ones and pets on their desks at work. Why not keep the tradition alive in your home office? You can find a vast array of photo frames in quality, color, and size at most dollar stores. If you purchase one in person, I recommend checking the jolts of the frame to ensure it’s secure. 

Buy:

• Black wooden picture frame at Dollar General ($2.50)
• Silver picture frames at Dollar Tree ($12 for 12)

Utilizing head space for storage can be a great solution if your home is lacking in square footage. When I finally replaced my 12-year-old chunky hutch desk with a smaller desk from Ikea, I realized I had no idea where to store all my books. I didn’t have the space for a bookshelf, so I opted for a cleaner look by utilizing floating shelves from Five Below. While there was definitely a learning curve when it came to their installation, they work just as well as almost any other shelf on the market. 

Buy:

• 24-inch bracket wall shelf with hooks at Five Below ($10)
• 15-inch decorative wall shelf at Five Below ($5)
• White floating shelves from Dollar Tree ($24 for 24)

Keeping a dry erase board above your desk offers an easy way to stay on top of the big to-dos of the day. You can even use it as a motivational board, whether you decide to write a quote for the day or the goals you want to achieve that week. I still use the dry erase board I bought from Dollar General during my freshman year of college, so it definitely holds up well.

Buy:

• Dry erase board with pen from Dollar General ($1)
• Framed dry erase board from Five Below ($5)
• Dry erase markers from Dollar Tree ($1 per pack of four)

A new planner may seem meaningless after the delays and cancellations that marked 2020, but staying organized and keeping up with your goals can help you find and plan for meaning in your everyday life (including after work hours). Dollar store planners like the ones above are simple and fulfill their purpose just fine.

Buy:

• Assorted undated planners at Family Dollar ($5 each)
• Assorted planners at Dollar General ($3)

There is no such thing as too many pens—and stocking up means you might actually be able to find one when you need it. You can find various brands of pens at any local dollar store, sometimes for half the price of pens from general retailers. You can even stock up on the coveted gel pens, which always seem to write so much more smoothly than their standard counterparts.

Buy:

• Inc. Clipclick black ballpoint pens at Dollar Tree ($1 for pack of eight)
• BIC Round Stic Xtra Life black ballpoint pens at Dollar General ($1.50 for pack of 10)
• Xtreme Smooth assorted color gel pens at Family Dollar ($3 for pack of eight)

Whether you have overhead lighting or plenty of natural light filling your space, a lamp is a necessary addition to any workspace. Extra light will help keep you motivated and productive into the afternoon and early evening. Dollar-store lamps are typically smaller in size than their name-brand counterparts, but that doesn’t mean they skimp on light. 

Buy:

• True Living accent lamp at Dollar General ($7)
• LED gooseneck desk lamp at Five Below ($5)

If you are anything like me, then you might struggle to even keep succulents alive. Faux plants can spruce up your workspace without the worry of remembering to water them. You can buy them in bulk online from Dollar Tree for a minimum of eight units (the equivalent of $8), and never have to worry about missing a watering day again.

Buy:

• Floral garden mini faux succulents at Dollar Tree ($1)
• Mini faux succulents at Five Below ($4 for 3)