Personal Finance

30 things you can buy for a dollar

Written by Kathleen Elkins; edited by Libby Kane

2015-07-26T16:30:00Z

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18970964028_f4531a4b55_o — You can find dollar pizza all over Manhattan. Nuno Cardoso/flickr

While a dollar won't get you two movie tickets, 20 bottles of Coca-Cola, or six McDonald's burgers like it used to, you can still get quite a few fun and practical things out of it.

We surfed the internet and did some exploring in New York City to find the best options for your four quarters.

Here are 30 ways to spend your dollar:

A new razor every month with the Dollar Shave Club.

Subscription startup Dollar Shave Club will give you two stainless-steel blades and five cartridges per month for just $1. Business Insider tried the service — check out our review.

A slice of pizza in NYC.

A meal will cost you a fortune anywhere else in New York City, but not at the dollar-pizza joints. Check out 2 Bros Pizza or 99¢ Fresh Pizza for an inexpensive and delicious slice.

A song from iTunes.

If you're into the latest hits, you'll probably have to shell out $1.29, but you can still find songs for $.99 on iTunes. Blogger Len Penzo recommends sorting by song title instead of popularity to find the cheaper versions.

A small coffee at McDonald's.

You can get a small premium roast hot or iced coffee for $1.00, or upgrade to a medium for and extra $0.50.

Ten 4x6 photo prints at Walmart.

They're only $0.09 each! If you're looking for something larger, 5x7 prints will cost you $0.58 each.

An extra half-mile in a NYC taxi.

That equates to roughly 10 blocks.

Source: NYC.gov

Various e-books on Amazon.

If you have a Kindle, and you're into mystery and suspense, or sci-fi and fantasy, you're in luck.

A beer during happy hour in NYC.

Try Turtle Bay in NYC for dollar-beer Wednesdays.

10 meals for men, women, and children facing hunger in the US.

Every dollar you donate through Give A Meal will provide 10 meals to hungry Americans. The organization offers different donation suggestions, but you can also choose a specific amount of money you wish to give.

A souvenir penny.

Most penny-pressing machines will charge you two quarters, such as the one at Disneyland, plus the penny you choose to elongate.

Angry Birds Space and other games on iTunes.

The most basic version of Angry Birds Space is free, with the option of making in-app purchases starting at $0.99. Read Business Insider's review of the game.

Seventeen minutes of street parking in Manhattan.

It will cost you $3.50 an hour if you're parking below 96th street.

Source: NYC.gov

A ride on the Boltbus. (If you book early and get lucky.)

Tripper and Megabus also offer $1 tickets to those who book far enough in advance, according to an expert traveler who shared his tips with The New York Times. A $1 ride isn't guaranteed, but certain strategies can improve your odds.

A change of address through the US Post Office website.

If you need to change your address or forward your mail to a different address, you can easily do so online for a fee of $1.05. You'll also receive a bunch of coupons from retailers such as Lowes, Target, Best Buy, and West Elm.

One-third of a gallon of gas in California.

shell gas station — Consumers purchase gasoline at a gas station as a plane approaches to land at the airport in San Diego, California October 8, 2012. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Regular gas is going for about $3.43 a gallon in California (as of July 2015).

Source: Energy Almanac

A bottle of cheap wine in Italy, France, or Spain.

Most grocery stores and markets offer a variety of cheap bottles, several of which you will find for under €1.

Source: Lonely Planet

An oyster during happy hour in New York City.

A bunch of spots in the city will give you an oyster for a dollar if you're there at the right time, such as The Wayland, The Mermaid Inn, and Crave Fishbar, to name a few.

A case for your iPhone.

us flag, iphone, phone accessory, accessories, protection, protect, protective case, patriotism, american flag, us flag, sales, product display, port authority, nyc, sept 2011, business insider, dng

There is an option to filter your search on eBay for products under $1.00, and there are more case choices than you might think. Try Amazon as well.

Fun knick-knacks and school supplies at Target.

money target shopping — Get your money, people. Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters

Most Targets have an awesome "Dollar Spot" at the front of the store.

A Wendy's small classic frosty.

The classic frosty (chocolate or vanilla) is $0.99. You can also get a Jr. cheeseburger, a crispy chicken sandwich, and a four-piece chicken-nugget pack for under $1 each.

Two postage stamps.

A stamp for a one-ounce letter costs $0.49.

Five bananas at Trader Joe's.

Head to Trader Joe's for one of the best produce deals out there: $0.19 bananas.

A trip to the museum.

Many museums offer free admission or a pay-what-you-wish policy, including New York's Metropolitan Museum.

One (or several) used books.

Check out thrift stores or used-book sales for cheap paperbacks under a dollar. Use Book Sale Finder to find used-book bargains at book sales held by libraries and other nonprofit organizations.

A greeting card.

Head to the Dollar Store, as greeting cards elsewhere can get pricey.

A movie rental on iTunes.

Track the iTunes $0.99 movie rentals of the week here.

Hand soap.

You can find this household essential on the shelves of most stores for $1 (look for Dial). You can also find liquid or bar soap on Amazon for under $1.

Shampoo.

You can also find shampoo for under $1. Some of the lower-priced brands, such as Suave Naturals, generally cost $0.89 at Target.

The daily paper.

While Sunday paper prices are heftier, many local newspapers sell for $1 a day Monday through Saturday, such as The Charlotte Observer.

A pair of sunglasses.

For cheap shades, eBay and Amazon are the places to go.

Kathleen Elkins

Investing Correspondent

Kathleen is a correspondent at Insider, covering investing and the path to financial freedom. She started her career as an editorial intern at Business Insider in 2015, covered personal finance at CNBC Make It for four years, and returned to Insider in 2021. She graduated from Williams College in 2014 and currently resides in Los Angeles. Follow her on Twitter at @kathleen_elk.