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Address: 1707 Eye St. Bakersfield, Ca 93301 Member Since: March 10, 2008 Last Signed In: October 07, 2008 Profile Views: 345 Blog Views: 8204 Free gas Tuesday Oct. 7! Escaping reality with Halloween? Book flights now for holidays Home Depot slashing prices Get coupons for digital TV Speaking of deals during the fair Fair on the cheap — can it be done?? Free day at two museums with card Free Kern County Fair entry! Get free roses while you can! March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 What questions should we pose? Do you know a deal we should share? Tell us. Growth and Economy Team leader: Christine Peterson, cpeterson@bakersfield.com, 395-7418 Assistant team leader: John Cox, jcox@bakersfield.com, 395-7345 
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I found the 99 Cents Only store
Location:
2690 Mount Vernon Ave,
Bakersfield, CA
After my blog last week about a colleague sharing the joys of 99 cent and dollar stores, I pretty much had to go check one out. So Sunday, I ventured to the 99 Cents Only store on Mount Vernon Avenue. The first thing that struck me? All the slips of paper flying around the parking lot. Seemed like every receipt was flying around. That, and the place was PACKED on Mother's Day. But I was undaunted, and had to see what the store sold for myself. The ground rules (set by me): Buy only brands you recognize. Spend $20 tops. Buy only what you will use in the next week. I spent $5.29, with tax. I bought two bottles of Langers juice, each 99 cents. I bought tissue paper for gift wrapping for 99 cents. I bought a big package of table napkins for 99 cents. And I bought a package of cookies for 99 cents. (Oddly, or not, that's where I broke a rule. I didn't recognize the brand, but I did know the city, Los Alamitos, where they were made!) What will make me go back? Gift wrap and party goods. They had a huge selection of gift bags, mostly for 59 cents, that would cost $3 or $4 in a high-end store. They had tons of bows and wrapping paper and tissue paper. — Christine Peterson 11 comments from 8 users
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posted by
randomfactor
on May 14, 2008 at 08:09 AM
Sodas and luncheon meats. They can have some very good produce bargains on specialty items but you've got to select carefully. Tender, very thin asparagus when the other stores have those kindergarten-pencil stalks... posted by
steveeswenson
on May 14, 2008 at 07:43 AM
Don't you guys go ragging on my favorite store. This is where I buy candy -- Baby Ruths, Dots, Three Muskateers, Butterfingers, Junior Mints and more. Plus alkailaine batteries, car deoderants, Extra gum and peanuts. In the world of high prices, this is a blessing. From God. That outrageously expensive dollar store is the work of the devil. posted by
catpaw
on May 14, 2008 at 07:10 AM
I've never had a reason to worry about food at the 99-cent store. Best time to shop is when it opens (that's almost any store) at 7:45 AM. It's easy to keep track of how much I'm spending while I shop. Just count the items, multiply by a dollar, allow for sales tax. The store saves me money. The color of the help is not a consideration. Money's green, what other color line matters? posted by
NancyII
on May 13, 2008 at 09:28 PM
Potatoes, butter, Shasta soda, Hormel tamales, Cambells soup, Spaghettios...all perfectly fine. posted by
bakonative
on May 13, 2008 at 04:51 PM
Definately watch the expiration dates. And I rarely buy food items, even canned. Just the party goods is all I generally get. posted by
randomfactor
on May 13, 2008 at 04:45 PM
They all speak English as well. Heavily-accented, to be sure. posted by
OldBlue56
on May 13, 2008 at 04:37 PM
You went to the 99 cent store on Mt. Vernon, on a Sunday? Now you know what it feels like to be in a foreign country. Did they at least have one English speaking cashier to check you out? posted by
pamg
on May 13, 2008 at 04:17 PM
I wouldn't buy ANYTHING that goes into my mouth, at a 99 cent store, regardless of who makes it or where it came from. Just before Christmas, a 99 cent store or Dollar Tree sold some kind of candy, (I believe it was peanut clusters), made and packaged here in the good ol' USA, that was old. And the package was full of spider eggs and webs. posted by
gube
on May 13, 2008 at 03:56 PM
Just a couple of months ago a name brand toothpaste from the 99 cent stores where taken off the shelves because of lead.... posted by
NancyII
on May 13, 2008 at 03:43 PM
Gube's right...Always look on the packages to find where they were made. You can't beat them for gift wrap, bags and cards. Sandwich bags, trash bags. They really are amazing. posted by
gube
on May 13, 2008 at 03:28 PM
You have to be careful when buying name brands because some are counterfeit from China.......
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