This Dollar Tree Cereal Container Hack Is An Affordable Way To Organize Trash While Traveling

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If you're embarking on a multi-hour road trip (or regularly devouring a lot of snacks in the car), garbage is bound to build up. Whether you usually hang a plastic bag from the gear shift, stuff bits of refuse in the cupholder, or throw it all on the passenger seat floor, there's a better way to deal with the junk in your car. Dollar Tree's Surefresh Professional Oval Dry-food Containers make perfect mini garbage cans and start at the ultra-low price of $1.50. 

Designed as cereal containers for storing dry goods, these bargain finds perform even better outside the pantry. All you need is a small garbage or single-use shopping bag, and you've got a convenient trash can that will keep your car a little more organized. Most importantly, each bin comes with a flip-top lid. While we wouldn't recommend stowing malodorous rubbish like a tuna can for multiple days, the container will stop smells from spreading for a reasonable amount of time. 

The plastic bins come in two sizes: 54 ounces and 114 ounces. They aren't huge, but there's enough space to stow candy bar wrappers, used straws, napkins, and other bothersome pieces of litter. Each container is made of translucent plastic and comes with a dark-colored lid. They provide a budget alternative to the Rubbermaid Modular Cereal Keeper at a fraction of the cost and rank among the most important items for your next road trip.

As pantry organizers, the Surefresh containers don't get the best reviews, but they earn high praise outside of food storage. Some customers are concerned that they don't have a recycling code number to indicate whether they contain Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that has been linked to decreased fertility and other ailments. However, road trippers won't be eating out of their makeshift trash cans, so this shouldn't be a problem.

Famed budget-oriented life hacker Kathryn Snearly of Do It On A Dime shared the Dollar Tree car garbage can hack with her 2.43 million YouTube subscribers. She highlighted the product's overall excellent value and added a few useful tips. For example, fold up a few extra small shopping bags at the bottom of the container so you won't run out of bags in an emergency. She also places the can on the backseat floor, which means it's out of the way but still easy to reach. 

From the toiletries section to the food storage aisles, Dollar Tree is an underrated stop for budget travel shoppers. These Dollar Tree finds transform into travel essentials with a simple hack, and you can buy Dollar Tree staples like trash bags or aluminum foil for these DIY camping hacks that can instantly improve your outdoor adventure. You don't have to pay a lot to make travel a little easier.