The Best Ways to Save Money at Target!
I am going to share a few secrets for saving money at Target that I have picked up over the years!
In my day job, I visit a whole lot of retail stores, including Target.
Using a few tricks key tricks, you can successfully save a lot of money at Target!
1. Check the upper right hand corner of a sale tag. It will indicate what the percent off is, in case you haven’t had your second third cup of coffee for the day, or just don’t feel like doing math. I typically do not purchase an item unless it is 70% off. Only 30% off? SMH, nope–that isn’t going in my cart unless it is an absolute necessity!
2. Download the Cartwheel app. Target will offer an additional discount on various products. Target runs their promotions on a Sunday-Saturday schedule, so companies who run promotions outside of a Sunday-Saturday promotion often run through Cartwheel. The store will likely not advertise all of the items that have a Cartwheel discount. Vendors can use Cartwheel to run promotions that differ from Target’s ad schedule (Sunday thru Saturday). For example, a company may be running a national campaign that begins on a Thursday, so they run the beginning of the promo on the Cartwheel app until the in-store promo begins on Sunday.
3. Walk every aisle, and check the back endcaps! Clearance items in home, toys, health and beauty aids, and even food are typically on back endcaps. The clearance endcaps are the back of the aisle, farthest away from the main aisle. It will typically say CLEARANCE and then indicate the percentage off. Although an endcap may indicate it has items only 30% off, it is actually 30% off OR MORE, so I usually take a few moments to browse for hidden treasures.
4. Plan ahead. I scour the sale racks and purchase clothes well in advance of when my boys need them. As seasons end, the clearance rack gets better and better. By being patient and continually checking the clearance racks throughout the year, I have scored new t-shirts for $1.25, shorts for $1.50, and long pants for $1.50-2.00! Those are cheaper than thrift store prices! I look for clothes that are too big for my kids now, so I will have stock on hand as they grow and I will not be rushing out to get pants when they suddenly have growth spurts. When I spot a 70%+ off item that is relevant to me, I scour the surrounding area for the same item in a different color or size as well.
5. AS IS: Some of the BEST finds are online purchases that did not work out and customers returned them to the store. The store typically wants to get rid of them as soon as possible and will mark down the prices to over 85% off! I found an infant insert for my Ergo carrier for less than $3, when they retail for $24.99!
Check out this stool I found for 88% off! Target marks items “AS IS” typically when they have only one or two and will not be receiving any more in their store since it was a return from an online purchase.
6. Buy seasonal items after the holiday or season ends. Score home decorations, wrapping paper, and gifts for up to 90% off! Right before a holiday, Target typically begins a 30% off sale. Immediately after the holiday, all of the seasonal items are reduced to 50%, then in a few more days they are reduced to 70%, then just over a week after the holiday they will reduce to 90%. SCORE. That is the time to stock up on wrapping paper, holiday cards, and home decorations for the following year. After Christmas, in addition to the Christmas wrapping paper and bows I got for 90% off, I also grabbed some Hanukkah bows (various shades of blue and silver) and use those year round on birthday gifts.
7. Target REDcard. Their store credit card offers 5% off all purchases online and in store, free shipping on most items, and an extra 30 days to return items. I tend to shy away from having too many credit cards, but if you are a regular Target customer this could be a good option.
These are my top money saving tips for Target! Do you have any special tricks you use to save money in Target? I would love to hear from you!