10 Ways to Save Money at Target

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Each week, Columbia SC Moms Blog features ways for you to save money in our Sunday Saver series.

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Oh Target, how I fantasize about you in my suburban mother’s mind. Who knew you could save me money too?

Ah, Target … the subject of many a suburban mom’s fantasy.

Mine involves a cart full of new bedroom accessories, beauty products and a Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade.

Alone.

But let me interrupt that fantasy and share this — Target is actually a great place to save money on groceries and essentials!

Tips for Maximizing Savings at Target:

1. Create a registry.

If you are expecting, getting married or moving into a new home, register at Target. They will send you a discount to cover the items you didn’t receive from your registry (after the expected date has passed). And once you’ve registered, Target has your address and they periodically send awesome coupons right to your mailbox.

2. Use Cartwheel.

You have diapers in the cart anyway, might as well save a little bit of $$ while you are shopping. Cartwheel is a program that offers up to 30% off certain items at Target. You can select offers and use the percentage off discount at Target in addition to stacking a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon, offering the potential for some really great deals!

Cartwheel can be used as an app on your smart phone or you can select offers after signing into your Facebook account and going to the Cartwheel website via their Facebook page. If you use the app on your phone, you can select the offers you think you want and have the cashier scan the bar code on your phone. It’s. That. Simple. I try to take a look at the contents of my cart before I leave the store to add any savings to my Cartwheel app, as I rarely shop at Target with a list. The app changes frequently, so it’s worth it to check every time you go.

3. ย Get a REDcard.

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Save 5% on every purchase using your REDcard. It may not seem like a lot, but the savings can really add up!

The RedCard is Target’s store card and has two options — a credit card or a debit card that works like a check by drawing from your checking account. The advantages are you can save 5% on every purchase you make using the card, you can receive free shipping when you order online and cardholders enjoy 30 extra days for returns (some restrictions may apply). Yes, we know credit cards can be a bad thing, but if you pay the balance off each month there’s no harm.

Bonus: you can use your REDcard in conjunction with Cartwheel for more savings!

4. Pay attention to the “Buy XYZ, get an XYZ dollar gift card” signs throughout the store.

I took advantage of a deal the other day on Suave Rosemary and Mint shampoo (which is my absolute favorite shampoo). I bought four and got a $5 gift card to use in a future transaction. The best thing about the deal? The coupon machine at the register spit out a $2 off coupon for a Suave shampoo purchase. I can use it on my next purchase, and get another gift card (and be set on shampoo and conditioner for the next year)!

5. Shop the end of aisle caps for clearance items.

There are some truly great buys to be found at Target when you shop their clearance items. They are almost always located at the end of the aisle closest to the wall (opposite from the main aisle). Towels, toys, beauty items, wrapping paper, home goods … whatever you can image, you can almost always find some variety at the end of aisle caps.

Note: Don’t skip the actual aisles themselves for discount items. Develop a keen eye for the red and white stripped clearance tags which can sometimes be found among regular priced items on the aisle.

Additional Note: Target clearance is sent to Goodwill periodically. All of the Targets in the area send their clearance items to a Goodwill in Greenville, where they are priced and sent back to the local Goodwill stores. Beware of these clearance finds at Goodwill however; you’ll often get a better deal if you find it at your Target!

6. Bring your own reusable bags for a discount.

Receive $.05 off your purchase every time you use a reusable bag.
Receive $.05 off your purchase every time you use a reusable bag.

Target will give you $.05 back every time you use a reusable bag. That means that if you use six bags, youโ€™ll end up getting $.30 back. It may sound like a small amount, but every little bit counts (and it’s money you can use towards splurges like the Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade — it’s seriously soooo good! — without feeling guilty). You’re also doing your part to help save the environment. A win-win in this mama’s book!

7. Take advantage of Targetโ€™s price match policy.

Target offers a price match guarantee. This means if you have their competitorโ€™s weekly ad with a lower price you can save a few dollars. Itโ€™s definitely worth keeping your eye on the sales flyers of Targetโ€™s competitors, like Walmart, Best Buy, Babies R Us, and more.

8. Sign up for their subscription program.

Have items you know you’re going to need all the time? (Hello diapers!) Sign up for their subscription program and save 5%. Items are shipped to you automatically based on a schedule you set. There’s no hassle of having to go to the store (remember that screaming toddler?), and you can make changes easily before the item ships if you need to. Forget to cancel a shipment? No worries. There’s free shipping on all returns or you can bring the item back to any store.

Bonus: You can use your REDcard to save an additional 5%. Shopping has never been so easy!

9. Get a refund when items go on sale.

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Discover an item you bought went on sale a few days later? Target will refund the difference.

Ever buy an item only to discover it went on sale and you missed out on the savings? Target will refund you the difference for the week that itโ€™s on sale.

In addition, they will match the price if you buy an item and find the identical product for less within seven days at Target.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, ToysRUs.com, BabiesRUs.com or in a competitorโ€™s local printed ad. Bring in proof of the current lower price and your receipt. Guest Services will take it from there.

10. Know Target’s markdown schedule.

To take advantage of the best deals Target has to offer, know their markdown schedule and shop accordingly:

  • Monday: Baby items, childrenโ€™s clothing, electronics, and office supplies/gift wrap/stationery
  • Tuesday: Home dรฉcor, womenโ€™s clothing, and domestic items
  • Wednesday: Food, health and beauty items, menโ€™s clothing, toys, and garden items
  • Thursday: Lingerie, housewares, sporting goods, shoes, and luggage
  • Friday: Cosmetics, jewelry, hardware, automotive, and home improvement

Hopefully, armed with this knowledge, the next time you come home with a trunkful of Target merchandise, you will have saved enough to buy yourself your own Passion Tea Lemonade (and maybe more)!

Got any Target tips? Share them with us in the comments!

5 COMMENTS

  1. We have a “gift closet” that is full of Target clearance items, some that came from
    Target and others that came from Goodwill. My husband and I are always amazed by the “clearance items” at Walmart because they are NOT discounted the way that Target’s are.

  2. You forgot Target coupons! You can print coupons from their website, and these can be used with Cartwheel and the Red Card. They often have coupons available for items in Cartwheel, so it’s double savings. Also, the week before some holidays, they usually put out a $10 off $50 grocery purchase coupon.

    • Yep, Target is really great about stacking coupons. But to get coupons you have to plan ahead, which I’m really not good at doing when I go shopping at Target.

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