Marc Serafino
If you are like me, you love visiting Target. More than their website — which is also nice — I enjoy browsing their stores on a regular basis. For big savings, we go to wholesale clubs, but for more “mundane purchases,” we gravitate towards Target. There’s nothing wrong with Walmart; we just happen to love closer to a Target store.
And we also like our frugal lifestyle that help us buy more stuff and see new places more often. So we’ve rolled up our sleeves, did an extensive research and prepared the following list…
13 Easy Ways to Save Money at Target
We go from the most obvious tips to those that are seldom used…
1. Check out the deals
While in the store, go for the wall-facing end caps, which are the shelves at the end of the aisles, to find items marked way down — look for the ones marked “Clearance.” On the Target.com website, you can browse these sections: Clearance, Weekly Ad, Top Deals and Printable Coupons. Between those pages you should be able to find something you need.
2. Know when to shop
Depending on what you need, you should visit Target on a different day. This is because Target marks down certain departments on specific days for clearance, and knowing that schedule can help you find the best deals. On Monday, you should shop for electronics, accessories, kids’ clothing, books, baby, stationery; on Tuesday – check out domestics, women’s clothing, pets, market (food items); on Wednesday – men’s clothing, health & beauty, diapers, lawn & garden, furniture; Thursday – housewares, lingerie, shoes, toys, sporting goods, decor & luggage; and on Friday – auto, cosmetics, hardware, jewelry.
3. Price matching
Target isn’t a wholesale club but it will offer price matching on certain items and from certain merchants. The company says it will match the price if you buy a qualifying item at Target then find the identical item for less at Target.com, select online competitors, or in Target’s or competitor’s local print ad. Price matches may be requested at time of purchase or price adjustments within 14 days after purchase.
4. Go green with a reusable bag
And Target will reward you with 5 cents off your purchase. In other words, this eco-friendly policy provides customers with “a 5-cent discount for each reusable bag they use.” So if you visit Target 10 times a month, you’ll save 50 cents. It’s not much, but it’s a nice touch (it rhymes!) and the right thing to do.
5. Take advantage of Target registry services
They are designed to help you organize for big events in your life, while also providing you with savings. For instance, with the baby registry – you’ll get a 15 percent discount eight weeks prior to your event date; with the wedding registry, the same discount is provided after the event date, along with coupons for family and friends. Finally, those using the college registry get a coupon for 15 percent off when they shop for remaining registry gifts online (two weeks before the event date).
6. Check out the Dollar Spot
Typically located right at the entrance to the store, Target’s Dollar Spot is a great stop for serious bargain-hunters. Items in this section are often just $1 but can be as much as $2 or $3. What’s more, some items can be even marked down from there, and you’ll end up paying cents for them.
7. Use coupons and pre-owned gift cards
You can find many great deals at Target but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for more. Search for Target coupons online, on Google and on sites like Retailmenot.com and Slickdeals.net. Also, grab a pre-owned Target gift card at Gift Card Granny and Raise to shave a few additional percentage points off your bill. (Related: 7 Gift Card Hacks to Help You Save Money)
8. Stack those coupons
Speaking of coupons, Target lets you use stack them to save even more. The company will accept its own coupons, those issued by manufacturer as well as its own Cartwheel discounts. Between various savings, the math can get a bit complicated but the time you put into this is well worth the effort. And before you know it — you’ll be doing this without too much thinking. Also, make sure to check your bill after the checkout — in some cases it could include a valuable coupon you can use on your next purchase.
9. Trade-in gift cards from other retailers
If you enjoy shopping at Target, you may want to trade-in gift cards from other vendors for those issued by Target. The company has such program in place and will accept a number of competing and noncompeting gift cards, including those issued by Walmart, Staples, Best Buy, Gap, Home Depot, Zara and many others.
10. Consider the REDcard
There two kinds of REDcards – a debit card and a store credit card, both of which will get you a few handy benefits, including 5% off every purchase, free shipping on purchases at Target.com, and 30 extra days on returns. If you’re gonna get the credit card, try making regular monthly payments without carrying too much balance from one month to the other — cause it comes with a rather hefty APR of 23.65%.
11. Install the Target Cartwheel app
Look for Cartwheel offers and save them; then you can use them while in the store alongside other coupons for extra savings. Initially, you can use up to 10 offers per transaction, but with continued use – you can unlock “badges” that will get you access to even more offers. Speaking of which, they are released on Sundays, though there are some high-value offers that pop up randomly throughout the week. Many come with a time limit, so you better act quickly.
12. Follow Target on Social Media
This is where you can scoop additional deals and coupons. Target is present on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube. Make sure to follow, like and subscribe to their stuff and be among the first ones to know when the deal is on.
13. Use a cash-back site
Ebates is the number one website for getting cash-back on many of your purchases. Right now, it is offering 1 percent cash-back on select online purchases from Target.com. Also, the site lists few Target deals so you may want to check it out. Generally speaking, you should use Ebates for just about anything you buy.
Conclusion
Target is arguably one of the most-liked stores in the U.S. and it also has good prices. Not warehouse-like good, but decent nonetheless. With the tips outlined in this article, you can save a ton.
Some of these tactics will require an extra work — especially at the beginning — but they’re all worth the effort. And before you know it, you’ll be buying the stuff you need and saving money at the same time. Good luck.
P.S. If you have something to add, feel free to drop your two cents in the comments form below.
