Target is the post grad sanctuary. It has everything: groceries, wine, cute clothes and accessories, home goods, cleaning supplies, and a lot of the time you can catch these items on sale. Target is truly a one-stop shop. What makes it even better is the amount of money you could possibly save while there. Below are my top 5 tips for saving money at Target.
1. Get the Cartwheel app.
Target’s free app Cartwheel is a great resource because it is, as Target says: “hundreds of coupons in your pocket, all neatly organized and accessible.” The coupons range from 5% off Target brand and name brand items to possibly 50-75%. New items are constantly be added and you can great deals.
2. Know the weekly markdown schedule for each department.
Different departments are marked down on different days of week. Planning your Target trip according to what items you need could help you save the most money on the items on your list. The schedule follows:
Monday: Electronics, accessories, kids’ clothing, books, baby, and stationery
Tuesday: Domestics, women’s clothing, pets, and market (food items)
Wednesday: Men’s clothing, health and beauty, lawn and garden
Thursday: Housewares, lingerie, shoes, toys, sporting goods, decor, and luggage
Friday: Auto, cosmetics, hardware, and jewelry
3. Target Red Card.
The Target Red Card comes in two options – credit or debit card. I opted for the debit card because a credit card to Target sounded dangerous. With the debit card, it comes out of your bank account just like your normal debit card does, but the perk to this is – there is no annual fees and you get 5% off your entire purchase every single time, free shipping when you buy items online and you get an extra 30 days for returns.
4. Check the numbers at the end of the clearance markdowns.
Be sure to take a look at the sale items with those wonderful little red and white stickers. If the price ends in $0.06 or $0.08, the merchandise will be marked down again. So the next time you visit, it could be even cheaper. And if the price ends in $0.04, it is marked down for final clearance – so be sure to grab it!
5. Download the Target app.
Not only does the Target app show you the current ad, but it also has coupons you can use with the Cartwheel app and your Red Card. Plus, there is a scanner. So, if you find a cute blouse that would be perfect for work but they’ve run out of your size, you can scan the tag and it’ll tell you if stores nearby have it (or in other zip codes if you want your bestie in grab it for you).
