Saving Money at Target: 11 Tips & Tricks
Target is one of the most popular retailers in America.
And although Target superstores often have good prices, sometimes getting the best deal possible requires knowing some tips and tricks.
If youâre looking to stretch your budget further and grab a great deal at Target, use these 11 tips on how to save money at Target.
How to save money at Target
There are several great ways to save money at Target.
Some are specific to Target, like taking advantage of the Target RedCard and the Target Circle Rewards Program.
Other strategies are more general, like comparison shopping or timing your shopping to align with sales.
By combining several of these strategies, you can maximize your savings.
1. Use the Target RedCard
The Target RedCard is a financial product that you can sign up for that rewards you for shopping at Target. Youâll get 5% off every purchase you make at Target and Target.com as long as you use the RedCard to pay.
You can even get 5% off third-party gift cards (the discount doesnât apply to Target gift cards, however). That means that you could buy restaurant gift cards at Target, for example, and save 5%.
Thatâs not the only benefit of the RedCard, though. Here are some of the perks of signing up:
- 5% off all purchases at Target (online and in-store)
- 5% off Starbucks locations inside Target stores
- Free two-day shipping on thousands of items on Target.com
- Extended return time (30 extra days to return most items)
- RedCard exclusives like special offers and free gifts
- No annual fee
- Free to sign up
The RedCard comes in two versions: A credit card and a debit card.
The credit card allows you to make purchases and pay them off immediately or over time. Youâll pay interest if you choose to pay charges off over time. The way you use the credit card may also affect your credit score.
The debit card connects to your existing checking account, allowing you to spend money in your account directly. Thereâs no interest and no effect on your credit score.
2. Join the Target Circle rewards program
Target Circle is a free rewards program available to anyone who shops at Target. It was originally called Target Cartwheel, and itâs now available in the Target app and at Target.com.
Through this program, target offers 1% back on each shopping trip at Target or Target.com. So if you spend $100, youâll earn $1 to use later at Target.
Thereâs also a birthday coupon for your special day, Circle-exclusive deals, and more. It takes just a minute to sign up.
Unfortunately, Target Circle 1% rewards donât stack with the RedCard 5% discount.
3. Use the Target Price Match Guarantee
If an item you just bought goes on sale after you purchase, Target will match the new price within 14 days.
For example, letâs say you buy an air fryer for $119.99. A week later, Target puts the same model on sale for $99.99. You could go to Customer Service and get a $20 refund, matching the new lower price.
And Target will match certain competitorsâ, like Walmartâs, pricing as well. So if you spot a lower price on the same model at a different store (or online retailer), you may still be able to get the price adjusted.
Price Match works at the time of purchase as well. If a competing store publishes a sale price on a specific item, but youâd prefer to buy it at Target, you can request Target to match the price.
Check out the full details of Targetâs Price Match Guarantee here.
4. Comparison shop + price match
Target is a great place to shop, but better deals are sometimes available elsewhere.
Savvy shoppers are wise to comparison shop at a few different stores. You can do this by physically going to multiple stores or simply checking online prices or weekly ads ahead of time.
If you do find a better deal elsewhere, you can either buy from the retailer who has the better deal or utilize Targetâs price matching policy (see hack #3 above).
By price matching, you can get the best price available â without having to drive all around town.
5. Use coupons â and stack them!
Coupons are a great way to save money at most stores, and Target is a particularly good retailer for couponers.
This is because Target allows for what is known as âcoupon stacking.â
Essentially, this means that you can use multiple coupons on the same item.
There are rules for how this works. Specifically, on each item, you can use:
- One manufacturer coupon (paper or digital)
- One Target store coupon (paper or digital)
- One Target Circle offer (digital)
You can read the full Target coupon policy here.
In theory, you can use up to three coupons for any given item. Of course, you canât always find multiple coupons for the items youâre looking to buy â but when you do, the savings can be significant.
Even without coupon stacking, coupons can save you a lot of money at Target. Check your Target Circle account for personalized discounts and research manufacturer coupons for brands you love. You can also check the weekly Target ad to see if there are any coupons available.
For online shopping, find the latest Target promo codes here.
6. Know the Target clearance schedule
Target is known by budget shoppers as a great place to watch out for clearance deals.
Knowing the Target clearance schedule can help you plan ahead and know which sections of the store to browse on which days.
Here are some of the days that Target shoppers have noticed are frequently used for clearance items:
- Monday: Books, electronics, baby, childrenâs clothing, and accessories
- Tuesday: Womenâs clothing, pets, and grocery
- Wednesday: Menâs clothing, diapers, lawn & garden, furniture, and health & beauty products
- Thursday: Housewares, shoes, sporting goods, and decor
- Friday: Automotive, cosmetics, jewelry, and hardware
This schedule is not official, so clearance at your local store may vary.
7. Do holiday shopping early â or late
Around the holidays, thereâs always a big rush by shoppers to find what they need for gifts and celebrations. Retailers know this, and they tend to raise prices around the holidays.
Some of the best sales are found before the holiday season â like on Black Friday â and after
the holiday season â such as on New Yearâs Day.
After Christmas, holiday-themed decor, gifts, and items like wrapping paper are deeply discounted. If you have the time and the budget, stocking up for the next holiday season after this season concludes can help you save big.
8. Use Brickseek to find markdowns
Want to find markdowns/clearance items and confirm whether something is in stock at Target at the same time?
You can use a website called Brickseek to accomplish both goals at once.
Brickseek is primarily a Target inventory checker. This means that it helps you determine whether a specific item is in stock at your local Target. But it also displays discounts and markdowns that are store-specific.
If there are multiple Target stores in your area, itâs worth using Brickseek to check inventory and prices at each location.
9. Shop Target.com
In recent years, Target has substantially expanded operations at Target.com. Today, the website aims to compete with online retailers like Amazon by offering millions of items that can be shipped straight to your door.
The website also has online-only deals from time to time and has a wider selection of items than most Target stores stock.
An online purchase at Target.com can either be shipped to your home or picked up in-store at the customer service counter.
10. Use a cash-back credit card
If you donât use Target RedCard, the next best option is to use a cash-back credit card.
Many banks offer credit cards that give you cashback on every purchase you make. For instance, a card may give you 1% back on each purchase or may earn airline miles that you can use for free travel.
The Target RedCard (see hack #1) offers 5% back, so it will save you more than other credit cards will.
11. Know Targetâs policies
Itâs useful for frequent Target shoppers to be aware of the various Target policies that could potentially save you money. Here are some policies to keep in mind:
Rain check: If Target is running a sale, but the item is out of stock, you can request a ârain check.â This essentially means that you can buy the item later (once itâs back in stock), at the advertised sale price â even if the sale has ended.
2-for-$X pricing: You may see sales at Target stating something like âBuy 2 for $5â or similar. But you donât have to buy multiple items to get that price. In this case, you can buy 1 of those items for $2.50, which is the same per-unit price as buying 2 for $5.
Coupon stacking: As discussed in tip #5 above, Target allows you to stack coupons for additional savings.
Reusable bag discount: In many Target stores, you can get a $0.05 discount per bag when you bring your own reusable shopping bags to use.
Return policy: For frequent Target shoppers, itâs helpful to understand Targetâs return policy. Most Target purchases can be returned within 90 days of purchase, and in some cases, you can even return items without a receipt.
Target Deal Days: Target has a seasonal multi-day sale known as Target Deal Days. This usually takes place over two to three days in the summer or fall and features excellent deals on all sorts of items.
Registry deals: Target allows you to set up a Target gift registry, baby registry, or wedding registry to celebrate your special day. And in many cases, Target will send out a discount code shortly before the day of the event, which you can use to save up to 15% on any remaining items in your registry.
Conclusion
Knowing how to save money at Target is mostly about becoming familiar with Targetâs policies.
Store policies like price matching and coupon stacking can save you big bucks, while Targetâs RedCard and Target Circle rewards programs can save you money on each and every Target purchase.
To save money on all your purchases, be sure to utilize CouponFollow for the latest coupon codes and savings tips!