Target is the kind of store that inspires a rabid following. It’s a one-stop shop with stylish products and something for everyone. They’ve been making themselves into even more of a one-stop shop in recent years by adding groceries and more. There are several different types of Target stores, including Super Target and City Target, but your money-saving techniques will work at all of them. Target is also a store where you can easily save a lot of money without trying all that hard, which makes it a great match for savvy shoppers.
Cartwheel App
The easiest way to save money at Target is the Cartwheel app. It’s been around for a few years and it was one of the first in-store shopping apps that really worked well, so they’ve sort of pioneered the retailer mobile app sector. Signing up for Cartwheel is a very simple process. You can sign up with either Facebook, Google or email. The gist of the app is that you add offers to “My Cartwheel” either before you go to the store or while you’re shopping and have the cashier scan the barcode on your phone’s screen when you check out. You can find these offers in a few different ways. One way is to browse the “Offers” tab. This shows you all the available coupons, and they’re arranged by category. You can also search by product. For instance, you can search “lipstick” and see all the different lipstick offers. Or, if you’re already in the store and have exactly what you want in your hand, you can scan the barcode to see if the item you’re buying has a coupon available. Be sure to check the Cartwheel website as well, because there are some offers there that aren’t on the app.
Coupons at Target
Target is extremely coupon-friendly. In fact, they’re one of the more coupon-friendly retailers in the country. You’re even able to stack coupons, and their policy is very accommodating. The rule is that you can use one manufacturer coupon, one Target coupon and one Cartwheel offer total. Manufacturer coupons can be found online and in newspaper ads. Target coupons can be found in their mailed ads as well as in newspapers, and they also print out in store with your receipt. Sometimes, when you catch things on sale and also have several coupons for them, you can even get them for free. Be careful, though, because Target’s coupon-friendly status also makes them a big target for coupon fraud.
Make sure you know the rules inside and out and always follow them to the letter. If you’re using coupons at Target often, it can be good to keep a copy of the official policy on you in case you encounter a cashier who doesn’t know the rules.
Free Target Gift Cards
Another excellent perk Target offers is free gift cards with purchase. They’ll offer $5 or $10 gift cards with the purchase of specific items, and most of the time you have to buy several of the item to qualify. This program is what introduces the concept of “moneymaker” items. When an item is on sale, plus you have all three types of coupons, plus you’re getting a gift card just for buying it, sometimes the gift card ends up giving you money back. Be selective with what you use your gift cards on. When you’re able to use them on something that rarely goes on sale, you can get a good deal on an item you might not normally be able to.
Shop Target Clearance
Target has great clearance sales. First of all, they have huge clearance sections after the holidays. Target is a holiday-shopping destination, so they have a lot of product and they devote a lot of space to it. Most Target stores have several aisles that are dedicated to the current season’s products, and they’re always revolving. This means they’re going to have a lot of product left over after the holidays too, and they always want to get rid of it fast. These elements add up to very steep discounts.
Take a clearance trip in the days following Easter, Halloween and Christmas, especially, even if only for the 90 percent off candy. Target also has regular clearance all the time. Look around at the end caps in the backs of departments to find the new clearance items. It’s often kind of haphazard and messy, but it can certainly be worth a quick dig.
Target Red Card
Last, but definitely not least, is the Red Card. The best thing about the Red Card is that you can get either a credit card or a debit card. The credit card is just like any normal credit card, where you have to go through an approval process and get an inquiry on your credit report. There’s no annual fee, though.
With the debit card, it’s just attached to your checking account and purchases come out automatically. The Red Card gives you some really great perks — 5 percent off every single purchase and free shipping online no matter what. Five percent may not feel like much, but if you spend, for instance, $1,000 at Target in a year, you’ll save $50. This is basically free money you’re saving if you were going to be shopping at Target anyway.
You can also sign up for pharmacy rewards and save 5 percent on the first prescription you fill. Pharmacy rewards also send you coupons by mail sometimes.
