Ask your extreme couponing friends to name some of their favorite stores for huge savings, and you’ll hear Target over and over.
With nearly 2,000 stores in the U.S. alone, Target is a major player in the discount retail space. In addition to low prices, Target boldly offers customers a wide array of tools intended to save them even more money at the register.
Here are nine no-fail methods for keeping more cash in your pocket at Target.
Watch for hot deals.
Target doesn’t make you jump through hoops to find amazing deals. In fact, they make it ridiculously quick and easy if you’ve got Internet access.
Visit Target’s website to click through the weekly circular and get the details on Target’s many weekly deals.
You can also grab a comprehensive listing of current promotions. The list includes free shipping offers, department sales, Target gift card offers, buy-one-get-one (BOGO) offers, free gifts with purchase, money-off deals for hitting specific spending thresholds, and a listing of promo codes.
Cartwheel your way to savings.
Cartwheel is Target’s popular and free app that makes quick work of landing big savings.
Once you download the app, scan through current special discounts. Target promotes hundreds of offers a week with savings up to 50% off.
Then simply select your favorites. Cartwheel conjures up a personalized barcode for you that your cashier can scan directly from your smartphone at the register.
No smartphone? No problem!
Tap into the power of Cartwheel on your computer or tablet, choose the deals you want, and print a coupon at home to bring to the store. Present it at checkout to cash in with Cartwheel.
Don’t just Cartwheel once! You can typically use a Cartwheel deal up to four times before maxing out your savings. Get four bottles of shampoo, four pairs of shoes, or four of your favorite snack foods – all with a Cartwheel discount.
Make RED your new favorite color.
If you’re a frequent Target shopper, seriously consider adding a Target REDcard to your wallet.
The REDcard is available to Target fans in two flavors – a credit card and a debit card that links to your personal checking account.
Whenever you check out with your REDcard, you’re automatically entitled to special benefits reserved only for card members.
First, you receive 5% off every online and in-store purchase. You also get an extra 30 days for returns. Plus, you’re eligible for free shipping on almost everything you buy online with no minimum purchase required.
Stack coupons extra high.
If you’re used to stacking manufacturer’s (MFR) coupons with store coupons at other retailers, you’ll be thrilled to see how much extra stacking you can do at Target.
Like most stores, Target lets you stack one MFR coupon with one store coupon per purchase. In addition though, you can combine those coupons with a Cartwheel deal and a discount for using your Target REDcard.
That’s right. You can stack four discounts on a single item.
You don’t need a calculator and a lot of free time to figure out the best combinations of sales and coupons either.
Instead, just follow deal-tracking sites to see what coupon stacking opportunities are available at Target this week and month. They’ll tell you exactly which sales and coupons to use together – and where to get those coupons.
Looking for even more great coupons?
Click and print directly from Target’s coupon site. Download the Target app. Always check the bottom of your Target receipt when you check out, since you’ll occasionally find some high-value coupons hiding out there.
Of course, be sure to read Target’s coupon policy for the complete list of couponing rules.
Score free gift cards.
Yes, totally free.
Take a look in Target’s circular or scan store shelves and you’ll likely spot some extra special deals. They usually look like this:
Buy 2 boxes of diapers and get a $10 gift card . . . or . . . Spend $15 on cosmetics and get a $5 gift card.
When your transaction is complete at checkout, your cashier will hand you your receipt and your shiny new Target gift card. Just for picking up your favorite products, you’re gifted some Target cash to spend or give away as a gift.
Make it rain.
If you’re a coupon fanatic, then you’ve been here. You’re pumped up for a great sale, you skip into the store, and . . . you find the shelf totally cleared of your product. It’s devastating.
No worries – Target frequently offers substitute products at the same price as the sold-out item and hands out rain checks when your sale item is out of stock.
As an added bonus, rain checks are viable in store for a whopping 45 days after issue, while sales are typically here and gone in a week.
Subscribe to save.
Did you know that you can get many of your favorite staple products delivered to your door while enjoying discounts through a special program called Target Subscriptions?
Why keep dragging the kids to the store every time you need more paper towels, toothpaste, dog food, and more?
Set it and forget it by automating your frequent purchases through Target. Target Subscriptions allows you to sign up for home delivery of thousands of products for baby, grocery, household, health, beauty, personal care, pets, and more.
Best of all, you save 5% off the price of every item in your subscription queue – or 10% if you use your Target REDcard. Plus, you get free shipping on every order.
To get started with this program, simply head over to the Target Subscription login page. There, you can start a new subscription, modify subscriptions, change the quantity you receive this period, skip a delivery, change your delivery schedule, and cancel subscriptions.
To make the process even easier, Target sends you an E-mail before each subscription shipment goes out so that you can see the current price of your items and get a link to tweak your order if you need to.
Here’s a nice perk. Target Subscription items are free to return – both in store and in the mail.
Sleuth out the Target markdown schedule.
Knowing when to shop is key to getting the best possible price. If you’re waiting for the price of your favorite clearance rack items to drop, it pays to know Target’s unadvertised markdown schedule.
Target slashes prices on clearance items each weekday, but some departments see price breaks earlier in the week than others.
Craving new shoes? Hit the store on Thursday. Looking for a winning book? Monday’s your day.
Of course, your store’s schedule might be different. Check with a Target employee or keep a careful eye on prices to learn your store’s clearance markdown days.
Cash in with price matching.
Got a case of post-purchase sticker shock? No longer! Enjoy Target’s price match guarantee to continue to save even after you buy.
Target lets you price match on both in-store purchases and orders placed through Target.com, so long as the lower price is offered within 14 days of your original purchase date.
For in-store buys, skip the customer service desk and head straight to a cashier to initiate your price match. Just bring in the relevant circular. You can also use your mobile device to show your cashier the online price or the competitor’s digital ad. Be sure to have your original purchase receipt or packing slip to prove your purchase amount.
For online purchases, getting your price match means giving a call to Target’s Guest Services hotline.
Target has an unusually generous list of retailers whose prices it’ll match. Online retailers that Target matches include nearly 30 selling giants like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohl’s, Walgreens, and CVS. (You can see the full list on Target’s corporate site.)
You can also look to brick and mortar competitors and even Target itself. Watch for in-store Target price changes and Target.com deals within the price matching window.
Did you know? Target allows you to use MFR coupons after you get your price match to lower your final purchase price even further. Keep in mind that you can’t apply Target store coupons, gift card offers, or Cartwheel deals after a price match. (Read the fine print here.)
Target’s coupon-friendly policies, deal-saving online tools, and unique approach to price slashing make it a favorite destination for new and veteran couponers alike. The next time you’re looking to maximize your savings, try some of these easy tips for smart spending at Target.
Photo courtesy of Target
