Rachel Cruze: 20 Ways To Save at Target
As Target has most of what you need under one roof, it can be a popular place to browse the aisles and land deals, including items in the famous “Dollar Spot.” Unfortunately, it’s also where you can easily buy things you don’t need and spend more money than you planned if you’re not careful.
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Rachel Cruze, a financial expert and Dave Ramsey’s daughter, is known for her helpful shopping and budgeting advice. In a September 2021 YouTube Video, she offered these 20 tips that can save you money at Target.
1. Go on the Right Day
Target has a schedule for discounting certain departments from Monday through Friday, so Cruze suggested planning your shopping days accordingly. Here are the departments you can expect to be marked down each day:
Monday: Stationery, books, electronics, baby items, children’s clothes, accessories and electronics.
Tuesday: Food, women’s clothes, domestic items and pet accessories.
Wednesday: Lawn and garden items, furniture, health and beauty products, men’s clothes and diapers.
Thursday: Home decor, housewares, toys, luggage, shoes, lingerie and sporting goods.
Friday: Jewelry, cosmetics, car items and hardware.
2. Take Advantage of Price Adjustments
If Target advertises a lower price on the exact item you recently bought, you may get some cash back. The store typically has a 14-day price adjustment policy that you can take advantage of with your receipt and proof of the cheaper price. Currently, that deadline is extended to Christmas Eve — simply head to a checkout lane for in-store purchases or call 1-800-591-3869 if you bought the item at Target.com.
3. Ask About Matching Competitors’ Prices
While shopping at your local Target, check the store’s website and competitors’ ads/sites for cheaper prices. If you find a better deal, Target may match the price at the checkout lane. Target’s website includes a list of qualifying competitors such Amazon, Kohl’s and Best Buy, as well as exclusions. Plan to bring a printed ad or pull up the retailer’s website to show proof.
4. Decipher Clearance Codes
Cruze suggested looking at Target’s yellow and red clearance stickers, as their markdowns are often as much as 70% off. You can expect the prices to keep dropping, so it may be worth waiting if you’re not worried about the item going out of stock. She also noted that if a clearance price ends in $0.04, it likely will not get any lower.
5. Know the Holiday Clearance Schedule
If you’re willing to buy holiday items after the fact (or to save for next year), you can save significantly. According to Cruze, candy and food items will be 30% off the day after a holiday, 50% off after four days and 70% off after a week. Other holiday items are discounted by 50% on the day after and 70% after four days.
6. Shop in the “Dollar Spot”
Target’s “Dollar Spot” can have some great deals, especially on toys and gift items. However, Cruze cautioned that you should check the prices carefully since some items can cost much more than $1. Also, watch your spending — several cheap items grabbed on impulse can lead to you paying more than expected at checkout.
7. Become a Target Circle Member
Sign up for Target Circle to receive coupons through the Target app, get 1% in rewards on purchases and receive a 5% birthday discount. The program is free, and you’ll just need to provide your registered phone number or scan the app’s barcode at the checkout.
8. Sign Up for Registries
Starting a Target wedding or baby registry can help save money through gifts from loved ones. However, you might not know that it also gets you a 15% discount on two Target purchases. You’ll just need to be a Target Circle member and wait for this offer to appear the week of your wedding or eight weeks before the baby’s due date.
9. Bring Bags
Bringing reusable bags can net you a small discount of $0.05 per bag on each Target shopping trip. Along with enjoying the small savings, you might prefer having fewer plastic bags to deal with at home as well as helping the environment.
10. Shop on Target’s Website
As long as you stick to your shopping list, using Target’s website could save you cash versus going in person. You might also find it easier to organize items and avoid impulse purchases when you’re not physically browsing the aisles.
11. Check Out Shopping Apps
When making online Target purchases, Cruze recommended using the Honey app or browser extension. It can find and apply promo codes plus give you 0.5% back. You can also try the Fetch app, which lets you scan receipts from Target and other stores to earn points redeemable for various rewards.
12. Avoid Buying Multiples When Possible
When you see an offer to buy two items for, say, $5, you might think you can’t just buy one for $2.50. However, Cruze said you might still get the discounted price on a single item. Read the shelf tag or sign carefully to see the price per item. That way, you can buy only as many as you need and still score a discount.
13. Wait Until After Christmas for Toy Shopping
Unless you need urgent gifts, consider waiting until January to shop for toys since that’s when Target has a major sale on them. There’s another toy sale in July. Cruze suggested taking advantage of these sales to buy gifts for birthdays or the next holiday season.
14. Get a Target RedCard
Applying for the Target RedCard is a great way to save since it nets you a 5% discount on Target and in-store Starbucks purchases. While there’s also a credit card version, Cruze recommended the debit card that works with your existing bank account, as you won’t have credit card interest to worry about (though you should still always watch your spending).
15. Pay With Cash
Using cash versus a payment card offers multiple benefits, including better control of your spending and no extra fees or interest paid. While you would miss out on the Target RedCard rewards, Cruze explained that using only cash may be a good idea for those who are working on budgeting. The physical nature of cash might also just help you spend less.
16. Get Discounted Gift Cards
If you sign up for the Target RedCard, keep in mind you can use it to get buy gift cards with a 5% discount. Target’s selection includes gift cards for major physical and online stores, restaurants, travel providers, entertainment and even cell phone providers. They can be a good way to save on your everyday purchases and special occasions such as vacations and holidays.
17. Return Unused Items
Target’s typical return policy is one year for its branded items, 120 days for RedCard purchases and 90 days for most others. Cruze said not to hesitate about returning unused items before the deadline. In addition to mailing online returns, you can take the item to the store or use the Drive Up service. Having your receipt is always recommended.
18. Use Target’s Trade-In Program
Like Amazon and Apple, Target has a trade-in program for used electronics, including phones, fitness trackers and tablets. If your item qualifies, you can ship it for free or take it to your local Target’s electronics department to receive an electronic gift card — just be sure to visit Target’s website to check for eligibility and get a quote. Cruze also recommended comparing that quote to what other platforms, including eBay, might offer.
19. Be Disciplined
It’s easy to go to Target for one item and end up with a full cart. That’s why discipline is important, so that you don’t shop beyond your budget or make emotion-driven purchases. Be sure to consider the long-term financial effects of the purchase.
20. Listen To Other Shoppers’ Advice
Lastly, Cruze discussed listening to advice from other Target shoppers who practice discipline. These include stories from people who are limiting their spending, avoiding retail therapy and working on building their savings. Consider also asking people you know about their tricks for finding Target deals.
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Target, with its expansive stock of lifestyle goods, can be a very conventient location for your daily, weekly, or monthly shopping needs. Yet it can also be a tempting location to easily spend too much money and too much time if you go in without a plan. Utilize the tips and tricks above to make the most of (and spend the least during) your shopping experience!
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