Savings for either the occasional or regular Target shopper: Tips to extreme shop to score HUGE savings at Target
I am shocked at how much money people lose out on saving because they’re not aware of money-saving store perks. Every shopper who is interested in saving money should explore and be aware of benefits and ways to save money at the store they shop at. Let’s dive into how to save money at Target.
Extreme savings shopping tips
Gift Card Deals
This is where I score HUGE savings at Target – gift cards! Done right, you’ll pay less, and walk out with a gift card.
Target regularly offers deals where shoppers get Target gift cards when purchasing select items. These gift card deals can be combined with manufacturer coupons, Target coupons and you can also pay with a Target Gift Card. In other words, the trick is to combine coupons and gift cards to lower your out of pocket payment
Sometimes people read ‘coupons’ and think that’s too much trouble. Personally, I would often get a coupon and then forget to use it. However, couponing is so much easier since the advancement of technology. Now all you have to do before shopping is check out the coupon offers and deals – all in one place — the Target App or Target.com and clip the coupons you want. Easy.
This Weeks Target Gift Card Deals
Target Circle
Target Circle is the name of Target’s reward program. To join the program all that’s needed is to create a Target account.
Target Circle Earnings are rewards which can be earned by Target Circle members when shopping online or in-store.
When you pay for your purchases with non-RedCard payment you get 1% of what your pay back into your Target account and later use it to pay for what you buy.
If you have a REDcard, you get a 5% discount on your purchase.
Target Circle is either cash back or a discount depending on your method of payment.
Target Circle Benefits
- Redeem your Target Circle earnings reward by applying them to a purchase, in-store or online. No minimum or maximum balance is required.
- Get access to deals and exclusive offers based on your shopping habits.
- Get a birthday gift on your birthday
- Access to Target Circle community and ability to cast votes to help charities
Target Coupons
Within the Target Circle page, you also find Target and manufacturer coupons. It can be daunting how many items are discounted and available on Target Circle. I mean upwards of 600 coupons and discounts! Its best to browse by categories.
Weekly Ad
Every Sunday a new Target Weekly Ad is published. The ad use to be distributed in the Sunday paper. However, since the pandemic it is only available online.
Pro Tip: save time by adding Target’s weekly deals straight to your list or cart. To do this, simply head over to Target and click Weekly Ad, and enter the zip code where you live to find your nearest Target store. Target offers vary by region, and by entering your zipcode you’ll see discounts in your area.
Get the right deal
What I like about the weekly ad online is that clicking on an item will let you see eligible deals per page.
Avoid the surprise of getting to the cashier and find that what you’re buying is not part of the advertised deal.
Target REDcard
Typically, consumers don’t think of credit cards as a way to save money. At Target, the RedCard is an added benefit to save money however. Thus, adding to our list of how to save money at Target is using either the debit or credit card.
Save money at Target with the REDcard’s benefits:
No extra debt
Target has its own branded card, known as the REDCard, that shoppers can use to pay for their Target shopping trip. Remember though, that with all credit and debit cards, the key to using them without getting into more debt depends on how you pay your bills, which is why having a choice of which REDcard you apply for works with you and your budget. When it comes to saving money, the Target debit card saves consumers money because there are No late fees, No interest fees, No annual fees and No credit check. The Target debit card is linked to your checking account, which means that you can only spend what you have, and therefore stay within your budget. In other words it doesn’t add extra debt.
There are two types of REDcard – a debit and a credit card. Determine which one is best for you. However, no matter which one you choose, the benefits and perks are the same.
What are Target’s REDcard benefits?
5 ways to save 5% at checkout
Target shoppers who pay for their purchase using Target’s credit card save an extra 5% either at Target stores & Target.com at checkout. This is a benefit that adds extra savings during seasonal events like the back to school, teacher prep event or clearance. in which there is already a discount. In addition to saving money on merchandise however, you also save money at Target when you eat at the store. The Target REDcard also discounts 5% when you buy something at the in-store Starbucks as well as at Target Cafe! Pizza, popcorn, etc.
Bonus: Don’t forget to get savings when you buy groceries online too. You also get a discount when you use Shipt at Target -Shipt is the grocery shopping service that pays someone to shop and deliver your groceries to your door.
Gift Cards
Buying a gift card? Paying with a Target card when you buy specialty gift cards for travel, restaurants, movie tickets, etc will also save you 5%. Take a look at all the specialty gift card categories (it’s not just Disney):
While 5% may not seem like a lot, any discount is better than nothing. I see it as a way to save on the tax charged on the purchase. For example, if the tax rate in your state is 5%, you end saving that portion of your purchase. In other words, it helps lower your total out of pocket expense.
Discounts on 2 types of subscriptions
Baby essentials are expensive, but when you use Target’s debit or credit card to pay, shoppers get extra savings on Baby Subscriptions: A total of 15% off + free shipping on select diapers, wipes & formula subscription orders. baby registries.
Pay with the REDcard and get a total of 10% savings on essentials subscriptions (household, beauty, pet essentials and more) This is how it works: When you subscribe to get everyday essentials, say for example toilet paper, delivered on your schedule you get a 5% discount. Plus you save another 5% when you use your REDcard to pay. Watch for promotions: Target often runs special promotions where subscribers can get more than the usual 5% when subscribing.
Free Shipping
When you shop online, sometimes the shipping charges are more than the actual cost of what you’re buying. But not with the REDcard: Target shoppers who shop online will also get the benefit of free shipping. This includes free 2-day shipping on some items as well. You don’t have need to have the minimum $35 in merchandise in your cart in order to get delivered for free.
Target Returns
Most stores have a 14 day return policy, but when you pay with the REDcard, you have 30 extra days for returns at either Target store or Target.com. You’re not stuck with a product you don’t want, and you don’t have to rush back to the store or rush to ship it in order to return it within a short time either.
Coupons
On your anniversary, you’ll receive a 10% coupon to use in store. This coupon arrives via email. You can use this coupon with Target store coupons as well. Just make sure you sign up to get Target’s emails. (You’ll also get the latest news about sales and special events).
Early Access
Exclusive to REDcard holders, you can shop early at special events like Black Friday. Target often partners with high end designers and other programs to bring shoppers affordable merchandise. When doing so, they launch promotions which shoppers can only access when they have a Target card.
Promotions & Exclusives
Target always has promotions going on. But some are only accessible to shoppers who have a Target debit or credit card. In addition to new product launches as mentioned above, Target also offers exclusive products that can only be purchased with a REDcard. Different from the partnership product promotions I wrote above, these are products not sold anywhere else, and available only online. To get them you must sign into your account and use Target’s card to pay for it. REDcard exclusives are usually popular items. This is the current target exclusive:
Target is also branching out, offering exclusive travel discounts. A few months ago there was a nice deal on Disney tickets. Currently, you can gets a 10% discount when you pay for your hotel stay with the REDcard on Hotels.com To get the current travel exclusive log in to the Target credit card account and click on the promotional link.
Combine With Other Target Savings
You can combine your Target REDcard savings with Target Circle too. Use Target Circle to save 5-50% on several items in stores or online, and save an extra 5% when you pay with your REDcard. In addition to stacking with Target Circle, you can also use Target store coupons to save more money as well.
Credit Scores
Its good to know that the Target debit card application will not impact your credit score because you are not applying for credit. It is attached to your checking account. When you apply for the Target debit card, Target will verify that the checking account does belong to you, but doesn’t pull your credit history.
How to get Target Debit or Credit Card
No need to go to Target to get a REDcard, apply online. Simply go to Target.com It doesn’t take long after applying to receive the cards.
These are Target REDcard benefits every Target shopper should know about. Remember to use these REDcard credit/debit card benefits next time you shop at Target to save more money.
Seasonal Savings
New school year? This is the time to not only stock up on office and school supplies, its also the time teacher’s can score Target’s annual educator discount.
If you’re a teacher reading this post and interested in free or discounted resources, consider whether Christmas would this be a good time to get some toys or supplies for your classroom for example.
4th of July celebration is also the time to stock up on non-perishable or food with a long shelf life. Charcoal for the grill, cans of food
Think of what are some of the items that go on sale during select seasons. For example, during Christmas just about every type of toy is available. Would this be a good time to stock up on toys for future gifts for birthdays?
Clearance
You can score some pretty steep discounts checking out the clearance section in store or online. Especially online, which lets you scope out a larger selection of items. Clearance items get added regularly throughout the day.
I read somewhere that there is a schedule of inventory items that get selected for clearance at Target. In other words, there’s a day of the week for decor, another for baby items, etc. Nonetheless, clearance items have a percentage discount that increases as time goes on. Usually the longer the item has been in stock, the more the higher the discount.
Another thing to consider regarding what goes on clearance and saving money is seasonal stock. After Valentine’s day for example, there’s a large selection of items related to the lovely holiday besides chocolate. Jewelry, especially heart shaped, “I love you” tend to go on sale. These make beautiful gifts for occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries to name a few.
The clearance section after holidays and other celebrations is a great way to spruce up seasonal decor for the next year.
Target and shopping portals
In addition to the above methods, shopping through shopping portals is the ultimate in combining and stacking savings. Shopping portals are virtual shopping malls that pay members cash back when shopping online. The membership is free and there is no fee for withdrawing or redeeming cash back earned.
Shopping portals make their money from the merchant. In this case its Target. Popular cash back apps such as TopCashback, Mr Rebates, RebatesMe, Rakuten, Ibotta (to name a few) offer cash back on the total amount you pay at Target. Therefore, after combining all the methods described above, shop through a shopping portal, and get extra savings.
If you’re not familiar with shopping portals, read this article.
Bonus Tip: cash back sites generally have a sign up bonus for new members, which you can see here.
To shop at Target through shopping portals, first create an account using the custom link for sign up offers or referral code. Then simply search for Target. Click on the Target link to head to the Target website and shop as normal. After a couple of weeks, cash back is credited to your account and ready to cash out.
I hope these tips help you find huge savings at Target.
Happy savings, TaLis
