Style Clothing Shopping Guide 15 Essential Target Shopping Tips That Save You Money These shopping secrets will help you save time and money on Target items. By Susan Brickell Susan Brickell Susan Brickell has been with Dotdash Meredith since 2019. She is currently a Senior E-commerce Editor for Travel + Leisure. Previously, she acted as a Senior E-commerce Editor, most notably spending time on Shape, Health, InStyle and People. She began at Dotdash Meredith as a Senior Editor on Shape and Health's edit teams, leading shopping content for both brands. Highlights: * Previous Senior Editor for Shape and Health for nearly two years * Contributed 300+ articles to Shape and Health Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 10, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Target is many people's definition of happy: It's a place where you can buy all the stuff you need, from groceries to cute throw pillows. It's easy to spend hours getting lost in its aisles, and we all know what happens after that. You go in for a tube of toothpaste and leave the store having spent $200. So, why not save a few bucks where you can, and go in prepared? Below, find a roundup of shopping tips for those of us (read: most of us) who throw willpower to the wind when we enter those red doors. This Surprising Target Section Is Where I Find All My Home Decor Favorites 01 of 15 Utilize Target's Unofficial Price Markdown Schedule. Target's unofficial schedule for reducing prices per department is as follows:Monday: Electronics, Accessories, Kids Clothing, Books, Baby, and StationeryTuesday: Domestics, Women's Clothing, Pets, and Market food itemsWednesday: Men's Clothing, Health and Beauty, Diapers, Lawn/Garden items, and FurnitureThursday: Housewares, Lingerie, Shoes, Toys, Sporting Goods, Decor, and LuggageFriday: Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, and Jewelry 02 of 15 Use Target Coupons. Target has mobile coupons available to be sent directly to your phone, and the Target app gets 10 or more new coupons each week. Happy shopping! 03 of 15 Download the Target App. It's Free. The Target app offers weekly deals and includes Cartwheel discounts where you could save 5-50 percent on hundreds of items in-store and save an extra 5 percent when you pay with your RedCard. Download the app here. 04 of 15 Opt for the Target RedCard Debit Card. Does the thought of racking up credit card debt make you nervous? Us, too. For those who don't want to commit to another credit card (ugh), Target offers a RedCard debit card that links directly to your bank account and allows you to save an extra 5 percent every time you shop at Target. You still have to be willing to let Target collect data on your shopping habits, but there's no interest on charges or having to remember to pay your card off monthly. Oh, and did we mention that RedCard debit card holders receive an EXTRA 30 days to return nearly all items purchased on their RedCard at Target and target.com? Brush up on additional RedCard benefits here. 05 of 15 Avoid Going In-Store for Free Returns. Return purchases by mail for free with a prepaid mailing label provided by Target through your account online. 06 of 15 Return Items Like Opened Makeup (GASP!). Most beauty products bought in stores or online can be returned, even if opened, within 90 days of your receipt. Take that, Sephora. 07 of 15 Brings Items to Target for Price Matching. If you find an item in a competitor's ad or find the same item on another shopping platform, bring it to Target; they'll match the advertised price. *Opens Amazon app on phone.* 08 of 15 Shop Target Via Instagram. By searching #TargetStyle on Instagram, you can access a gallery of cute, curated shoppable IG photos, which once clicked will take you directly to the Target website so you can read reviews and make a purchase. 09 of 15 Bring Your Own Bags. At most Targets, for each bag that you bring in to use, you will receive $0.05. 10 of 15 Learn How to Code Clearance. According to many Target-obsessed bloggers, clearance items that end in $0.06 or $0.08 will be marked down again during the next markdown cycle, as long as there is inventory in store. The item will typically remain at the current percentage off for two weeks before the next price cut. Price tags ending in $0.04 have been marked down for final clearance, and this is the lowest price at which Target will sell the product. 11 of 15 Discover the Cheapest (Read: Best) Deals From Home. We all know that some of the greatest finds at Target are the marked-down items on their infamous aisle end caps. And now, you can shop the clearance section on target.com. 12 of 15 Request a Price Rain Check. If you find an item on sale that you wish to purchase, but the store runs out of stock, you can request a rain check. The rain check entitles you to that same sale price for the next 30-45 days, which varies by state, and can be used at any Target store. 13 of 15 Subscribe and Save. Save 5 percent on everyday essentials delivered on your schedule when you subscribe. That means never running out of toilet paper again. We got this adulting thing down. 14 of 15 Score Free Gift Cards for Your Old Electronics. Target makes it super easy to trade in phones, tablets, games, consoles, and wearables—and you'll get a gift card as payment. 15 of 15 Choose Target for Your Registry. When celebrating a life event, like getting married or having a baby, Target is there for you. By creating a registry, you'll receive a 15% off coupon valid for one transaction at a Target store and a 15% promotion code valid for one target.com order. So, don't panic when no one purchases the baby crib on your list. The 15% discount is valid toward the remaining items on your registry and expires six months after your event date. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit