9 easy ways to save at Target

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1. Manufacturer Coupons

Targets does accept manufacturer and printable coupons like most major retailers. Target does follow the limitations that are written on each manufacturer coupon.

2. Target Store Coupons

Target offers printable coupons directly from their website.  These can be used with Manufacturer coupons and the Cartwheel App. Target printable coupons can be found at here.  You can only print two coupons per device (computer, phone or tablet).

3. Target Mobile Text Coupons

Advertised– Most weekly Target circulars will have a coupon than you can cut and use in store. If you look at the coupon it will normally advertise that you can save for instance, $5 off a $20 specified brand when you text SAVE to TARGET (827438).

Non-advertised– Most weeks there is also unadvertised mobile coupons which you can find listed on signs throughout the store.

Some mobile coupons will be a dollar amount of a specific product such as $1.00 off any Dove item.  Some coupons are department specific such as save $5 off any $25 personal care purchase.

All mobile coupons have a limit of one per transaction.

4. Cartwheel App

Target has their own savings app available for most smartphones. I love this app so much that I created a separate post (here) about how wonderful it is, but here are the basics.

  • Cartwheel has both percentages off and manufacture coupons directly from your phone.
  • Once you load the coupon to your Cartwheel you then have the cashier scan your barcode for your savings to be applied.
  • Cartwheel percentage coupons can be combined with Target coupons AND manufacturer coupons! That means triple the savings!
  • Want to learn more about Cartwheel? Check out my Cartwheel post.

5. Gift card promotions

Each week Target will offer a gift card promotion on several products. Such as, receive a $10 gift card when you buy 2 packs of diapers. These promotions will typically follow the sales week (Sunday-Saturday) so you typically will only have that week to save with each specific promotion.

6. CLEARANCE, CLEARANCE, CLEARANCE!

Did I mention clearance? This is my favorite way to shop for most items at Target!

You can find clothes, household products, toys and much more marked all the way to 70% off and sometimes higher than that! One of my favorite activities is grabbing a coffee and walking the aisles of Target to spot clearance within the aisles and the end caps.

I do understand that not everyone has time to scope out every Target in their area, or even one. I want to encourage you to build relationships with peers in your community. Ask friends and family members to keep an eye out when they see items on clearance.

7. Price Match

Target will price match any item on their website or competitor’s prices if it is below the price of the item in store. I try to make a habit of checking the major retailer’s websites (Walmart, Amazon, etc…) before checking out to ensure that I am getting the lowest price possible.  If you happen to purchase an item and then realize that it is cheaper with one of their competitor’s prices, then Target will honor within 14 days.

“We’ll match the price if you buy a qualifying item at Target then find the identical item for less at Target.com, select online competitors, or in Target’s or competitor’s local print ad. Price matches may be requested at time of purchase or Price adjustments within 14 days after purchase.”

8. Reusable bag

If you bring your own reusable bag for checkout then Target will take off .5 cents off your total purchase!

9. Target RedCard

If you are a frequent Target customer, I would recommend signing up for their red card. Target offers both a Target RedCard debit card and a Target RedCard credit card. If you sign up for their Debit card it links directly with your own bank account so it is just like using a regular debit card. I personally am not big on credit cards, so when I saw that Target offered debit cards, I said “sign me up”!

Each time you use your Target RedCard you will save 5% off on top of all the other savings that Target offers.

 

Whew!  I know that was a lot of ways to save, but once you get familiar with how to save at Target you will never pick up another item from Target without checking for a coupon or savings on Cartwheel and become a Target savings master!

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DIY: Bathroom Reno Under $300!

DIY Household

I  had our main level half bathroom on my “to-do list” since the day we bought our home. It initially had “lovely” navy, gold, and burgundy wall paper that was removed the first few months after moving into our home. At the time I opted to just paint with some leftover paint in the garage, hence the brown. It was not our first choice, but I didn’t want to spend money to repaint and remodel the bathroom so brown it was.

I had been looking for some Pinterest inspiration and ran across this photo. I knew with the small space we were working with that I would only be able to incorporate a few of these inspirations.

Off to Home Depot we went…

First order of business was to remove all photos, mirrors, the old sink, mirror and tape around the existing crown molding. As a learned tip, remove your base boards before painting if you are putting in bead board. Being our first time installing bead board, we left the base boards while painting for them only to be removed later.  It would have made painting much easier if they were removed first.

After two coats of paint (paint & primer in one), we removed the base boards and installed the bead board. Since we were working with a smaller space this was a fairly quick process.

Once the bead board was installed then we reapplied the base boards and installed the chair rail at the top. I painted two coats of white paint (left over) to the bead boards, base boards and chair rails to give everything a smooth finish.  The natural texture of bead boards will hold all scratches, scrapes and fingerprints.  I HIGHLY suggest painting these once they are installed to eliminate toddler fingerprints from being the artwork in your new bathroom :).  After touch up paint and installing the new vanity and mirror we were done!

I did want to mention that I opted to go for a different vanity because we needed some extra storage in the bathroom.  We choose an inexpensive and small vanity. If you currently have a vanity that has storage you can save even more money by giving your vanity a fresh coat of paint! That was not really an option for us since we only had a sink, but I do plan to use this method when we “spruce” up our other bathrooms.

how to paint your vanity

This project could have easily been finished during the course of a few days (or weekend). We began late on a Saturday and had most completed by Sunday night.  We were not fully able to finish until the following weekend since our toddler wanted to help and we have a 9 month old that thinks anything on the floor is on the menu.

VIOLA!

My lovely friend made me the artwork, which is what inspired me to mark this off my to-do list. I told myself that I was not going to hang this until I completed our reno and I was so excited to see it hung in the new space!

BowenArrowCreations

Supplies:

Paint: $30 (paint and primer in one)

Bead board: $60

Chair rail: $30

Vanity: $110 (if you opt to paint your own it would save $$!)

Glue (for bead board): $3

Lighting: $20 (found on a clearance a few months ago)

Items we already had:

Brushes, mirror, caulk, nail gun, nails and white paint.

Overall, under $300!

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8 simple ways to save money on meat

Household Recipes

1.) Stock up price

Before you try and get the best prices on meat, you must know your stock up price for each type of meat. This can vary for each person depending on what meat you typically use and buy more often.

For my family, we eat chicken for most meals. Chicken is usually a cheaper meat option; therefore, I am able to stock up on different cuts of chicken for fairly cheap. For example, my stock up price for chicken leg quarters (leg and thigh) is .39 cents per pound.  That equals out to about $2.00 per every 7 pounds of chicken!

If your family tends to eat more red meat then you may pay a little more, but you can still find low stock up prices! A good rule of thumb is to look for the normal price per pound and to aim to pay half that price.  For example, if you currently pay $3.99 per pound of ground chuck, aim to stock up when the price is $1.99 per pound.

 

2.) Buy discounted

Many stores will discount their meat when it is getting close to the “use by” date. Stores will generally put a sticker on the discounted meat.  Look for red, yellow and brightly colored stickers when searching. I have been able to find meat prices marked as low as 80 percent off.  Sometimes I get lucky enough to get meat for free.

Target always has excellent mark downs on their meat selection. Target will have red stickers with a certain dollar amount of the price.  For instance, $3.00 off, instead of putting a discount price.  Sometimes you can find meat that is already on sale, plus the discounted dollar amount, plus Targets free 5% off! I know Target is not a common place to think of when buying meat, but the next time you are browsing around the store stopover in the meat section!

 

3.) Shop meat sales

Meat sales are more common at smaller grocery stores such as Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods and Food Lion than larger stores like Walmart and Target. Common meat sales are buy one get one free (half price) or lowering the price per pound for that sales week. Pot roasts, stew meat and cubed steaks go on sale for buy one get one free every couple of weeks at my local grocery stores.

 

4.) Use leftovers

Use leftover meat from the night before to create a new meal the next day.  Whenever we have leftover meat, I alter my dinner menu to incorporate the leftovers so that they don’t go to waste.  This is also a great way to save money as you are using the same meat for multiple meals.

For example, when we have leftover chicken, I will normally make tacos, quesadillas or a casserole that uses chicken. When I am not able to come up with meal ideas with our leftover meat (hello, mom brain!) then I pull up Pinterest or Google and type “leftover _____ recipes” and voila!  Minimal thinking involved…

 

5.) Buy in bulk

You can save a lot of money by buying larger portions of meat and cutting them yourself.  The other day I purchased a 10 lb. pork shoulder on sale for $1.27 per pound and was able to cut the meat to last 7-8 meals!  That is less than $2.00 per meal.

You can also buy bulk meat from places such as Zaycon and your local butcher.  These will typically have a higher up front cost due to the amount of meat you will purchase (40 pounds and up). A great idea is to team up with a friend or family member to split the upfront cost.

 

6.) Coupons

Yes, there are coupons for meat! It is a common misconception that coupons are only for snack foods.  You can find coupons for produce, diary and MEAT!

These can be found in the Sunday paper, online (check out the page for printable coupons) and through cashback apps (Ibotta, SavingStar & Checkout 51).

 

7.) Eat less meat

Every meal does not have to include meat.  I repeat, every meal does not have to include meat. There are many easy to follow and delicious recipes that do not include meat. If you and you are willing, try incorporating “meatless Mondays” (or any other day of the week). I am not saying that every meal needs to be “vegetarian”, but try to have one meal be meatless.  If you are currently spending $6.00-7.00 per meal on meat, then that saves you $24-$28 per month on meat. Simply by cutting out meat from one meal per week!

If you are like my husband and refuse to eat a meal without meat, then try to cut back on the portion used in the meal. You can also supplement some meat with beans, lentils and rice to make the meal more filling.

 

8.) Check the fresh meat

If your store has a fresh meat section (where the meat is cut) check to see the prices of the cuts per pound for their un-packaged meats. At Harris Teeter, the price per pound for chicken breasts is $1.99/lb.  If you look at the price for the SAME chicken breasts that is packaged it is $3-$4 per pound! Often meat and seafood in the fresh meat section will also be on a weekly sale or a manager special. A manager special simply means that the product is being reduced. Often to help with sales.

 

Take advantage couponers!

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10 Valentine’s Day Date Ideas: Under $20!

Blog Family

With Valentine’s day right around the corner, I know many of you will be trying to come up with some ways to show your partner you care.  Valentine’s day can be one of those holidays where costs can add up quickly.  Dinner, movie, gifts and more can easily add up to over $100!

I wanted to create a list of Valentine’s Day date ideas that are fun, romantic and budget friendly!

1. Romantic indoor picnic

Think of a romantic outdoor picnic and simply recreate the scene anywhere in your home.  Bring out the blankets, candles, pillows and picnic basket.  You can even get extra creative, hang some string lights and make your own “fort” in front of your fireplace!

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2. Drive in movie theater

Drive in movie theaters are not commonly thought of for a movie date, but why not?  I love the idea of being in the car, bringing your own snacks (or grab some at concessions) and cuddling with some blankets while watching one of the newest flicks.  Our local drive-in theaters generally cost about $7-$10 per person.  Many theaters even have areas if you wish to camp outside instead of being in your car.  Great way to think out of the bubble!

3. Breakfast in bed

Don’t have time to do a romantic date later in the evening?  This is a creative way to spend time with your partner and not have to spend much.  I love to make themed pancakes for special holidays so heart shaped pancakes are absolutely on my list for Valentine’s day! Check out the post below for some great food inspiration.

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4. Ice skating

How fun would this be during the winter time?  I feel like winter is made for ice skating and bundling up. Depending on where you live, you may have an outdoor ice skating area. If not, check to see if your area has an indoor ice skating.

Most ice skating prices average around $10 for both admission and skate rental.  For under $20  you could have a night or day full of fun.

5. Painting classes

You may have seen these advertised as “Wine and Design” classes for women, many of these places offer date nights.  Especially around Valentine’s Day, you will be able to find a lot of partner classes with discounts.  One of the local classes in my area is offering buy one get one for their designated “date night” the Friday before Valentine’s Day. Hint. Hint.

6. Indoor S’mores

Who says s’mores is a only summer time treat?  S’mores is one of my favorite desserts year-round and they are so easy to make. If you have a fireplace, then set up camp and enjoy. If not, check out this awesome idea on how to make s’mores with no fireplace.

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7. Outdoor Hike/Walk

This is a great way to spend one on one time with your partner while enjoying the outdoors (and burning some calories!). If hiking and going for walks is an activity you already do together, then try a different park or venture out into a new hiking trail! I’m not sure if it’s just me, but something about walking outdoors really pushes out great conversations.

8. Comedy Club

Love to laugh? Imagine spending your evening next to your partner sharing laughter. One things for sure, it’ll be a fun night! Get ready to share smiles. Many comedy clubs in my area cost $10 or less for tickets.  Of course, if it is a more well-known comedian you may pay a little more.

9. Homemade pizza family night

Planning on spending Valenines Day with the kids?  This is an excellent idea to include everyone…and to be honest who doesn’t love pizza?  Check out this awesome idea for a family pizza bar designed for valentine’s day.

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10. Family gift exchange

A family gift exchange is another great option if you plan to spend the holiday with your family.  This is a great way to incorporate everyone in the family in the spirit of the holiday.  You can have each family member create a homemade card and exchange it using the same style as secret Santa.

Do you have your own budget friendly date idea?  Share with me in the comments!  I would love to hear each of your creative date ideas!

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DIY: Recipe art

Blog DIY

I think my grandma, is very much like most. She is warm, caring, and at a times overly pushy with making sure that we are fed. Overly pushy for the best reasons. Even now, I still look forward to vising her and seeing what she may have created.

This weekend, I felt the overwhelming feeling of creativity. My kitchen felt like the perfect place to honor my grandmother. I had exactly what I needed. Empty space, old handwritten recipes, and excitement. I’ve been looking forward to doing something with her recipes for quite some time. Most people that I know do not keep recipes written down anymore. Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest have in some ways taken over.

Yet. I’m an old soul. I love the idea of looking back at my grandma’s recipes and experiencing the beautiful mixture of good times and great food. So I buckled down and got to work. I used my husband’s hammer, a few nails to hang up the recipes. Not only did the project came out beautiful, but it also provides lasting memories to cherish.

Materials needed:

Recipe cards (the older and more worn the better!)

Picture frames

Hammer & Nails

 

I was able to find these 8×8 frames at Michaels for $5 each (on sale)! They have plenty of options to choose from depending on the wall size you are working with.

I love how this project came out and how each card has bends and stains almost as if I can see my grandma writing down the measurements and directions as she was cooking each dish.

In less than 10 minutes and under $20 I was able to mark this off my to-do list!

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Shop with me: Super Doubles round-up

Shop With Me

Harris Teeter is having their Super Double coupon event this week, which ends tomorrow (01/10). If you are not familiar with their Super Double event you can read about it here. All coupons $2.00 and below will be doubled.

$2.00 becomes $4.00 off! Just think of the savings to be had…

Harris Teeter has practically been my second home this week while I have been trying to rack up on savings. A few trips (like my .16 cent total trip!) I didn’t get a chance to take a photo because I was busy trying to keep my toddler from eating all the free cookies and samples in the store 😉 All in a days work.

Top deals:

(12) Luvs diapers: $2.00 coupon (doubled)= $1.99 per pack

(6) Gain detergents: $2.00 coupon + raincheck (doubled)= FREE

(4) Tide Pods: $2.00 coupon + raincheck (doubled)= .50 cents each

(4)Gain Flings: $2.00 coupon + raincheck (doubled)= .50 cents each

(6) Meatballs: $1.50/1 (doubled)= FREE

(12) Finish dishwasher tabs: $2.00/1 (doubled)= .99 cents each

(8) Gummies & Vitamins: $2.00/1 (doubled)= Free-.99 cents

(12) Crest toothpaste: $2.00/1 (doubled)= FREE

(6) Nestle Water: $1.00/1 (doubled)= .99 cents each

 

Total before coupons: $472

Total spent: $78

Total savings: 83% savings!

 

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Where to find coupons

Blog Household

1.) Sunday Paper

The Sunday paper is where you will find the bulk of your coupons.  The three inserts that distribute coupons are Proctor & Gamble (P&G), Redplum (RP), and SmartSource (SS).

It is important to know that some weeks there may only be (1) insert and another week may have up to (5) inserts.  This is determined by the weekly insert schedule. You can find the entire schedule for the year here.

Just keep in mind that not all regions receive the same coupons.  You may receive a coupon for .50 cents off an item and the neighboring town may receive .75 cents off the same product.

2.) Online

If you haven’t had time to build your coupon “stash” do not be discouraged!  If you have a computer, tablet or smart phone and a printer you can have coupons in no time! There are so many places online that you can print coupons. The most common sites to print coupons are coupons.com, smartsource.com and redplum.com.

Many brands offer coupons directly from their website.  Think of brands such as Kelloggs, Betty Crocker, Hefty and more!

Most coupons will only allow you to print each coupon (2) times per device. If you need to print more than (2) coupons then you will have to print from another device such as your tablet.

When you see coupons online that you are interested in and think you will use, then I would suggest you print right away.  Most coupons have a limit and once the limit of the coupon has been printed then the coupon will disappear. Coupons generally expire within a month of printing (that can vary) so you should have plenty of time to use even if you don’t need the coupon at that moment.

3.) Mail

Many brands and stores will send coupons directly to your home if you sign up for different programs that are offered.  I occasionally will receive coupons for free items from stores like Food Lion.  Harries Teeter is also known for sending out $10 off $50 or more purchases and Target loves to send coupons for many different items!

4.) Store cards

Some store cards will have electronic coupons that you can add directly to your store loyalty card.  Electronic coupons will vary from store to store.  Some stores will allow you to use electronic coupons with manufacturer coupons and some will not.  You can check if your store is listed here, and then review their electronic coupon policy.

5.) In the store

You can find some awesome coupons directly in the store itself!  Many manufacturers will place coupons directly on the product by either “hangtags” or “peelie” coupons. You can also find coupons on “tearpads” and “blinkie” machines.  Both are generally located near the advertised product.

Have you ever been at check out and receive those coupons that print with your receipt that you probably throw away? DON’T! Sometimes those coupons are GOLD!  I have been able to get many free items using those coupons from the “catalina” machines.  Many times, the coupon will print off to redeem for a free item! Always look at those the next time you are shopping and store them in your binder or file for future use.

Hope this helps on beginning your couponing journey!

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Shop With Me: Saved 77%

Blog Shop With Me

This morning my daughter and I stopped at Harris Teeter before our “Mommy and Daughter” day for a small trip.  There were some great deals that were too good to pass up before the sales end today.  Check it out below!

 

Mission Chips (.55/1 coupon): Paid .90 cents each

New York Garlic Knots/Bread (.50/1 coupon): Paid .34 cents each

Philadelphia Cream Cheese (.75/1 coupon): FREE!

Special K Bars (.75/1 coupon): Paid .50 cents each

Snickers (.50/1 coupon): FREE!

Egglands best (.55/1 coupon): Paid .90 cents each

2 lb ground beef ($3.00 coupon marked down): $4.97

Plus, my daughter acted as though she had trekked through the desert with no water for 2 days. She HAD TO HAVE the bottle of water.  That added a little under a dollar to the total.

Total spent: $14.19 Total saved: 48.49

Percentage saved: 77%!

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Exercise on a budget

Blog Family

It is the beginning of a new year, which means most people are going to be ready to shed a few extra holiday pounds (or 10…but whose counting). If you are like me, having a gym membership is really not worth it with a demanding work schedule and two little ones at home. Or maybe you do not have it in your budget to spend on a monthly gym membership. My husband and I recently decided to cancel our gym membership and to try and focus on different activities that we could do within the home or outside to stay active without spending money.

1.) Exercise outside.

This one may seem like a no-brainier, but if you are like me and live where it gets pretty chilly in the Winter then this one may be a little difficult to achieve. Some of you may be luckily enough to live in Florida or California climates and if so then get outside and enjoy!  If you have children, take them on a long walk or jog in the stroller. We have a double stroller so its pretty much the equivalent of adding 100 additional pounds to your walk(insert muscle emoji here).

When Spring and Summer rolls around my family pretty much stays outside whether we are at the local pool,  hiking, biking or even taking the dog walking. I even saw a local stroller work out class that includes your child and stroller at a nearby park.  How neat! Exercise is the time to get creative without going broke!

2.) YouTube videos.

You can go purchase the latest craze workout video such as p90x or Insanity (which may cost you a pretty penny). But, you can also search on YouTube for different work out videos that are suited to your style of exercise. I personally love yoga.  It calms me after a long day, but yoga is also great for strengthening and toning! I found an excellent YouTube channel called Yoga with Adriene that I use a couple times a week.

3.) Purchase home equipment.

If you are thinking about purchasing any home workout equipment, January is the month that you will see most sales for these items. If you are like me and stick to only a few machines when you go to the gym (treadmill & elliptical) then you may want to consider purchasing your own machine instead of paying a gym monthly for the same machine. A few years ago we decided to purchase a treadmill to use at home and searched Craigslist and were able to get a very nice treadmill that normally would have sold for over $500.00 for only $75.00 in excellent condition!

4.) Discounted gym memberships.

If the gym atmosphere is more of your style then find a local gym that is offering sign up discounts.  January is definitely the month to find some pretty steep discounts as many people are looking to join a gym for the new year. Some gyms offer monthly memberships for as little as $10/month. You can also, ask your gym to waive your sign up fee. It doesn’t hurt asking.

5.) Gadgets.

Did you know your FitBit and Apple Watch can do more than just count your steps? For Father’s Day, I surprised my husband with a Fitbit Blaze watch. As the fitness fanatic that he is, the gadget became his back up exercise routine. Many watches like the Fitbit Blaze, offer free exercise programs on the  watch itself. So instead of heading to the gym or even going outside for a run, use your watch as a workout program in your own home.

6.) Instagram and Pinterest.

Just in case you didn’t know, Instagram and Pinterest are hands down awesome places to find workout programs and routines. Often you can find personal trainers, fitness professionals, or wellness gurus giving away endless amounts of exercise programs on their pages. Each program provides you with pictures and videos of the exercises in a step-by-step fashion. You can have a personal trainer at the tip of your fingers!

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