The {Dummies’ Guide} to Shopping at Target

Rows of colorful clothing. Books and stationery at discount. Adorable home décor alongside your grocery essentials. No, this isn’t a place of mere fantasy. Simply follow the scarlet glow, and you’ll find it’s your local Target.

A place of wonder and merriment, Target has much in store for anyone who makes the pilgrimage across neighborhoods and over motorways to the catchall retailer. With so many items to peruse, how do you make the most of your visit without becoming blinded by the fluorescent lights?

Well, dear reader, just follow these dummy-proof guidelines, and you’ll hit the bullseyes on your Target run.

1. Come Prepared

When you pull into the Target parking lot, it is best to have a plan of attack ready. Have you looked at the weekly ad and scoped out the deals? Have you saved your discounts in the Target Circle app (just in case you, like this author, find yourself unable to access it when within the store’s perimeter for some reason 🤔)? Most importantly, do you have a list?

Target can be a minefield of consumer distractions, so having a list is incredibly helpful for staying on track and focusing on your purpose. Will you most likely deviate from it anyways, possibly forget you have it, and be “forced” to return later to get what you actually needed? Yes, of course. It happens to the best of us. But you’ll be more likely to leave with at least some of the essentials to justify your trip than just the fun stuff you tossed in along the way.

2.     The Dollar Section: Treasure Trove or Treasure Trap?

Oh ho, are those Target store designers smart. What better way to capture the attention of your customer right out of the electronic doors than to put a section of cheap cute décor, home items, and toys just beyond the carts?

The section is full of items that can be useful— decorations for various holidays, trinkets to spruce up your home, exercise equipment, or a pack of sidewalk chalk to entertain the kids—all for $5 or under. While you’re thinking, “Wow, that’s a great deal! Why shouldn’t I get that fake succulent in a pot that says ‘bloom where you are planted’ when it is only $3 bucks?” There’s no reason you can’t, Judy. You’re at Target. Treat yourself! But remember, when you think that for 10 different items, your logic for saving a few bucks starts to lose some of its power, and you may leave with a bit of buyer’s remorse.

(Lesson: in the Dollar Section, practice restraint.)

3. Wear blinders

That’s not to say that once you’ve escaped the Dollar Section your troubles are over. Because over in the jewelry section, there’s a pair of fun, bejeweled earrings. And in those racks of clothing is a Beatles sweatshirt that looks oh, so soft. And back by the home goods, they just put out a new end cap of boho-style pillows. And damn, you can get a $10 gift card if you buy $40 in home products. And wouldn’t your doggo love that toy that stuffed bottle of wine?

In short, it’s a shopaholic’s dream and nightmare all in one. What makes Target so addictive is its eclectic, trendy mix of goods. It’s shockingly easy to get sucked into one area or another, especially when there are so many sections and aisles to choose from. So, like you do when you work out, address your problem areas (i.e., the clothing section for this author). Try to limit your time there or avoid it all together if you know you absolutely do not need another t-shirt but will buy it if they are on sale for $5 again.

4. Enjoy yourself

With all this in mind, does that mean you shouldn’t allow yourself to indulge? No. This is the very reason why Target exists—well, if you forget all about that capitalism and making a profit yada yada. It’s an escape, a haven, a shopper’s paradise.

So, if your wallet is able to handle it, take a stroll through the aisles. Check out the clearance section. Look at the new line of stationery. Sweep up the Target Circle deal while it is still on.Throw in that candle that smells like a warm sugar cookie, and get yourself some actual cookies for good measure.

Just know how—and when—to extract yourself from Target’s clutches so the only red you end up in is a pile of Target bags.