Target 102: How to Grocery Shop at Target

In last week’s Target 101 feature, I shared all of my top money saving tips. Because let’s be real, who doesn’t love saving money. And who doesn’t struggle to leave Target without spending half of their paycheck on candles and snacks. Since I spend a good chunk of my time shopping at Target, it only makes sense to do my grocery shopping there too. I compiled a list of my top tips for saving money on groceries and eating like a queen – oh and don’t forget to pick up a pair of sandals and some toothpaste while you’re there!

Grocery Shopping At Target

Alright, so knowing how to grocery shop at Target seems pretty straight forward right? WRONG. If your’e not careful, you’ll wind up leaving Target with a bunch of trail mix and Uncrustables, somehow missing $200. So what’s the best strategy for making it out alive & under budget?

Shop on a Tuesday

Remember all of those tricks for saving money at Target? The same applies for food! “The Market” aka Target’s grocery section has sales every Tuesday! If your local store also carries fresh product, I recommend asking someone who works there what day they get their shipments. Why? That way you have access to the freshest stock. If you buy old produce, it won’t last as long.

Grocery Prices At Target

Have you ever noticed that generic brands are cheaper than name brands? Well Target has their very own “generic brand”. If you’re looking for healthier options, their “Simply Balanced” product are health focused and are generally 10-20% cheaper than name brand options.

Example: Simply Balanced Coconut Oil is organic & non-gmo, unrefined coconut oil. Great for everything from cooking and baking to moisturizing and teeth whitening. The target brand costs $6.99, while the equivalent name brand version costs $8.99!

For non-organic options, look for “Market Pantry” items. There are over 1500 products under the market pantry umbrella & can be up to 30% less than the name brands.

Example: Target’s Market Pantry Spaghetti Noodles cost $0.99 while the name brand option is $1.39!

Recently, Target slash their prices to try to compete with Amazon. Meaning the prices of their groceries also went down. Target also recently began offering same-day delivery of groceries using Shipt, equivalent to Amazon Fresh & Instacart.

Don’t forget that Target also offers price matching! So, if you find something cheaper within 2 weeks of purchasing, Target will match the price!

How To Get Even Better Deals at Target

Alright, the same rules apply for food as they do other merchandise. Be sure to download Target’s Cartwheel App so you can collect discounts and apply them all when you checkout. It’s like a super high tech form of coupon clipping! Generally you can find offers from 5-50% off.

You can also TRIPLE STACK your coupons. Target lets you use manufacturer’s coupons, store coupons AND the Cartwheel digital offers… all at the same time!

My Target Grocery Shopping List

A few of the items I can’t live without from Target:

• Archer Farms Monster Trail Mix
• Archer Farms Dark Chocolate Almonds
• Archer Farms Roasted Almonds With Sea Salt
• Archer Farms Garlic Potato Chips
• Simply Balanced Vanilla Nut Clusters
• Ginger Peach Sparkling Water
• Simply Balanced Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
• Simply Balanced Maple Syrup
• Market Pantry Polar Freeze Pops
• Market Pantry Nacho Cheese Chips
• Market Pantry Whole Wheat Tortillas
• Archer Farms Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix
• Archer Farms Pototo Gnocchi
• Archer Farms Corn & Black Bean Salsa

 
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Healthy Options

I also shop for a lot of healthy grocery options when I’m at Target. You can find a ton of great deals that are way less expensive than specialty stores or Whole Foods. As I mentioned, keep an eye out for all Simply Balanced branded items!

• Freeze Dried Strawberry Slices
• All Natural Almond Butter
• Organic Pitted Dates
• Organic Black Chia Seeds
• Organic Rainbow Quinoa
• Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil
• Organic Flax Seed
• Ground Turmeric
• Tortilla Soup Mix 

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Target Grocery Store Locator

A friendly reminder that you can totally shop online and have most of these products delivered to your door step! However, if you’re looking to do a complete shop, you can find your closest Target grocery store here. While a lot of the items are available online, perishables and frozen foods are only available in store.

Every time I go to Target, I stop by the grocery section to pick up a few of my must have items. If you don’t already have the Target credit card, you can also opt for the REDcard debit, which just acts the same way as your normal bank account debit card, but provides you with 5% off of all of your purchases.

Other Target Grocery Shopping Tips

Most people don’t know that when you shop at Target, you get a 5 cent credit for every reusable bag you bring in! Which means rather than getting charged for bags, you’re making money! Think about how many random plastic bags you have jammed under the sink!

If you’ve got kids, there are also a few other fun grocery options! Not only do they offer kids free cookies (at SuperTarget’s with bakeries), you can get your baby a free smash cake for their first birthday! All you have to do is ask!

Lastly, if you have the Target app, check to see if your local Target offers Drive Up! Now, a lot of stores are offering curbside pickup. Basically, you place your order using the app on your phone, drive to your local store & have your purchases brought directly out to your car! You can buy anything from any section of the store. I love this option because I absolutely HATE looking for parking. It also helps keep me on track, avoiding the inevitable extra purchases I end up adding on while browsing!

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