FAQ/Basics

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JUST GETTING STARTED COUPONING AT TARGET?

IMG_21012014_181203We were all new to using coupons at one time or another and I can remember just feeling overwhelmed in the beginning. I hope this FAQ page helps to explain things a bit more about couponing at Target, and gets you started on the road to keeping more of your hard-earned money in your pocket.

Saving money by couponing goes way beyond simply clipping a coupon and using it on something you need. The best way to maximize your savings is to wait to use your coupons against a sale or a special deal and to buy several of the item if the price is right.

While I do maintain a stockpile, I don’t believe in letting my stockpile overtake my house. Sales usually cycle around every 3 months, so purchasing enough to last you through to the next sale is a good bet, especially if you are short on space. Be patient- building a stockpile takes time, it does not happen overnight, but little by little you will find yourself being able to grab something from your stockpile when you normally would have to run out for something.

FINDING COUPONS

coupon-insertsNEWSPAPER COUPONS: One of the most popular resources are the coupon inserts that can be found in the Sunday Newspaper. There are 3 main types- the PG- usually put out once a month by Proctor & Gamble, the SAVE insert and the SS or Smart Source Insert both usually found in most papers every Sunday.

OTHER COUPONS: Coupons come from many many sources. Some manufacturer’s place Hangtag Coupons or Peelie coupons found on products on the shelves or Tearpads usually located on a display or shelf near the item. You may even spot coupons in magazines or at the office of your doctor, dentist, pediatrician, vet and more. Once you start looking for these valuable little pieces of paper, you will be surprised at just how many places they turn up!

COUPONING LINGO

We couponers use lots of abbreviations and terms, and you will catch on soon enough, but if you are just getting started- here’s a few terms to familiarize yourself with…

$1/2 etc: One dollar off two items. (1st # = Discount/2nd # = Quantity required to buy for discount)
B1G1: Buy 1 Get 1 FREE, or B2G1: Buy 2 Get 1 FREE and so on
PSA: Prices Starting at
GC: Gift Card (Target offers Gift Cards as a reward for buying specific items, see some of the more popular current ones on my Special Deals Page)
ETS: Excludes Trial/travel Size or , or ESS: Excludes Single Serving
MIR: Mail In Rebate (You can check my Rebates Page to see current offers available)
TMF-Try Me Free. Another form of a rebate or sometimes a satisfaction Guarantee
OOP: Out of Pocket. The amount you actually spend.
Q: Coupon, MQ: manufacturer coupon, TQ: Target Coupon
WYB: when you buy
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary-this means that it may or may not be the case in all instances.
x: Expiration Date of a coupon

ORGANIZING YOUR COUPONS

There are several different ways to keep your coupons organized so you can easily find them. Many people use a binder method- where you can split up your coupons into pages with pockets and organize how it works best for you. Sometimes people organize by item type- ie Frozen, Snacks, Canned, etc, or some prefer to alphabetize. You have to do what works best for you. Some people like to just grab baseball card type album sleeves fitted into a binder to keep them organized. A binder is very nice in that it’s a way to have your coupons with you at all times which comes in handy for Target Clearance- it can be a time-consuming method- but wonderful if you can keep it up.

You can also use a filing system for your inserts. You can use either drawers or a filing box meant to hold the complete insert and file them by date. Since I and other sites you may start to follow usually list where you can find a coupon- it is just as easy to go find what you need and cut when you are ready to shop. So for example – if I list the following coupon as a matchup-

-$1/3; .50/2 Campbell’s Microwaveable Bowls or Soup At Hand 1-8-12 SS x3/15

it means it can be found in the Smart Source Insert in the January 8th newspaper. The different amounts in the front mean that some areas will have a $1 Off 3 and some areas will have gotten a .50 cents off 2. The x followed by the date is when the coupon expires. But finding the best way to organize is a process – and you may go through several different ways before you figure out what method works best for you. Also keep in mind that insert coupons vary by region, so you may not find some of them in your newspaper coupon insert.

TARGET COUPONS

multi_coupon_nobleedTarget can be a great place to save money in several different ways. For starters- Target allows you to stack coupons- this means allowing the use of one manufacturer’s coupon AND one Target Store Coupon AND one Circle Offer on EACH item. This means couponing at Target can save you big! Target Coupons can be found in a variety of places….

TARGET INSERT COUPONS: Target store coupons can sometimes be found in the regular Sunday inserts on occasion. Target Insert coupons are always regional though and not everyone will get them. I do maintain a Target Coupon Page with a list of the available Target Coupons with matching manufacturer’s coupons and Target Circle offers you can stack.

TARGET CIRCLE OFFERS: There’s also a savings program called Target Circle offering even more opportunities to get great deals! You can get as much as an additional 50% off, occasionally even higher, on items at Target including grocery, health & beauty, baby, clothing and much more. You can redeem all offers on your Circle in one transaction and an identical offer can be applied up to a maximum of four times in a single transaction. You are allowed one Circle offer with one manufacturer’s coupon and one Target coupon for triple the savings!

Circle offers usually appear as a % off, but you can also find Target Coupons and Manufacturer’s coupons on Circle as well!

If you already have the Target app, Circle offers can be found and added within the app. Once you have added the offers, and head to check out, just pull up your bar code found in the wallet and all the discounts will come off at once. You can also choose to access Target Circle from your desktop and once you add the offers, you can print a barcode to take with you to the store. Just keep in mind to benefit from Target Circle offers you must have or create a Target.com account.

CASH BACK & OTHER REWARD PROGRAMS

cash-rewardsThere are a couple of great savings apps out there for both iPhone and Android users to earn cash back for shopping in-store. The first one, ibotta, is a fun & easy way to earn extra money while shopping for buying products that most likely you were going to buy anyway. Plus, the Ibotta app offers lucrative Bonuses. The second one, Checkout 51, is also a fast and easy way to earn cash back on the brands you love, yet it also has some unique features and… you do not need to have a smartphone to take advantage of this great app! Watch the blog for new offers and matchups to be posted, plus you can read about each of them in more detail as follows…. for more info on ibotta, go HERE and for more info on Checkout 51, you can go HERE.

GIFT CARD & SPECIAL PURCHASE DEALS

IMG_21012014_180857Another way to save at Target is by taking advantage of their Gift Card Deals where a Target Gift Card is awarded at checkout in return for buying a specified product or products. Gift Cards cannot be used in the same transaction you earned them, however they can be rolled into the next transaction. If you do more than one Gift Card Deal in a transaction you WILL receive both Gift Cards. There are usually several Gift Card Deals in the Target Ad every week, that usually only last that week. However sometimes quite a few Gift Card deals remain unadvertised and extend for longer periods of time. Most Target stores will combine the amount of all gift cards earned in a transaction and put them on ONE physical card.

Target also offers Special Purchase Deals. These are usually a B1G1 Free type of deal or instant savings when purchasing 2 or more of a specific product. Again several of these are advertised each week, but some are not and last for 2 or more weeks. I do my best to keep track of as many unadvertised longer-term Gift Card & Special Purchase Deals as possible on the Special Deals Page. On that page you can find the details, coupon matchups and some Deal Ideas so be sure to check it out.

TARGET’S LOW PRICE PROMISE

Target has a price matching policy which they refer to as a Low Price Promise. This can be another way to save Gas, money & time, since Target will honor local competitor’s ads, however there are quite a few rules and restrictions. You can view Target’s official price matching policy HERE.

TARGET COUPON POLICY

You can find the official Target Coupon Policy HERE. It’s always a good idea to print it out and keep with you when you shop.

387211_10151581781563120_690736138_nTarget will accept printable coupons with a scannable bar code except one that is for a FREE item when no purchase is required. Competitor’s coupon and expired coupons are not accepted at Target.

Target does not give cash back – if the coupon is for more than the value of an item, the coupon amount may be reduced to meet the cost of the item. Plus, Target also has specific rules about using B1G1 coupons so be sure and check out the Target coupon policy for up to date information.

684 Comments

  1. I use the target cartwheel all the time. I have unlocked 8 badges. I have not been able to unlock the social saver despite reviewing every one of my friends cartwheels. Is there a step I am missing?

  2. Does anyone have the Target Debit card? Pros/cons? I am thinking of getting one and wondered if it is worth it.

  4. Hi Kerry,

    For the $10 gc on the $40 purchase coupon, can I use the one in the ad and then the mobile one on a separate transaction? I didn’t know if they would honor both since I would be doing one transaction after another. Thanks!

  7. Hi Cheryl,
    I am not positive what you are asking but if you are asking about completing an online transaction you will not be able to use coupons and cartwheels. If I am not understanding what you are asking please feel free to leave another comment.

  8. Hi Kerry, First let me say “Thanks for all you do to help all of us save money” I’m sure this has been asked many times already, my question is if I order from the service desk and have the items delivered to someone, can I use coupons, cartwheel and get the gift card? Thanks again, Cheryl

  11. Hi! When you try to price match with Amazon, I understand that it has to be fulfilled by amazon and not a third party. However, if it says amazon prime but it is still fulfilled by amazon, will they not price match? I have price matched before and it said prime but they wouldn’t today. It wasn’t a daily deal or anything. Amazon prime is just for the 2 day shipping. Just curious! Thanks!

  13. I’ve browsed a bit but can’t seem to find this already being asked. Can I get more than 1 gift card for the same deal. Ex: buy 10 meal essentials, get $5gc. Can I buy 20 and get 1$10gc?

  14. I have a question. I have a mfq that is b1g1 free for any Pedigree Dog Treats . I also have a b1g1 free Target coupon for the same items. Can I use both coupons the mfq and the Target coupons and get them for free?????

  15. Hi Kerry,
    I have a question about Target’s price match policy that I hoped you could answer. I just had one of the worst couponing experiences of my life at Target. I wanted to price match a Nivea lotion to Walmart and was told I could only do that at guest services. I got to guest services, and the cashier told me that she couldn’t price match and give the gift card. I told her it was my understanding that she could price match only one item if the other items were identical but it had nothing to do with receiving the gift card. She insisted that I was wrong, I said fine I wouldn’t do it at all and turned to cash out at in the aisle next to guest services.
    She then told me I could ring up my other items with her, but I said no thanks, I’d rather go to the other cashier. I completed my check out, and realized that the 2 nivea coupons and the 2 gift cards I’d been planning on using were gone. The sweet cashier offered to check with the girl at guest services (who by the way was literally less than 2 feet from me), and the guest services cashier told her she ripped up the coupons and threw the gift cards away! To make a long story short, I pretty much lost it. It was completely obvious that she did this because she was angry I didn’t agree with her. It was so petty and malicious. I rarely lose my temper, if a deal doesn’t work out I move on, but this really did me in. I was in tears by the time I left I was so angry and I’m pretty sure I’m not letting this go until I get an apology.
    I have scoured Target’s price match policy myself and I am not finding anything that validates her claim that I can’t price match AND get a gc. Any insight you have would help:)

  16. HI LIsa – yes the coupons are unique- and should never be copied.
    Ink is expensive- however you may want to make sure you are not printing at best quality. ie some printer’s draft settings are clear enough that a coupon will scan and uses a lot less ink/. try printing one coupon you are going to use- using your printer’s draft setting. if it scans- then that’s how I would print all your coupons as it uses a lot less ink. hth

  17. Hello I’m new at couponing and I’ve been printing coupons and this is new to me, are the coupons unique that you print? The reason I ask is bc I use the right amount of coupons, but ink is expensive… Thanks for all that you do…

  20. Hi. I’m new to couponing so this may have been answered. How many identical MQs can I use at target? Is it up to 4?

  22. hi i have a coupon that says limit 1 per purchase and max of 2 identical. so would that mean i can use 2 identical coupons for 1 item.

  24. Thanks for reply Kerry. So do I have to print each individual post or can I do a bunch of them?

  25. Hi Sally- look for a print friendly icon (looks like a little green computer) icon in the very bottom right corner of each post. You can click on that and then just click on the things you want to get rid of to print any post. hth

  26. How can I print my shopping list? I usually have to print the Target list from pocketyourdollars.com because they have a box to check after each deal and then prints just the deals I want. I use your site everyday and would like to print it from your site. TIA

  27. Hello,

    Which coupons should be scanned first, the target or the manufacturers? I’ve been given a hard time about certain coupons because after using the manufacturers my total didn’t meet the required amount for the target coupon. My understanding is that it has be the correct total before any coupons are scanned and that target coupons should be scanned first because store discounts are applied first. Just need clarification.

    Thank you.

  28. Hello all,
    I was wondering if someone could help me.
    I wanted to buy herbal essences shampoo yesterday morning with the bogo coupon that expired yesterday, but the shelf was already cleared by the time I got there.
    And I keep hearing rumors that although target corporate policy states that they do not accept expired coupons, some stores have begun to accept them within a reasonable time frame (usually 7 days). Does anyone know if there is any truth to this?
    Could I still use the coupons today if they have more shampoo in stock? Is this a ymmv?
    Thanks in advance from San Antonio, TX.

  29. Looking at the tidy cats deal. Where do I get the $10.00/$40and $5.00/2 coupons. I looked in my inserts. I am confused.

  30. Hi. If I redeemed a mobile coupon, will it keep track? I thought I used one before and it said redeemed, but I think there is a coupon I’ve used, but it’s not showing as redeemed. Thanks!

  31. Hi Erin- look for the little print icon- looks like a tiny green computer- it will bring up a list that you can just delete what you don’t want off of it. hth

  33. Hi Lela- you can use the same cartwheel up to 4 times in one transaction up to 6 times a day, every day. So let’s just say for ridiculous example you want to buy 96 lamps. You can buy 4 lamps in one transaction and use your cartwheel. you can then buy 20 more lamps that same day, doing 5 more transactions buying 4 lamps in each transaction. You can then repeat this same scenario every day for the next 3 days until you have purchased 96 lamps total. hth & make sense

  34. To clarify, I meant Cartwheel discount of 20% off Room Essential lamps. I want to buy 2 more lamps to get another 20% off tomorrow if the Cartwheel discount is still there.

  35. Hi Kerry, I printed the Cartwheel barcode that can be used to purchase 4 Room Essential lamps but only purchased 2 lamps today. The cashier gave me back my barcode printout. Can I purchase 2 more lamps tomorrow with the same Cartwheel barcode?

  36. Hi AImee- many stores will let you do what’s called a missed coupon if you bring you receipt and the coupon up to guest services. But most will only do if it is within 3 days. hth

  37. I bought some bounce sheets and I forgot to use my target mobile coupons. Can I go to customer service ans get it adjusted? Thank you

  38. Hi, I was wondering if you know when Target usually starts to put their back to school items on clearance? Thanks?

  39. I work for Target. We get trucks Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Sometimes we get Saturday trucks, but not every week, until Christmas time anyways. I can’t remember what day the food trucks get in though. I think it’s the beginning of the week, maybe Sunday or Tuesday but I’m not positive and that may be different store to store.

  40. Hi, I understand most Target q’s are only allowed to be used once. Does that mean once per transaction, once per day or something else?

  42. can you tell me if i have a target mobile coupon that says $2/1 product and I want to purchase 4 of those will it deduct $8 ($2 for each product) or will it only allow me to use the $2/1 coupon once?

  43. Hi Nancy- it will be a ymmv- meaning there is no set rule in black and white- so as long as it is an MQ – your store may allow you to just buy 2 and use the Q, some stores may make you buy 3- so if they do you are better off buying 4, getting 2 free and using the Q on the 2 you have to pay for. hth & makes sense.

  44. hello i wanted to ask on how to use my coupon.
    i have a coupon that is buy two and save $2 and the store has a deal of buy one get one free i want to know how many items do i get to make my coupon count?

  45. HI Sarah- if you are talking about identical coupons- there is a limit of 4 unless the coupon states otherwise. many TQs limit you to one identical per guest- so in that case you would be limited to one. hth.

  46. Hi I was wondering how many target coupons combined with manufactured coupons could you use per transaction

  47. HI Rachel- they are both threshold coupons and cannot be combined that way- you would have to spend $35 to use both coupons. hth

  48. I’m wondering if it’s possible to stack Target printable coupons and mobile coupons, or are they both just considered Target coupons?
    The scenario I’m hoping for is like this –
    Buy a bunch of crayola products to be able to use the $2/$10 printable coupon twice
    Buy a couple of other school supplies products to bring total up to $25 (including a couple of manufacturer coupons and carthwheel offers, but I’m not worried about those)
    Use the Spend $25 on school supplies, get a $5 gift card mobile coupon.
    Do you think this would work?

  50. I’m trying to get the tide deal right now and they’re out of tide 75oz so I’m wondering if anyone knows when they restock or get more in store by??

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