Target Tutorial: Target's store coupons

I tend to post about deals I find at Target because it's really my favorite store to shop at. It's clean, their prices are competitive, stuff's easy to find, they have pretty predictable markdown schedules, and I can get a Cherry Coke Icee from the snack bar if I've been a good girl. Mmmm, Icees.

But the real reason I do most of my shopping at Target is because you can stack manufacturer coupons and Target's store coupons. "Stacking" means using 2 different kinds of coupons on one item at the same time. If are a smart shopper and wait for a sale, then combine the sale with manufacture coupons and Target coupons, your savings really add up!

You can find all Target's printable coupons HERE. After downloading some software, you can print 2 of each coupon on your computer. A few new ones are added to the site every week, so check back frequently, because there might be something you can use. If you see a coupon you might want, print it NOW. There are print limits on these things, and some of the really popular coupons (such as the $1 off any produce item that is sometimes available) run out within a few hours.

Target is sneaky, though, and not all the coupons on their website are store coupons (I'll call these TQs for short). Some are actually manufacturer coupons (MQs), and they're usually the same ones you can find on other coupon websites. You can't tell which are which until you've printed them. IF you only want to print TQs, here's a handy trick for you: right click on the coupon and click "Properties".

This will show the full link to the coupon. Look after the word "partners". If it says "manufacturer", "manufact" or a company name in the link, it's more likely than not an MQ. If it says "target", it's a TQ and you can pair it up with any MQs you have.

Let me show you how awesome stacking is! For example, Slim Fast bars (5 pack) are $5 this week. Print 2 of the $1.50 off any Slim Fast item TQ from Target's website, then use the MQ for a FREE pack of Slimfast bars when you buy 2 Slimfast items that was in the Red Plum insert on 1/2. You'll get 3 boxes of bars for $7, or $2.33 each. That's less than half the sale price!

One warning: many of the TQs do state "Limit one coupon per transaction." Some stores will hold you to this, and you might have to split up your order into multiple transactions if you want to use several of the same TQ. However, I've found that a lot of stores don't worry about this, and you can use multiple TQs in the same transaction. But don't go nuts and use too many at once! You never know when your cashier will be a stickler and you'll have to either put some stuff back or do a bunch of transactions.

That's it for today's Target Tutorial! Next time, I'll tell you more about Target's mobile coupons and how to use them.