Minding Your Budget at Target (or Walmart)

I’ve talked to many families who work from a tight budget, and many of them claim that Target or Walmart is one major budget buster.  While they may go in for a few necessities, they end up spending way more money than they planned.  Here are a few tips on how to make sure you don’t blow your budget during a trip to one of these stores:

• Bring a shopping list.  Know what you need, and plot out your trip, making sure to only visit those areas of the store.
• Know what you need versus what you want.  During your trip, of instance, you may see a cute shirt for yourself.  If you need a shirt, and have already budgeted for it elsewhere, buying it may be a great idea.  But buying a cute, cheap item just because it’s in front of you is not a good idea.
• Know prices.  For instance, I know that our Target has tees and shorts for children that are cheaper than anywhere else.  Therefore, when it’s time to buy kid’s clothes, that’s my first stop.  But sometimes, you may be able to find a better deal elsewhere.
• Plan your trip at a time when you can’t spend hours just wandering around the store.   Be efficient – in and out.

Keep in mind that buying cheap things that you need and have budgeted makes great sense, while buying for the sake of buying (even on sale) is not budget savvy!