Would you believe me if I told you there was a science to finding the best Target clearance deals? I’m not gonna lie, it’s kinda true.

Not only is there a science to reading their clearance stickers, but also knowing which day of the week will score you the best deals.

It’s with this in mind that a present 7 Target clearance hacks that’ll guarantee you get the best deal and save money on your next shopping haul.

1. Learn How to Read Target Clearance Price Tags

You’ll never look at a Target price tag the same way again.

When looking at a yellow clearance price sticker, there is some hidden info you’ll want to know.

Here’s how it works:

– Prices Ending with .88, .98, .48, .24, or .04 – These are all clearance items.

– Check Upper Right Hand Corner – You’ll see a tiny number. It will be either a 15, 25, 50, 70, or 90. This is the percent off the original price.

You’re probably thinking, “So what?”

Well, I had a Target employee tell me that they continue to mark things down weekly until they’re ALL gone.

But she also told me that NOT all clearance products get marked down every week.

So if you see an item with a 15 in the corner, and they have a ton of inventory, there’s a great chance you can get it next week for 25% off. And so and and so on.

The holy grail at Target is the 90 as that’s the lowest clearance price you’re EVER going to find.

Note: These clearance stickers use to be RED but my local Target now has YELLOW ones. It’s worth noting that some stores might still be using the red ones.

See Also: The Only 5 Target Shopping Hacks You’ll EVER Need

2. Shop on the Right Day of The Week

Did you know Target has a clearance markdown schedule?

Every weekday they take a specific section of the store and do their markdowns.

Shop on the right day and get “first dibs” on all the newest clearance deals.

Here’s how their schedule currently breaks down:

– Monday – Electronics, Accessories, Kids Clothing, Books, Baby and Stationery

– Tuesday — Domestics, Women’s Clothing, Pets and Market (food items)

– Wednesday — Men’s Clothing, Health and Beauty, Diapers, Lawn & Garden items and Furniture

– Thursday — Housewares, Lingerie, Shoes, Toys, Sporting Goods, Decor & Luggage

– Friday — Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, & Jewelry

Use this insider info to your advantage and save money on stuff you’d be buying anyways.

See Also: What Day to Shop? 12 Insider Tips on Store Markdowns

3. Know the Christmas Clearance Schedule

Shop right after Christmas this year at Target and save HUGE.

Here’s how their holiday clearance schedule currently works.

December 26th – 29th: Score 50% off Christmas clearance stuff and 30% off food items.

December 30th – Jan 2nd: Score 70% off and 50% off food items.

January 3rd – January 5th: Score 90% off and 70% off food items.

Be aware that your mileage may vary on this schedule as some stores seem to play be their own rules.\

Let me know in the comments if you see any different clearance schedules in your neck of the woods.

4. Find Clearance Deals on Target.com

Don’t forget about the clearance section on the Target website as well as the Target “Dollar Spot” when shopping in-store..

While you might not find the same screaming deals as you’ll find in-store, there definitely is some great opportunity for savings.

This is especially true in these online categories: Clothing, Baby, Furniture, Home, and Toys.

For example, I recently found a sweet Goodfellow & Co. Fleece Jacket for $14.99, regularly $29.98.

I also noticed a Peoria Loveseat for $134.99, regularly $299.99.

5. Shop the Aisle End-Caps

Sometimes it can be hard to figure out where the clearance items are hidden at Target.

With that said, the one surefire place to fine them is on aisle end caps.

Not every end cap, but many of them. Especially the end caps that are facing an outer wall of the store. Those often have hidden gems on them.

You won’t find these near the front of the store, you’ll need to wander in a bit to spot them.

So before you go paying full-price for something, walk to the end of the aisle and see what hidden deals you might be able to find.

In the picture above, I found a Polaroid digital frame for 50% off the original price. It wasn’t even in the electronics section but the home goods department.

So be sure to snoop around the end caps, you just might be surprised with the deals you’ll find.

See Also: Find a Target Salvage Store in Your Town and Save a Bundle

6. These 4 Departments Have the Best Clearance Deals

Without a doubt you’ll find the BEST clearance deals in Electronics, Toys, Clothing, Shoes, and Home Goods.

The picture above is from the toy department and it had an entire aisle dedicated to Target clearance toys.

Granted this picture was taken a few weeks after Christmas, but I’d add Target to your list of retailers to visit when looking for an inexpensive toy around Christmas and birthdays.

7. Look For “Repackage” and “As-Is” Items

Keep a keen eye out for yellow stickers titled “Repackage” and “As-Is”.

They’re typically items that have nothing wrong with them and are usually items which were returned.

They come with the same warranty and lenient return policy that “brand new” items have. So why pay full price for them when you can score them at a major discount.

I’ve personally found them to be screaming deals in the 50% off range.

Ask the Reader: How do you find Target clearance deals? Do you have any insider hacks that I may have missed? Let me know in the comments.

By Kyle James

Thanks to the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot it has become much easier to save money in everyday life. These cool tech gadgets from Amazon have become much more than handy devices that’ll tell you how many fluid ounces are in a cup. If you know how to use them correctly, they’ll actually help you save money on utility costs, gas, water, and even expensive car repairs. Let’s break it down…

1. Save Money on Gas

Did you know your Amazon Alexa enabled device can tell you the best way to get to work every morning, saving you time and gas?

Just say “Alexa, how’s my commute?” and you’ll be notified of any accidents or traffic on your normal route and be redirected if necessary.

The days of sitting in stop-and-go traffic burning precious gasoline are a thing of the past.

Note: If you haven’t setup your home and work locations yet, you’ll get a notification on how to do so within the Alexa app on your phone. This will automatically happen the first time you ask Alexa about your commute.

2. Save on Travel

Are you jonesing to take a trip but are stuck on a shoe-string budget?

Have you ever tried saying “Alexa, where can I go for $500?” Or $400? Or $1000? Or $200? You get the point.

Try it and you’ll be notified of some stellar travel deals from KAYAK that will get your research pointed in the right direction.

Alexa will first ask you the airport you want to depart from, then suggest cities within your budget. Pretty cool.

Unfortunately, as of this writing you cannot book via Alexa but I’m sure that’s in the works.

See Also: 140+ Hilarious & Helpful Alexa Commands

3. Save on Electricity Costs

One of the coolest new features of Alexa is how she can connect to smart plugs throughout your home.

For just a few bucks you can buy these smart plugs and make anything you plug into them “smart”.

For example, my sister-in-law recently plugged her Christmas tree into a Amazon smart plug and could tell her Echo, “Alexa, turn on (or off) the Christmas tree lights” and viola it happened.

So, by using these plugs on everyday items and lights that you often forget to turn off, you can quickly save energy around the home.

Because let’s face it, it’s WAY easier to sit on the couch and tell Alexa to turn something off rather than get up and do it ourselves.

4. Get Really Smart with It

The aforementioned “smart plugs” are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to home automation that can help you save.

A few of the more popular smart home devices that work with Alexa include the Nest thermostat, Lutron light switches, Samsung SmartThings, and Philips Hue lighting.

My personal favorite is the Nest as it allows you to set your home’s temperature using Alexa as well as with your smartphone when you’re not home.

Use the Nest wisely and it’ll easily help you reduce your home’s heating and cooling costs by 15%.

5. Save Money on Music

If you’re a Prime member you can access Prime Music for free with Alexa as well as other free streaming options from Pandora and Spotify.

But what I love most is that I can connect Alexa to the I Heart Radio app is listen to all my favorite podcasts for free.

Oh, and while not a big money saver, you can also stream all your local radio stations too.

6. Save Cash on Water

If you’re water bill seems too high, Amazon Alexa to the rescue.

Sync Alexa to the ridiculously cool Rachio Smart Sprinkler and you’ll quickly know exactly how much water your yard needs and be able to adjust your water consumption accordingly.

Rachio lets you set your own watering schedules and input details like plant type and sun exposure.

Then you can let “Rachio automatically water your lawn with exactly what it needs to thrive, and not a drop more.”

You’ll also save money on water costs by using Rachio’s “Wireless Flow Meter” which will detect leaks and maximize watering precision.

The voice automation is also super cool as you can just say “Alexa, water zone three for 5 minutes” when something in the yard is looking a little dry.

7. Save on Costly Car Repairs

Sync your Alexa device with Automatic Pro and “Decode your check engine light like a pro”.

This is a great way to figure out what’s wrong with your vehicle before taking it to the costly mechanic.

The device plugs right into your car and makes it a “smart” car of sorts.

It’s a great device for teenage drivers as well because it gives you location tracking, engine light diagnostics, and even crash detection.

The best part? It comes with a free 3G subscription for 5 years.

8. Save on Household Items

Have you ever tried saying “Alexa, order more toilet paper?”

If you have, you already know that you can order pretty much anything from Amazon via your Alexa enabled device.

Just the other day I did this while sitting on the throne as I was within shouting distance of our Echo and I gotta say I felt like a complete genius.

Once you’ve ordered a particular item from Amazon you can just say, “Alexa, reorder X” or “Alexa, order more X” and they’ll ship it to you again.

Buyer beware as not all household items are a deal on Amazon but most will definitely be cheaper than an emergency run to the overpriced drugstore.

Ask the Reader: How have you been able to use your Alexa enabled device to save money?

Happy savings.

By Kyle James

Disclosure: If you go through any of the Amazon links on this page, and make a purchase, I get a small commission on the purchase. Money I use to keep this blog rolling down the road.

Photo Credit to Stock Catalog.

We all know how popular free samples are at Costco, but did you know that Walmart free samples are actually better? This is the case both in terms of the value of the item, as well as the usefulness of them. After all, Costco free samples are mainly impulse food purchases like 4-cheese raviolis BUT Walmart freebies are for things you actually need. Let’s break it all down so you can score free stuff from Walmart too…

Score Free Samples “Inside” Walmart

This is the most obvious way to score free samples from Walmart.

While not as prevalent as Costco, the aisles at Walmart often have folks handing out freebies.

It happens most often on weekends and during peak shopping hours.

If you see a few people standing around a small table, you’ll want to head over and see what’s going on.

You’ll most often find product representatives handing out samples in the food aisles as those items are easy to hand out and often create impulse purchases.

You’ll also often find samples being handed out for items like shampoo, soap, lotion, and shaving cream.

Also, look for coupons or offers on these products as companies are trying hard to make a new loyal customer out of you.

I also recommend doing a Google search for “Walmart in-store events” and you’ll find details of upcoming free sample days and times.

See Also: These 12 Companies Gladly Send Out Free Samples Via the Mail

Get Free Samples Mailed to You

I never considered getting samples from Walmart mailed to me.

But hallelujah, it’s indeed possible and it’s actually kinda awesome.

A couple years ago you could simply visit Walmart.com and type “free samples” into the search bar and be inundated with freebies.

Unfortunately, this is no longer the case.

But not all hope is lost as Walmart now offers 2 free sample boxes.

They are called the Baby Box and the Beauty Box. Here’s how it works…

The Walmart Baby Box

The Walmart Baby Box is crammed full of cool free samples for babies and expectant mothers.

The only catch? You have to pay a $5 shipping fee but the samples inside easily make up for the cost.

Walmart has three baby boxes: 1 for the expecting mother, 1 for a newborn/infant, and 1 for a toddler.

When you sign-up (for free) you enter your child’s due date and Walmart sends out the boxes on a schedule so you get products when you and your child actually need them.

You’re only charged the $5 when the box is processed for delivery and ready to be mailed.

Brands that are involved include Huggies, Dove, All, Pampers, Neutrogena, and Nuk.

The Walmart Beauty Box

Walmart has beauty product samples too.

Similar to the Baby Box, the Beauty Box from Walmart is a great way to score a bunch of free samples for practically no cost.

You only have to pay the $5 shipping fee and you’ll get free samples mailed to you from name-brands like Cetaphil, Aveeno, Nivea, Biore, Kleenex, Garnier, and Neutrogena.

After all, why pay for an entire bottle if you’re not sure you’ll even like it?

Be aware that many of the samples you’ll receive are for new product releases.

Walmart will mail you a new box once per season (4 times per year) and not charge you the 5 bucks until the box is ready to be mailed.

It’s a pretty cool gift idea as well.

Any Other Walmart “Free Sample” Secrets?

Yes, I have one more important tip.

Be sure to follow Walmart on their social media outlets as they often post free sample opportunities.

Here are the specific ones to follow:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Instagram

Over the years I’ve seen many free sample notices on the Walmart Facebook and Twitter pages. Both for in-store freebies as well as the online variety.

I haven’t personally seen any on their Pinterest or Instagram page, but I’ve been told they do indeed exist.

Ask the Reader: How have you received free samples from Walmart? Or are you still looking for your first?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Mike Mozart.