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

Are you finally ready to cut-the-cord and cancel your DirecTV account once and for all? I did this exact thing last year and have easily saved over $500 in the days since. But it’s not as easy to cancel as you might think. Perhaps you’re still under contract or maybe the early cancellation fee has you concerned. I’ve done all the work for you and have answers to all your questions. I’ll even breakdown 5 of your best TV options once you’ve cancelled DirecTV. Let’s get to it.

First, You Gotta Call DirecTV

Gather up all your account information and call DirecTV at 1 (800) 531-5000.

You cannot cancel via their website as they DO NOT want to make it easy for you to cancel.

Be prepared for a 10-20 minute process, always best to call early in the morning to avoid long wait times.

You’ll immediately get put in their automated phone system.

Always pick choices that lead to you talking to a REAL person. You can also try repeatedly pushing the 0 button at every option to get to a customer service rep quickly.

When I cancelled DirecTV recently, I simply told the first person I spoke with that “I want to cancel my account immediately”.

I was then rerouted to their customer retention department as they wanted to try and talk me into staying.

After all, DirecTV has invested a lot of money into keeping you as a paying customer and they don’t want to lose you.

To this end, they’ll offer some pretty attractive incentives to try and talk you out of leaving.

For example, they offered me 50% off my bill for 1 year AND free HBO for 6 months.

I gotta admit I was intrigued, but I stuck to my guns and cancelled.

After all, even with the reduced bill for a year, I knew I would be saving more money by cancelling and opting for other TV viewing options. (More on those later)

See Also: Learn How to Negotiate with DishNetwork, DIRECTV, AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast

Are You Still Under Contract?

Luckily my 2-year DirecTV contract had expired by the time I called to cancel.

If you’re not in the same boat as me, be prepared to swallow hard when considering getting out of your contract.

It’s going to cost you a $15 deactivation fee as well as $20 for each month remaining on your contract.

So if you have 8 months left on your contract, it will cost you $160 + $15 = $175 to get out early.

But it’s important to remember that for many of us, that’s only 2-3 months of what we were paying DirecTV already.

So, unless you have 15-20 months remaining on your contract, it’s totally worth it to pay the penalty to get OUT early and MOVE on.

What About All the Equipment?

Lucky you, you get to keep that beautiful satellite dish fastened to your roof.

Everything else they’ll want back. Namely your receiver, remote, and cords.

I was sent a return authorization form and asked to take my equipment to my local UPS Store.

The cool thing about this is that I didn’t have to worry about boxing up all the gear as the UPS Store did it ALL for me.

I literally handed them a bag with all my gear and they gave me a receipt showing that I indeed dropped it all off.

Important Note: They’ll give you 3 weeks to get the equipment back. Make sure you do it sooner rather than later as they’ll hit your account with a $150 fee if you don’t get the gear back in the 3-week time period.

Why You REALLY Have Nothing to Lose…

If you’re on the fence about giving DirecTV the boot, I have some relief for you.

A few months after I cancelled I got a “Come Back to Us” letter in the mail.

In the letter. they offered me their Select Package (155 channels) for only $19.99/month for one year.

They also offered free HBO, Starz, Cinemax, and Showtime for three months.

So the takeaway is if you do end up cancelling DirecTV, but ultimately regret it, this letter will get you back with a screaming good deal.

Bonus Tip: How to Cancel DirecTV Now

DirecTV NOW (Our Full Review) is their new streaming service that’s a decent alternative to satellite cable.

But if you’re currently subscribed, there may come a time when you want to get rid of it as well.

To make it happen you just visit your online account, no phone call required.

Once you’re logged in, just click on Settings, Manage My Plan, and then Cancel Plan.

There is NO contract or early termination fees to worry about.

You’ll keep the DirecTV Now service until your current billing period ends.

5 Solid Cord-Cutting Options

Congratulations on giving DirecTV the boot. So now what?

Well, here are my 5 favorite cord-cutting options that my family has used at different times to watch all our favorite channels and SAVE a ton of money in the process.

Find a mix of these 5 that makes the most sense for your viewing habits.

1. Over-The-Air HD Antennae

The first thing to do is visit the website NoCable.org and enter your physical address.

The site will tell you based on your location (and topographical features) what HD channels you’ll get over-the-air waves.

If you live out in the country, or have mountains around, you might only get a couple channels.

But if you live on flat land, or in a town or city, you’ll probably be amazed with the number of HD channels available to you for FREE.

Just buy an inexpensive HD antennae (they run around $25), hook it to your TV, and start watching local HD channels immediately at no-cost to you.

2. Hulu

Hulu is a popular streaming service that starts at $7.99 a month and currently offers a 1-month trial for new customers.

Pros: Price, long trial period, tons of current TV shows, some packages include ESPN and other sports channels, no contract.

Cons: Have to pay more for limited commercials, expensive “Live TV” option, limited original programming.

3. Netflix

Unless you live under a rock you’re already familiar with Netflix.

Plans start at $7.99 a month and new users get a generous 30-day free trial.

Pros: Thousands of new movies and TV shows added monthly, excellent original programming, no contract.

Cons: No live TV, no local channels, no ESPN.

4. Sling TV

Sling TV (Full Review) is another live TV streaming option with monthly plans starting at $25. Comes with a 7 day free trial so you can give it a test drive.

Pros: Inexpensive, ESPN included, DVR option, ability to pick certain channels, no contract.

Cons: Limited local programming, eats up broadband quickly.

5. Fubo TV

FuboTV is another streaming option that’s been gaining favor recently.

I’ve done their free 7-day trial a couple times so I could get the NFL Red Zone and track my fantasy team.

I was happy with their service both times and the Fubo user interface was simple to use.

Packages start at a somewhat pricey $39.99/month, but it comes with 75+ live channels

Pros: Great sports programming (especially for soccer and NFL fans), easy to learn user interface.

Cons: Expensive, no ESPN, no local channels.

Bottom line, cut the cord and start saving money today.

By Kyle James

Amazon Prime Student is a no-brainer for most college students, especially when ordering textbooks. But trying to figure out how Prime Student is different than regular Amazon Prime is a bit tricky. Both Prime services have many of the same Prime Perks but there are some glaring differences that I wanted to breakdown. I also wanted to show you how to join Prime Student without a .edu email address. Let’s get to it shall we…

Are the Prime Perks the Same with Prime Student?

The major differences between Prime Student and regular Prime are fairly significant.

First, let’s start with the similarities.

Similarities:

Both versions of Prime come with these KEY benefits:

– Free 2-Day Shipping: This is the BIG one. Both come with unlimited free 2-day shipping on all eligible items.

Some major universities even have an “Amazon Store” on campus that allows for same-day Prime Student pickup. I recently saw this on the UC Berkeley campus.

– Prime Video: Both Prime Student and regular Prime members gain access to Prime Video which lets you stream thousands of movies and TV shows for free. Huge money saver if you can use Prime Video to replace Netflix.

– Photo Storage via Prime Photo: Both also come with Prime Photo which scores you unlimited, full-resolution, photo storage.

– Twitch Prime: Twitch is popular with many college students and is a gaming platform with a bunch of free gaming content.

– Prime Reading: You’ll gain access to over 1,000 free Kindle books, comics, and magazines.

Differences:

Here are the 2 key ways Prime Student and regular Prime are different.

– Prime Music: Only full-fledged Prime members get access to Prime Music and the millions of songs therein.

– Kindle Owners’ Lending Library: No access to Prime Student members.

See Also: Amazon “Prime Student” Hacks (Plus a 6-Month Trial Membership)

Is the Prime Student Free Trial Different than the Regular Prime Trial?

Yes, it certainly is.

Prime Student actually comes with a whooping 6-month free trial, compared to the 30-day trial that accompanies regular Prime.

Once your 6-month trial period is over, you’ll get the option to extend your Prime Student membership at the reduced rate of $6.49/month which comes out to about $78/year. Cancel at any time.

Amazon lets you renew monthly for up to 4 years OR until you graduate, whichever comes first.

If you don’t cancel at that point, your account will roll over to a regular Prime membership.

Regular Amazon Prime currently costs $119/year or you can pay monthly at $12.99/month.

How Do I Qualify for Prime Student?

You’re going to need a .edu email address to be eligible to Sign-Up for Prime Student.

If you don’t have a .edu address NO worries as you’re still eligible.

You’ll simply need to email one of the following documents to [email protected].

– Student ID: The ID must have a valid expiration date on it.

– Transcript or Class List: Must be from your current term and have your name and school’s name on it.

– Official Acceptance Letter: Must include your matriculation date.

– Tuition Bill: Has to have your name and college’s name on it.

Once verified, expect Amazon to get back to you within 3-5 biz days with the link to officially sign-up for Prime Student.

See Also: 6 Brilliantly Slick Ways to Get Amazon Prime for Free

Can Prime Student Be Shared?

Nope, Amazon Student cannot be shared with others.

Ask the Reader: Are you currently enrolled in Amazon Prime Student? What benefits do you use the most?

By Kyle James