Hi, my name is McKenna and I am a recovering Target addict. I’ve been in recovery for about a year now, and I’ve slipped up just a few times. It feels so good to be free!
My friend Margaret jokes that there’s a $100 entrance fee to Target because it seems you can’t walk out without spending at least that much. When I was addicted to Target, I proved that theory true many times.
Like every other suburban woman, I was there once, maybe even twice, a week. I loved stocking up on stylish items and basic necessities. I usually went in for toilet paper and walked out with a cartload of cool things I never knew I needed.
That’s why I stopped shopping at Target. Yes, the deals can be fantastic. Yes, I love the dollar section. Yes, Super Target is a great spot to buy everything you need in one fell swoop.
But just look at that adorable sheet set for my daughter — it’s even on sale! Or that cute little t-shirt for me. I think my husband needs some new boxers. Now that I think about it, I need more sponges…and maybe some bleach, too, just to be safe. Maybe I should look for my nephew’s birthday present in the toy aisle. And who doesn’t need some of those yummy Choxie treats?
Sound familiar?
A cartload of “necessities” later, I’d bought twice as much as I expected and spent at least that much more. Sure, everything is priced well. But it’s not a deal when you could have spent less and still walked away with what you truly needed.
My new friend Kmart
I started shopping at Kmart in Oconomowoc because it’s much closer to my house. I noticed that prices were comparable to Target. But I was spending significantly less at Kmart than I did at Target, and still getting what I needed. What’s up with that?
The key is that Kmart is far less appealing to me than Target. Chandler feels the same way about Kmart. He hates the lighting, the appearance of the store, the smell; everything about it turns him off and he refuses to shop there. But for me, those turn-offs are exactly why I love Kmart. I want to get in, get out and not spend any extra time (or money) in the store. That’s probably the death knell for Kmart’s business, but it’s great for my wallet.
Double coupons never had it so good
Kmart isn’t always the cheapest, but occasionally it doubles coupons up to $2. Meaning that if you have a $2 coupon, it will be doubled to $4. That can be a huge savings! They also take up to 75 coupons, which is awesome. I love this deal when it comes around. I’m hoping it comes back soon.
Breaking the Target habit
If you’re like me, you think you can’t live without Target. You wonder how we all lived before it existed in every town across America. You pity the people who don’t have one nearby.
Guess what? You can live — and live well — without it.
Here’s my challenge to you: Spend a week avoiding Target. Pay attention to how it changes (or doesn’t change) your spending habits. If you can go a week, try two weeks — or even a month. How does it change the way you shop? Let me know!
remember when target was kmart? just another general discount store? then they rebranded in the early 2000s as a trendy, cool alternative to walmart. check this:
median age: 41 median income: 63Keducation: 48% have college degrees
it’s the holy grail demographic for a discount store!
i agree with you: the few times i’ve been in kmart (in my life) it has been almost surreal. weird lighting, sparsely peopled, inexplicably unrepaired and damaged floor/ceiling tiles.
Yes, I do remember when Target was just another discount store. It started changing in the mid-1990s. I remember buying a skirt there when I was 16 and nobody could believe it came from Target. And let’s not even talk about WalMart. I’m not ready to dive into that abyss.
“Surreal” is a good word for Kmart. When I’m there, I feel like I’m in the twilight zone of retail, as if the store should be closed and cleared out but somehow isn’t. How long can that business model last?