Target's 90% Off Bonanza

I try to fight the "gatherer" instinct we women are born with and err on the side of NOT HOARDING things, but when the Target 90% off days happen each year, all bets are off. My good nature extends to NOT taking ALL of the greatest things if I can't use them and "sharing" with the other gathering moms in the back aisles of Target each year on January 1st. I also try to buy as many "practical" things as possible and not load the cart up with decor items. Of course, DO I LOVE IT? rules still apply and if I don't love it, it does not go in the cart. (EVEN IF IT IS 39 CENTS!)

If you don't know about the Target 90% days, they happen every year (thus far historically) after Christmas, typically on the 1st or 2nd of January. All of the Christmas items are marked down, but that also includes ANYTHING holiday. I tend to grab things that will extend as "winter" decor or even further into the year. These pillows for example:

They are from the Hearth and Hand line and the greens and whites match our interiors to a "T". Our front door even went that classic shade of green this year! PRICE - $2.49 each

 The black and white pillows from the H and H line were plentiful and 90% off. They made great winter accent pillows for our bed and the office downstairs. PRICE - $2.49 each

 I went a wee bit overboard on the wreaths this year, but it cannot be said that I do not use and love them! We typically have 2 on our front door as well as 2 on pillars at the base of the driveway. The pillar wreaths only last a couple of seasons thanks to rain, wind, snow and sleet, so I hate spending a lot on them. 90% off is fantastic. Here are my favorites:

PRICE - $3 each

I love all the led wrapped wreaths Target had this year because they bring a nice warm glow at night when darkness falls early. These wreaths have to be manually turned on and off, but some of the wreaths I found are on timers, which makes me happy every time they come on at night as the sun sets.

Here is the other half of the pair hanging out in the kitchen:

These beautiful bottlebrush wreaths were one of the very few things I picked up at 70% instead of 90%.

Beautiful, yes??

PRICE - $7.49 

That price seems so high to me in comparison to all the other deals, but wreaths

are typically in the $30-60 range, so in perspective $7.49 is still pretty good.

There were a few more "big" purchases, mainly on furniture. This pre-lit birch tree was the most expensive thing I bought at a whopping $10. It was originally $100 and I can't wait to style the front porch around it next Christmas!

 The furniture that is part of the 90% off sale is "holiday", but you would never know it. Those two wooden cube tables? $6.00 - originally $59.99

I picked up 2 more tables at $6 for end tables and I saw people online scoring benches for $10 and marble tables for even less. A steal!! Now, onto the practical things!! There were tons of bath and body gift sets at 70% (they do not go to 90%), so I grabbed a few of the ones we use.

This is where I try not to be awful and take ALL the shampoo. Leave some for everybody else!!

These end up being $2.99 each, which is around $1 per bottle - a steal!

PRICE - $2.99

I also raided the men's section and there are always 90% forgotten and secret finds to be had there!

I found wallets for $1, nice canvas toiletry bags for $1-2 and warm winter hats for $1.

I also found the most beautiful (and practical) thermos and wallet for myself:

The thermos was $2.49 and the wallet was $3 (real leather and came with a money clip as well).

Another little splurge was this ring holder for 99 cents:

Last, but not least, are the CHRISTMAS Christmas things. These are typically the cheapest finds - most are under $1. All were 90% off:

Golden Mistletoe $1

Pom Pom Garland $1

Ribbon .49-$1

Ornaments .30

Beautiful Bows .30

 ...and one lone true Christmas pillow for $2.49. I passed up a ton of Christmas pillows for the more neutral ones, but there were tons. For $2.49, they are cheaper than pillow inserts!

 

As you can see, I definitely give in to my gathering instinct in early January each year. Whew!  The fun continues throughout the year as those practical gifts get utilized bit by bit and then opening the box of Christmas decorations in December is always super fun. Brand new decorations that I usually forgot about completely are ready and waiting!

Here are a few tips if you want to take advantage of the sales:

1. Scan. If you are unsure of the price, take 1 to the price scanners to check before loading up your cart with multiples. If someone else if waiting for the scanner, SHARE! Don't be a hog! Also, try to put your things back where you got them if you decide not to purchase them. Otherwise, you will be shamed as a "guest" at r/target :)

2. Before Christmas, make a few mental notes of the new holiday lines. There are softlines (clothing - think PJ sets and slippers meant for gifts), decor (like the Hearth and Hand line this year, but 4 or 5 other great ones as well), food (think large bags of pecans and red Oreos), bath and body gift sets and MENS. All of these things are often part of the big markdown, but are not always marked with a sticker or sign. We call it "the HUNT".

3. TRY MENS. The men's section is always one of my favorites because it is never picked over early. Everybody heads for the Christmas trees, ornaments and lights, but I need GLOVES and SOCKS more than more ornaments, you know??

4. Buy things to donate. Pet shelters, homeless shelters or the family down the street down on their luck might be able to utilize practical clearance finds. As far as I can tell, the clearance items are packaged up and sent to local Goodwills after 1-2 days of the 90% sale.  Then, the prices are marked UP to about 30-50% of their value. You are better off buying the items to donate at Target than waiting for them at Goodwill.

5. Don't buy what you do not NEED or WANT. It is very hard not to just buy EVERYTHING. It is so cheap!!  I know! Tempting! I try to keep my home colors and finishes in mind (white! green! black! wood tones!) as well as a color scheme for next Christmas (we are going SCOTLAND themed next year!) as I shop. That means no pinks, blues, oranges. No pastels. No neon. As much as I LOVE those rusty red bottlebrush trees? Nope. They don't fit.The last thing I need is more stuff to sort and store that I don't love.

6. Think multi-season. Remember those white bottlebrush wreaths I bought at 70% off? There were also red wreaths. I didn't LOVE love the red, so I left them, but saw them again at 90% off. I immediately thought VALENTINE's DAY. I wouldn't have paid $7.49, but for $3 they were worth it to have a seasonal decoration to switch out in February. The other wreaths were grapevine and can be edited for ANY season with fake flowers, REAL flowers and greens, and findings from nature.

7. Think about a second trip. The first trip to "the sale" is always an adrenaline rush and always has the best finds. However, a second trip the next day often find the "hidden gems" in other departments. My one disappointment this year? Mrs. Meyers PINE. I love love love the pine scented cleaners and I forgot to check the cleaning aisles for 90% off :/ Ah well.

8. Time it right! Pay attention to your Target as they start marking things down to 30% and 50% off, and definitely follow along with All Things Target and the All Things Target Facebook Page. People chime in with tips on when their stores start to go 70% and 90%, so you can make an educated guess on when yours will go. That Target Reddit thread I linked above might also have tips as well.

psst...if you need toys, the 70% off toy clearance is coming soon to a Target near you...

Happy Hunting!