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How To Score Even Bigger Bargains at Discount Stores: Target, Walmart, BJs, and More

You can cut costs even more.

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Love the deals that can save you a bundle at your favorite discount retailers? Great news: We found some surprising ways for you to save even more! Simply follow these four tips to score bigger bargains at discount stores like Target, Walmart, BJs, Costco, Amazon, and more.

Score Target bargains here.

Surprise: The biggest deals on furniture, housewares, bedding and more from Target are not inside any Target store! These bargains, which are 70 to 90 percent less than their original prices, are actually shipped to Target salvage retailers, which are nearby discount stores, like Bargain Hunt, Goodwill, Ollie’s, and The Salvation Army. To find out where your local Target ships their salvage goods, visit AubreySwanBlog.com for a state-by-state list.

Also smart: Sign up for the free Target RedCard debit, credit, or reloadable card at Target.com/RedCard or in-store at a Target customer service desk. You’ll get 5 percent off regular in-store and online Target purchases, plus save 5 percent on Target’s Apple, Disney, and Ulta “shop-in-shops” that you wouldn’t get by visiting these stores directly!

Spot secret Walmart deals.

Before you head to Walmart, download their free app to your device, then set your store location to the one you’re visiting. Once there, log on to their Wi-Fi and use the app to scan the barcodes to confirm the price of products you want to buy. You’ll be happy to find that many are selling for far less than what’s on the price tag! Why? Walmart continually lowers prices on goods, but employees don’t always have the time to update the price tags and signs to match the new lower price. Without checking the barcode, you’d never know! Another great way to save: Apply for the $0 annual fee Capital One Walmart Rewards credit card. It gives you 5 percent back when you shop Walmart.com and order Walmart pickup and delivery, 5 percent cash back in-store for the first 12 months when used with Walmart Pay and 2 percent back at Walmart gas stations.

Tip: To save even more at dollar stores, download the free apps for Dollar General and Family Dollar, and you’ll regularly receive a coupon for $5 off your purchase of $25 or more.

Snag more ‘club’ savings.

Hidden ways to score at wholesale clubs? At BJ’s Wholesale Club: Bring your coupons! They’re the only wholesale club that lets you redeem manufacturer coupons in the store. Plus, you can pair each with one BJ’s store coupon for twice the savings. At Costco: Get cheap meat by asking the meat department for a “chub” of ground beef — a 10-pound tube of lean meat that’s sold for less than you’d pay for multiple smaller sizes. At Sam’s Club: Shop on Wednesdays. That’s when they mark down slow-moving items to make room for new inventory.

Skip this fee at Amazon.

Love when you find a great deal on a TV, chair or other item on Amazon.com, but frustrated when the interest you accrue from your credit card as you pay it down eliminates the savings? There’s an easy way to dodge those charges while paying down the cost a little at a time: Amazon’s new layaway option. Just put the item in your cart, select “Reserve with Layaway” when checking out, pay 20 percent to reserve it and lock in the low price, then make four additional payments over eight weeks. You’ll pay no interest or other added fees to Amazon, and you’ll be able to keep your credit card balance low to avoid racking up interest. Learn more at Amazon.com/layaway.

Saving science!

Need help sticking to your budget? Avoid caffeine. A new study found that folks who drank caffeinated coffee before walking through store aisles spent about 50 percent more money and bought nearly 30 percent more items than those who drank caffeine-free coffee or water. Why? Caffeine increases energy and releases mood-boosting dopamine in the brain, a combo that makes you more easily distracted by product marketing and less focused on your bank account.

A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.

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