Target is one of my favorite places to find a great bargain in all departments. I’ve found items for the home, school supplies (as I work in education), clothes, shoes, groceries, and beauty items there. It’s one of my regular shopping stops when my husband and I go grocery shopping every week. Why is it one of my top bargain spots?

1. Time Efficient: I can scope out the store pretty quickly. While Target has a great clothing department, my local store’s department is small enough that I can watch pieces or see when the clearance signs change without going through every rack every time I visit. Everything is clearly labeled with clearance signs and if you monitor, you’ll see when the signs change from 30% off to 50% off (and from 50% to 75%). I don’t have to look at everything in the department every time I’m there. After I’ve surveyed the area well once, I can check back for markdowns regularly in much less time. Then when I notice new items arriving, I can survey the area in more depth again.
2. Frequent markdowns: Target has frequent markdowns. You can count on clearances getting marked down further every week or two.
3. Discount prices don’t mean discount quality: Paying $6.24 instead of the original $29.99 (or even more for pricey brands at other department stores) doesn’t mean quality of what I buy suffers. I’ve found plenty of bargains at Target that have lasted just as long (and sometimes longer) than my name brand finds. While I wouldn’t buy anything other than name brand running/walking shoes because I’m hard on my workout gear, I have several finds from Target that stand the test of time. For example, I’ve got a thin white cardigan that still looks good after 3 years of regular wear. I’ve got a couple of Target dresses that do the same. I’ve got a pair of leopard print flats by Merona that I maybe paid $9.00 for, and they lasted well past the season with 2 or 3 times a week/8 hour day use.
4. Trends on the Cheap: Many fashion experts will say not to invest big money in big trends because you’ll be putting them in your Goodwill donations/yard sale piles the next year. Splurge on classic, timeless pieces that you can pair with big trends. I agree. However, when you want to indulge in a trend without splurging, Target can help! With their fingers on the pulse of fashion, regular guest lines from major designers (like Isaac Mizrahi, for example), and regular clearances, you can afford a trend or two BEFORE the trend is out.
5. Great finds all the time: Yes. I find something there all the time. It’s rare that I’m not watching and waiting for the price on something to fall. And I’ve got a little photo history essay to share with you some of my favorite and most recent Target finds. Check’em!

Physician's Formula Minearal Powder foundation in light: $3.24

Maybeline Pure liquid foundation in light: $3.48 - $2.00 manufacturer's coupon = $1.48

These were a real steal: Leaf earrings were 98 cents on a card with another pair of peace sign earrings that was missing one of the earrings. I couldn't pass up the classy leaves for 98 cents though. The teal hoops and butterfly dangles were also 98 cents on a card together.

Gold and Leopard Print flats: $6.24 each.

The plaid flats are not Target bargains, but the cute golden rod Mary Janes and the purple jewel-tone wedge Mary Janes are: $6.24 and $4.24 respectively.

Another steal: $9.08 for this pair of suede slouch fringe boots that has lasted through relentless wear for the past 2 years.

Pink lace skirt: $9.08

This black lace with nude underlay skirt is my most recent steal: $3.24

I think after the holidays is the perfect time to start a shopping blog and to score some sweet sales. Many people may think after-Christmas sales are merely a chance to stock up on wrapping supplies for next Christmas. What you may not know is that it can be a prime time to score awesome deals on beauty products. At the end of one year and beginning of the next year, retailers try to clear out their current stock to make room for the next season’s stock. This means clearance markdowns on many of your favorite beauty items, especially those items that may have been packaged as Christmas gifts (i.e. fragrance bundles, lip glosses and balms in multi-packs, hair care items, etc.). Stock up on the products you use all year long by scoring them at bargain prices. Don’t hesitate to snag some of the gift sets that aren’t too Christmas-y for birthday and thank you gifts throughout the year!

So how and where can you find these goodies? Look anywhere beauty products are sold, especially places that sell these products packaged for Christmas marketing. Target; Wal-mart; department stores like Macy’s, JC Penney, and Dillards; grocery stores like Kroger; and drug stores like Wal-green’s and Rite-Aid all carry items of this sort regularly, and even more so during the holidays. After the holidays (usually the day after), retailers slash the prices on these items by 50%. Days (or a week or so) later, the prices are slashed to 75% or more. You can get the things you would’ve paid full price for year round for much less, and you’ll be stocked up for the year. A word of caution though: don’t buy things you wouldn’t wear. It’s tempting for me to buy colors I won’t wear because they complement one item in my closet, but put your money and your make-up bag space to better use by purchasing colors that you know you’ll wear. Think of your everyday pallet. Also, be on the lookout for items you know you can give as gifts throughout the year, nonperishables. For example, many of these lotions, body sprays, and shower gels are packaged in gift packs but the wrapping is not Christmas themed, or is often in neutral like silver, gold, etc. These make for nice gifts at an even nicer price after the holidays. Even if the gift packaging is Christmas-y, you can remove that packaging and put it in a season-neutral gift bag or basket. Easily revamped!

Speaking of gifts for throughout the year, you can also get gift-wrapping goods for the rest of the year at after-Christmas prices. Look for wrapping that isn’t necessarily Christmas—colors you’d see in the gift wrap aisle throughout the year. For example, I picked up blue and white striped wrapping paper last year that I used for gifts all throughout the year. Similarly, this year I found silver paper and a spool of ribbon in purple, silver, gold, white, and blue that I can definitely use for all kinds of gifts throughout the year. Also look for gift wrap items in pinks and non-Christmas greens, colors that have been adapted for the Christmas pallet over the years but are regular parts of year-round gift wrap goods. Personalize these great neutrals with stickers or pretty to/from gift tags for the occasion at hand.

Below are some of my after-Christmas finds. Tell me about yours!

K-mart; Revlon ceramic straightener with heat-resistant storage glove and brush $9.99

Kroger; Revlon "Minted" nail polish $1.89

Kroger; Maybelline Eyestudio eye shadow in "Ivy Illusion" $3.19 on clearance - $2.00 manufacturer's coupon = $1.19

Kroger; Vaseline aloe fresh with SPF15 protecting lotion $2.75 on clearance.

Macy's; Style & Co. make-up bags gift set $9.50 holiday discount item - Macy's coupon = $6.00

Kroger; Mirra makeup brush  gift set $6.99 - $.75 Kroger coupon -$.40 Kroger coupon = $5.84

Kroger; Foot lotion and sock gift set $2.49

Kroger; Lipsmackers multipack clearance $.99