15 Best Target Buys if You’re on a Tight Budget

Is there anything worse than budgeting advice that’s wildly out of touch with a tight budget? In reality, getting by when your wallet is constrained means finding consistently low-priced options for the things you need to purchase regularly.

Budget shoppers often have a rotation of where to do their weekly shopping, based on what recurring purchases need to be made that week. Stretch your Target budget a little further and check out these budget-friendly purchases that will keep you stocked on necessities.

Editor’s note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.

Price: $3.99

Adding some beans to a meal is a quick, easy, and cheap way to bulk up a skimpy meal to make it stretch further. They’re nutritionally sound, and as the old rhyme goes “good for your heart”.

This four-pound bag is shelf-stable and will stretch a long way in your pantry.

Price: $1.49

Soup season is great for maximizing a budget because you can mix and match just about any odds and ends, toss them in some broth, and have something resembling soup that will fill a belly.

Price: $7.59

Coffee drinkers with limited income have to walk a fine line between “cheap” and “renews the will to live each morning”.

A decent coffee blend usually runs between $10 to $11, but this chicory blend offers the rich medium-dark roast chocolatey tones of New Orleans-style coffee for a far better price.

Price: $2.99

Overnight oats are for people with disposable income. They’re just a fancy way of saying “slow, cold oatmeal”. Nobody has time for that. Instant, warm oatmeal is what’s needed for those who are short on both time and money.

Eight breakfasts for under $3 is a solid way to start the day.

Price: $7.99

A dash of garlic-infused olive oil can go a long way, adding a gourmet flavor to the most basic meals. It’s great on fresh veggies, pasta, and just about anything else that needs a little garlicky zest.

Price: $2.69

The second most mispronounced seasoning after Worcestershire sauce is a must-have for spicing up any budget-friendly base meal.

The tightest budgets can quickly leave one tired of the same old flavor palates night after night, and some creole seasoning helps add variety to your recipes.

Price: $6.99

Old Spice has been playing games with their deodorant pricing, sometimes reaching as high as $14. Women have noticed this trend occurs more often with the gender-neutral scents they otherwise would have bought.

Alpine is a good scent for both men and women and is reasonably priced at Target.

Price: $4.99

St. Ives face wash is the best way to exfoliate and doesn’t include microplastics. Milled apricot pits are better for faces and better for the only known habitable planet for humans.

Price: $15.99

It’s nearly $2 more to purchase the same size Gain detergent from Aldi, and at Target you don’t have to wait for the rolling stock to have your favorite scent. Amazon prices it even higher, at $18.97.

Price: $9.99

Mega sheets are the newest rollout in dryer sheets. They’re much larger than the standard sizing so you really only need one for a load of laundry that would otherwise need two or three.

They cut static and provide a lasting fresh scent — even if you’re the sort of person who let their laundry sit in a clean pile for a week before putting it away.

Price: $13.59

Swiffer isn’t necessarily the rock-bottom cheapest way to keep floors clean, but time is also a factor in budgeting so the quick and easy convenience makes it worth the couple extra dollars.

Price: $2.79

Why anybody is still scrubbing toilets when cleaning cling gel exists is a mystery. Stores like Aldi offer a slightly cheaper alternative brand, however, that can sometimes require two applications — so the pocket change savings isn’t worth it making this a good buy.

Price: $2.49

Dial hand soap pricing on Amazon never quite stabilized after the pandemic, making it easier, as well as cheaper, to pick it up elsewhere, like at Target.

Price: $8.29

A two-pack of Brita filters is regularly priced at $16.99 on Amazon, but Target Circle members can get an additional 5% off, bringing the cost down even further.

Price: $$7.99

Soda 12-packs are regularly priced at grocery chains between $10 to $11, so the price at Target is steadily low if this is one of those weekly items you regularly stock up on.

Target has competitive pricing for recurring household staples without joining their Target Circle reward program, but there are additional benefits and savings offered through the Circle program that can help tight budgets save money on groceries and other necessities for the home.

Target Circle has a free option that grants shoppers automatic deals and discounts, including 5% off everyday purchases, so make sure to sign up before you shop.