14 Target Buys for Shoppers on a Budget (#9 Is a Game Changer)

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.

Many of these picks are store brands or long-standing name brands with strong ratings from Target shoppers, so you're not trading quality for savings.

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

Price: $1.99

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

Each bag holds about 13 servings, and every quarter-cup serving of dry beans packs 7 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber. Soak them overnight or use the quick-soak method on the package, then simmer for one to two hours until tender. 

Target shoppers give them 4.6 out of 5 stars, often praising the value and how well they work in soups and slow cooker meals.

Price: $1.59

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.

Broth isn't just for soup, either. Use it in place of water to add flavor to rice, pasta, couscous, or mashed potatoes, or splash some into a pan to make a quick sauce. 

Good & Gather's broth line has a 4.7-star rating from more than 6,000 Target shoppers, and reviewers often mention the value. If you're watching your sodium, check the shelf for the no-salt-added version.

Price: $9.59

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 much more, but this chicory blend offers the rich medium-dark roast chocolatey tones of New Orleans-style coffee for a far better price.

The 12-ounce bag blends Arabica coffee with roasted chicory, a pleasantly bitter and nutty root with a long history in New Orleans coffee. The chicory gives each cup a stronger, slightly sweeter taste than coffee alone. 

Community Coffee has been roasting since 1919 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is the largest family-owned retail coffee brand in the U.S.

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, all while saving money.

Each packet is made with 100% whole grain oats and has 160 calories, 4 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein. 

It's also made without artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors, with a short ingredient list of oats, sugar, dried apples, natural flavor, salt, and cinnamon. Just add water and heat for a warm breakfast in minutes.

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.

Because the garlic flavor is already built in, you can skip mincing fresh cloves on busy nights. Drizzle it over roasted potatoes, toss it with popcorn, brush it on bread before toasting, or use it as a dip with a pinch of salt and pepper. 

A little goes a long way, too. Each 1-tablespoon serving has 110 calories, so a single bottle can flavor plenty of weeknight dinners.

Price: $2.79

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.

The 8-ounce can blends salt, red pepper, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic, with no MSG. Try it on meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, soups, and even french fries. Salt is the first ingredient, so you may want to go easy on any extra salt. 

The brand dates back to 1972, when Tony Chachere created the blend in Opelousas, Louisiana.

Price: $7.99

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.

This 3-ounce stick is part of Old Spice's Fresher Collection. It's free of aluminum and parabens and offers 24/7 odor protection with an outdoorsy scent of hemp seed oil and green tea. Skin conditioners help it glide on smoothly. 

If Alpine isn't your style, the line also includes Deep Sea, Fiji, and Timber scents.

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.

Made with 100% natural exfoliants, the 6-ounce tube is dermatologist tested, paraben free, and noncomedogenic, so it won't clog pores. It has 4.7 out of 5 stars from more than 3,000 ratings at Walmart, making it a longtime drugstore favorite. 

Since it's a physical scrub, start by using it a few times a week to see how your skin responds, and use gentle, circular motions rather than scrubbing hard.

Price: $15.99 

This container is set to last for 100 loads of laundry with a fresh and long-lasting scent. Instead of picking up smaller containers and spending more in the process, sometimes it's worth grabbing the large one to save more money. 

This phosphate-free formula works in both standard and high-efficiency washers and is designed to lift dirt while locking in scent. Moonlight Breeze has a fruity, floral scent that Gain says lasts up to six weeks in your clothes. 

At $15.99 for 100 loads, you're paying about 16 cents per load. For an extra scent boost, Gain also makes Moonlight Breeze dryer sheets.

Price: $12.99

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.

Each 1.25-liter bottle comes premixed and snaps right into a Swiffer WetJet, so there's no measuring or bucket to fill. The formula dries quickly and is safe for finished wood, laminate, and glossy ceramic tile. 

Skip it on unfinished, oiled, or waxed wood, unsealed tile, and carpet, since those surfaces can be sensitive to water. Pair it with WetJet mopping pads, which trap dirt and grime as you clean.

Price: $2.89

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. The pocket change savings isn't worth it, making this a good buy.

The thick bleach gel clings to the bowl to dissolve tough stains and kills 99.9% of germs. It also whitens, deodorizes, and leaves behind a fresh Ocean Mist scent without being abrasive. 

An angled nozzle helps you reach under the rim. Just squeeze the gel under and around the rim, scrub, let it sit to disinfect, then flush.

Price: $3.29

Even hand soap is expensive on Amazon these days, making it easier, as well as cheaper, to pick it up elsewhere, like at Target.

This 7.5-ounce pump bottle kills 99.9% of household bacteria while moisturizing as it cleans. The formula is free of phthalates, parabens, and silicones and is mild enough for the whole family to use throughout the day. For the best results, lather for at least 20 seconds before rinsing. 

Once the bottle is empty, you can save even more by refilling it from a larger refill jug instead of buying a new pump. Keeping a bottle at every sink makes regular handwashing easy.

Price: $7.99

Target Circle members can get an additional 5% off on these filters, bringing the cost down even further.

Each filter lasts up to two months or 40 gallons and reduces the chlorine taste and odor in tap water, along with copper, cadmium, and mercury. 

It fits all Brita pitchers and dispensers except the Brita Stream, and it doesn't need presoaking, so setup is quick. Note that it doesn't filter lead. Brita recommends its Elite filters for that. 

Target shoppers give it 4.7 out of 5 stars from more than 2,500 ratings, with many saying it saves them money compared with buying bottled water.

Price: $8.39

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.

Each pack includes 12 cans, and each 12-ounce can has 140 calories. The 12-pack has a 4.7-star rating from more than 32,000 Target shoppers.

If you drink soda regularly, keep an eye out for Target Circle deals, which often include discounts on drinks. At $8.39, you're paying about 70 cents per can, compared with roughly 83 to 92 cents per can at the $10 to $11 grocery store price.

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.

If you shop at Target often, also look into the Target Circle Card, which takes 5% off most purchases in store and online. Free Target Circle members still get personalized deals and bonus offers, so it's worth signing up either way.

 Prices on these staples can change, so check the Target app before you head out to make sure you're getting the best deal.