Target Gift Card Spending Planner: 47 Ways to Use Every Dollar

Got a Target gift card burning a hole in your wallet? This isn't another generic guide. It's a practical checklist organized by what you actually need. Find your situation, check off items, spend smart.

BEFORE YOU START: Download the Target Circle app. You'll stack additional savings on top of your gift card balance. Now let's spend.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🏠 MOVED INTO A NEW PLACE?

☐ Command strips and hooks (no holes in walls) ☐ Basic toolkit from hardware section ☐ Extension cords and power strips ☐ Shower curtain and rings ☐ Bath mat that doesn't slide ☐ Trash cans for kitchen and bathroom ☐ Hangers (velvet ones save closet space) ☐ Under-bed storage containers

Pro move: Check Target's dorm essentials section even if you're not a student. Same products, sometimes bundled cheaper.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

👶 NEW PARENT OR BABY SHOWER COMING?

☐ Diapers (always need more diapers) ☐ Wipes (see above) ☐ Onesies in the next size up ☐ Baby Tylenol and first aid kit ☐ Burp cloths by the dozen ☐ White noise machine ☐ Nursery organization bins ☐ Board books (never too early)

Reality check: Skip the cute outfits. Parents have enough. Go practical.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🎓 BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON?

☐ Notebooks and folders (boring but necessary) ☐ Quality backpack that'll last the year ☐ Lunch container set ☐ Water bottle that won't leak ☐ Basic calculator ☐ Planner or bullet journal ☐ Desk lamp for homework

Timing tip: Shop early August for best selection. Late August for clearance prices.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🍳 RESTOCKING THE KITCHEN?

☐ Pantry staples (pasta, rice, canned goods) ☐ Spice rack essentials ☐ Good olive oil ☐ Coffee and tea ☐ Snacks that won't break the bank ☐ Reusable food storage containers ☐ Quality kitchen towels

Target hack: Good & Gather brand is genuinely good. Don't sleep on store brands.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

💊 PHARMACY AND WELLNESS NEEDS?

☐ Vitamins and supplements ☐ Pain relievers (always good to have) ☐ First aid supplies ☐ Sunscreen (year-round essential) ☐ Skincare basics ☐ Toothpaste, floss, mouthwash ☐ Contact solution or glasses cleaner

Did you know: Target price matches prescriptions. Ask the pharmacy.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🧹 CLEANING AND ORGANIZATION MODE?

☐ All-purpose cleaner ☐ Laundry detergent ☐ Dish soap ☐ Storage bins with lids ☐ Closet organizers ☐ Vacuum bags ☐ Lint rollers

Budget move: Everspring is Target's eco-friendly line. Works great, costs less than name brands.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🎁 GIFT BUYING FOR SOMEONE ELSE?

☐ Candles (Threshold brand is surprisingly nice) ☐ Cozy blankets ☐ Wine accessories ☐ Board games ☐ Cute mugs ☐ Photo frames ☐ Gift wrap and cards (you're already there)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

📱 TECH AND ELECTRONICS?

☐ Phone chargers and cables ☐ Portable power bank ☐ Earbuds or headphones ☐ Phone case ☐ Screen protector ☐ Bluetooth speaker

Price check: Target often matches Amazon prices. Just ask or show them on your phone.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

SPENDING STRATEGIES BY CARD VALUE

$25 card: Focus on one category above. Don't try to do everything.

$50 card: Combine two categories, or use $35 on needs and $15 to treat yourself.

$100 card: This is real money. Make a list before you go or you'll wander for an hour.

$200+ card: Consider splitting across multiple trips. Target changes inventory weekly.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

NOT A TARGET SHOPPER?

Look, it happens. Maybe there's no Target nearby. Maybe you prefer other stores. Options:

Sell it. Target gift cards typically trade at 85-90% of face value. That's $85-90 cash for every $100 card.

Give it away. Know someone who lives in a Target? They'll appreciate it more than you forcing yourself to shop there.

Wait for the right moment. Target cards don't expire. Stash it until you actually need something.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

FINAL CHECKLIST

☐ Downloaded Target Circle app ☐ Checked weekly ad for extra deals ☐ Made a list based on sections above ☐ Know my card balance exactly ☐ Ready to actually use this thing

Happy shopping. Or happy selling. Either way, don't let that card sit in a drawer.

Rather have cash? We buy Target gift cards at competitive rates. Check current offers on our platform.