The Evilness of Big Bix Stores

[pennquaker09]

After I left work Friday, I decided to head over to Target to replenish some of our household things and maybe get in a little bit of Christmas shopping. And why is that every single time I go there, I end up spending more money that I planned. It's just kind of amazing at how you end up getting things. Like, I really didn't get much of anything and I still ended up spending a little over $300. I'm in Target like once a week and I don't understand why.

Does anyone else notice this?

 

[Ellen]

I love Target too. And almost always spend more than I planned.

The one thing I hate though, is mine has taken to moving things around frequently, and about the time I learn where everything is, they move it all again. Of course, I know WHY they do this, but it still makes mad. I don''t feel like wandering all over some days, nor do I want to keep asking where stuff is.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I love Target''s products and always spend WAY too much there also. Their pharmacy is the one we use and they are so nice and helpful *BUT* I hate their return policy. I think it is just rude. I tried to return some baby stuff I got from my shower (nothing opened) and they made me feel like a shoplifter. I am FINE with store credit (and that is what I expect w/o a receipt) but they made me buy something THAT day from the SAME section it was purchased in.

 

[Skippy123]

I *totally* know what you are talking about.

It happens to me at Target and at Costco!!! Especially now at Target there are so many fun things for the holidays!!!

Penn, I love how fun you sound; I bet you get along great w/everyone! Those twins are gonna have the 2 best parents! hehee

 

[diamondsrock]

yes, yes, yes! I love Target but went in last night just to get a bottled water and a candy bar (I was shopping in the other stores in the plaza.) I ended up getting stocking stuffers, a new pair of gloves (very nice ones) and some funky gumdrop Christmas lights for the tree. So my $2.00 purchase was close to $50! It''s so hard to walk out of there with just a couple of items.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Target rules! It''s the only fun store that''s open at 8:30 in the morning after I drop my son off at school so I also go there about once a week. Three hundred is a lot to spend at one time though! lol I usually spend about $80 each visit and end up with $10 worth of TP.

The food section is great too. We eat mostly organic, but I cannot help but stock up on some basic items like granola bars and gold fish crackers since they''re about 1/2 the price the grocery stores charge.

 

[Kaleigh]

Penn do you go to the new one in Bala Cynwyd?? I haven''t been to that one yet. I always spend more than I plan on, they have such great stuff.

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 12/9/2007 12:48:44 PM
Author: Skippy123
I *totally* know what you are talking about.

It happens to me at Target and at Costco!!! Especially now at Target there are so many fun things for the holidays!!!

Penn, I love how fun you sound; I bet you get along great w/everyone! Those twins are gonna have the 2 best parents! hehee

Oh my gosh, well thank you! That''s very sweet. I try to be a fun person to be around. Thanks for the awesome comments.

 

[BriBee]

Date: 12/9/2007 11:40:54 AM
Author: Tacori E-ring
I love Target''s products and always spend WAY too much there also. Their pharmacy is the one we use and they are so nice and helpful *BUT* I hate their return policy. I think it is just rude. I tried to return some baby stuff I got from my shower (nothing opened) and they made me feel like a shoplifter. I am FINE with store credit (and that is what I expect w/o a receipt) but they made me buy something THAT day from the SAME section it was purchased in.

That''s so weird, any time I''ve returned something (even opened) they just refund me right away (usually my CC). Maybe the employees at your target are the problem and not you.

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 12/9/2007 4:09:55 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Penn do you go to the new one in Bala Cynwyd?? I haven''t been to that one yet. I always spend more than I plan on, they have such great stuff.

Actually, I haven''t. I usually go to the one in Plymouth Meeting. And when I used to have to drive to New Jersey for work, I would go in Princeton or Cherry Hill. But the PM one is fairly close to where I live so it makes more sense. Where I''m from, I''ve used to Super Target so I had to adjust to the smaller ones.


Okay, so I''m noticing that a lot of you shop at Costco. I don''t know if it''s a southern thing, but my folks were Sams Club members. I don''t think Costco came to Hoover until I was almost finished with high school in 2003 or maybe 02. Is it worth it to have a membership at Costco?

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 12/10/2007 1:09:34 AM
Author: SanDiegoLady

Date: 12/10/2007 1:02:47 AM
Author: pennquaker09

Date: 12/9/2007 4:09:55 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Penn do you go to the new one in Bala Cynwyd?? I haven''t been to that one yet. I always spend more than I plan on, they have such great stuff.

Actually, I haven''t. I usually go to the one in Plymouth Meeting. And when I used to have to drive to New Jersey for work, I would go in Princeton or Cherry Hill. But the PM one is fairly close to where I live so it makes more sense. Where I''m from, I''ve used to Super Target so I had to adjust to the smaller ones.


Okay, so I''m noticing that a lot of you shop at Costco. I don''t know if it''s a southern thing, but my folks were Sams Club members. I don''t think Costco came to Hoover until I was almost finished with high school in 2003 or maybe 02. Is it worth it to have a membership at Costco?

I soooo totally think so! lol

heheee I TOTALLY agree on that one!!! I *heart* Costco too!

 

[Libster]

Count me in as a Target gal!

I dropped in the other evening just to make a return and wound up spending over $100 on things I just had to have!!!!!!!

Our Target has a parking deck under the store and I love to leave with a cart full as there is a separate escalator just for the cart

It''s quite a popular feature with the kids.....and kids at heart

 

[eks6426]

I love Target''s stuff too but I agree on the return policy. I bought my son some khaki school pants late August. I bought several and he hadn''t worn all of them yet. Well, he grew and stuff was getting small. I tried to exchange the size 10 pants still with tags on them for size 12 pants...exact same pants just bigger size...but NO, they wouldn''t let me do it. I had a receipt that was 96 days old and their policy is 90 days. Ridiculous!

 

[Kaleigh]

We love Costco, go to the one in K of P. Their meats are great. With the twins coming you''ll want to stock up on things!! Paper towels, dishwashing detergent, paper towels, TP, trash bags, oh the list goes on an on. You definitely want to get a membership!!

 

[partgypsy]

There are certain places of temptation, and for me Costco and Target are 2 of them. I''d go to Costco to get some baby wipes, and walk out having spent $150. Same with Target (why $150 every time? I don''t know). "But honey, it''s all stuff we need" somehow wasn''t cutting it anymore. Especially after we had a quart(gallon?) of salsa rotting away in our fridge because we couldn''t eat it fast enough. I love Costco, but we let our card expire

, and been restricting the number of visits I go to Target. Sad to say, when my daughter accompanied me to Costco she would point out all these things, she wanted like barbie princess phones, new princess pajamas even if she already had a pair, and I didn''t like that development. Maybe some people can "handle" it, but for me all that works is cutting down my visits there.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Target and BJs are a big source of overexpenditure for FI and I. But the biggest culprit is.....WHOLE FOODS! I can go in there intending to get milk and rice cakes and I walk out $50 later with all sorts of goodies. It''s the evil of evils.

 

[Gypsy]

I like Target a lot. They have a good selection of home decor items that capture more expensive looks. But I HATE HATE HATE their return policy... since they've instituted it I've shopped there less and less. The problem isn't if YOU buy the items with a CC or a check, they can track that and will let you return (as long as it's within the 90 day window)... but if you get a gift, or if you can't recall what card or account you've paid out of (and don't have a receipt) they REALLY do treat you like a shoplifting criminal.

Now Costco... that's another matter. I love that place and have spent SO much money there it's ridiculous. Hudson... I agree about Whole Foods 100%. I can NEVER walk out of there buying JUST what I went in for.

 

[pennquaker09]

Well, I suppose so. I don''t know if I''m the only one, but I''m particular about what I buy. I feel like I''m so odd because all of the years I spent living with my parents, I never cared about what kind of paper towels or trash bags we used. But now, I HAVE to have VIVA paper towels. One of my high school friends came to visit me and she was like,"Wow, these are like cloth."

Kaleigh, one of the biggest things that I had to get used to was not having a grocery store in the Target. But I''ve come to love Whole Foods.

Anyway, another thing I love about Target is the baby stuff. I fell in love with this one particular stroller, but I''ll have to see if it comes in a double version. Nate''s sister has one of those ugly foreign made strollers and she was telling me that I just had to get one, but I don''t quite get it? I suppose it''s a New York thing.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

My favorite thing BY FAR (and I know this is going to sound weird), is being able to buy the kind the paper products I want to buy. So it''s super soft TP and Viva paper towels for me!

 

[butterfly 17]

It''s funny, but we have a target about 5 minutes away from our house and I have lived in this area for 5 years and I finally went there the other day with my husband, looking for a prelit Christmas wreath and I managed to leave the store unscathed, not buying one damn thing!

I totally get the whole Costco thing and I can see how one could get addicted to target, but fortunately for me, it has been undiscovered all the time I have been living here! LOL!

I hate going to Costco because I always buy way more than I will ever use and now just go there for my drinks (starbucks frappucino and water) and diapers. I also like their chicken because they are packaged in individual packs now, so it''s easy to cut out two packs and leave the rest in the freezer.

But, like everyone else, I go to buy one thing and come out with $200 to $300 of things I never knew I needed.

I have also been getting my contacts from them as their prices are really cheap. I wear the accuvue II''s and they are $14.50, whereas other stores charge $30 or so.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Penn, I think they make double snap and go strollers. You should really get it. I love ours. I use it SOOO much more than our full size b/c it is compact and so light.

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 12/10/2007 3:23:23 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Penn, I think they make double snap and go strollers. You should really get it. I love ours. I use it SOOO much more than our full size b/c it is compact and so light.

What I saw was made by Graco and I decided to look online to see if they made it in a a double version, but I don''t like the big basket on the bottom. I figure that it''s going to make more sense to get something that will accept two of the Graco carriers because I''m fairly sure that''s the brand I will be getting. I want something easy to use and put together because I''m a small person and I don''t need a really heavy stroller.

Can you tell me what you have? I''m supposed to write down everything I want for Nate''s mom.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I have the Chicco travel system. It is the safest carseat. I also have Baby Trend''s snap and go. I am telling you from one small girl to another, it is a lifesaver! So light and easy to use (though I have the single obviously). I love it! Baby Trend takes all brands, Graco only Graco. The basket is a must for your diaper bag IMHO. You will NEVER travel light again and I am sure it is worse with twins. We also have the Nature Fisher Price swing and the matching Papasan chair (which she sleeps in b/c we think she might have reflux). She just started using her playmat (Tiny Love) and loves it. Also our pack ''n play is the combi DX but I know the make twin ones so that would probably work better for you. The boppy is a must too. That''s all the major stuff we have (I think).

 

[Miranda]

I thought of this thread when spent $160 at Target and then later when I spent $200 at Costco!!!

 

[door knob solitaire]

What I love about Target is help is always 60 seconds away. Try it. Can''t find something you press that code on the phone and you will hear feet running to get to you. They must get some kuddo or something for making it to a customer in a short period of time.

Some are out of breath and they ask, What may I help you with? I say, nothing, I just wanted to see how quick you could make it. Thanks. I turn and walk away and then turn back to look at them and they are in shock. Ha ha. I laugh and then ask of course for what I was looking for. Oh but it is fun.

Suppose I need to get a life, eh? §

 

[Mara]

ha ha i was at Target last nite getting 6 journals for greg who''s doing this underpriveleged kids ''make a backpack'' thing for work and ended up coming out an hour later and $150 poorer. totally thought of this thread as i swiped my card! HAH.

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 12/13/2007 4:25:36 PM
Author: Mara
ha ha i was at Target last nite getting 6 journals for greg who''s doing this underpriveleged kids ''make a backpack'' thing for work and ended up coming out an hour later and $150 poorer. totally thought of this thread as i swiped my card! HAH.

I think they send subliminal messages throughout the store or something.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 12/13/2007 2:52:40 AM
Author: door knob solitaire
What I love about Target is help is always 60 seconds away. Try it. Can''t find something you press that code on the phone and you will hear feet running to get to you. They must get some kuddo or something for making it to a customer in a short period of time.

Some are out of breath and they ask, What may I help you with? I say, nothing, I just wanted to see how quick you could make it. Thanks. I turn and walk away and then turn back to look at them and they are in shock. Ha ha. I laugh and then ask of course for what I was looking for. Oh but it is fun.

Suppose I need to get a life, eh? §

Tell me you don''t.

Funniest thing happed there yesterday, I think a first. Son and I went looking for his Nano ipod, no luck. But he did find a Playstation2 game for his brother and a movie. I bought several items, plus rechargable batteries at 10 bucks.

So the guy rings it up and says the total. I look at him, start writing, look at him again annd ask, is that for everything?? Yep. Nice surprise. I''m sure it will never happen again. lol

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 12/13/2007 2:52:40 AM
Author: door knob solitaire
What I love about Target is help is always 60 seconds away. Try it. Can''t find something you press that code on the phone and you will hear feet running to get to you. They must get some kuddo or something for making it to a customer in a short period of time.


Some are out of breath and they ask, What may I help you with? I say, nothing, I just wanted to see how quick you could make it. Thanks. I turn and walk away and then turn back to look at them and they are in shock. Ha ha. I laugh and then ask of course for what I was looking for. Oh but it is fun.

Suppose I need to get a life, eh? §

That''s naughty!

 

[door knob solitaire]

Its fun...try it!