Yesterday we happened on an amazing deal at Target as part of their three day sale that allowed us to get what the kids wanted and stick to our budget.
Target constantly offers gift cards with purchases. They usually have some specific instructions on how to earn them, or in the case of larger ticket items (iPods, 3DSs, etc.) these items aren’t available at a sale price so the incentive of the gift card is usually a huge reason to shop at Target.
In our case all FOUR of the kids had a Nintendo 3DS on their Christmas wish list. We used to own 3 regular DSs but after several years of use they were totally played out and broke.
When I looked at their lists I knew it would be a huge budget buster so we prepped the kids for not getting them by recommending slyly that they add a few more items to their list.
Fortunately the deal we stumbled onto was a $50 gift card with purchase of a Nintendo 3DS, so we quickly did the math and started the process of purchasing all 4 kids a 3DS.
I share how I scored 3 at $119.99, and one at regular price in the video below. Bonus? I still have a $50 gift card to use for games and accessories.
Here’s how the purchases break down.
$169.99 is the regular price for the 3DS.
We purchased one at full price ($169.99 + tax).
In the second purchase use $50 gift card from first purchase. Total price $119.99 (+ tax).
In the third purchase use $50 gift card from second purchase. Total price $119.99 (+ tax).
In the fourth purchase use $50 gift card from the third purchase, and an $8 off $80 or more catalina coupon. Total price $111.99 (+ tax).
Note: If you have a Target credit card you can save even more! You get 5% off on all purchases, which would save you an additional $6.00-$8.50 on each purchase.
How gift card stacking can work for you:
While you could take advantage of the same deal, your list may be different. If you encounter a similar gift card deal consider splitting up your purchases to use the gift card to pay for other items you are buying.
Isn’t that…expensive??
Yes, it is. I’m not going to sugarcoat the cost, because I know it’s not something every family can do. We don’t buy much for the kids other than necessities throughout the year so Christmas and their birthdays are the times we spend more on them. This will also be their BIG gift, and with the money we’ve saved we’re able to give back more to our community, and stretch our holiday budget a little further.
What deals have you found that will help you stretch your holiday budget?
Kelly
You’re right, it’s expensive, but at least you were able to mitigate the expense as much as possible. It sounds like the last versions got a lot of good use, so hopefully the kids will enjoy these for years to come! With all of the focus on cheap gifts, it’s nice to remember that sometimes one big gift is better than a bunch of small ones that will just get tossed to the side!
Jon -- Free Money Wisdom says
That is a great deal. Expensive, but since you were already going to purchase them anyway — then you came out on top! Great job!
Great deal. Thanks for sharing how their gift cards work.
Score! That’s awesome! It’s great when good deals come right when things hurt the most - like Christmas time.
Yazmin says
Wow, you scored a really good deal. I have a couple Groupons that I’m using to buy gifts. I getting them half off!