Additional Coverage:
- I used to return everything I bought from Target. I thought it was the ultimate parenting hack — I was wrong. (businessinsider.com)
Confessions of a Target Addict: How I Kicked My Return Habit
For years, I lived by a self-devised “hack”: buying clothes and home goods from Target, using them, and then returning them for a full refund. It all began innocently enough with matching family outfits for a portrait.
My five kids, aged 1 to 11, loathed the pink-and-white ensembles. Rather than letting the clothes gather dust, I returned them – and Target accepted them, no questions asked.
This sparked a three-year cycle of shopping, using, and returning. I’d scour my house for barely-used items – a cake stand, a pitcher, outgrown kids’ clothes – and head back to Target.
I justified it as a decluttering and budgeting tactic. The money I got back went right back into more purchases, creating a closed-loop spending system.
The dopamine rush of getting something “for free” was definitely a perk, too.
My kids, however, started to catch on. “Just pick something!
We can always return it,” my daughter once declared in the store. Her words hit me like a ton of bricks.
My “brilliant hack” suddenly felt like a shameful secret. Was I teaching my kids to exploit loopholes rather than sound financial principles?
The answer, of course, was yes. My behavior felt increasingly like misusing a financial system, similar to racking up credit card debt.
I realized I needed to break the cycle and model responsible spending habits. So, I’m consciously trying to curb my returns.
Trips to Target no longer involve bags of unwanted items. It’s a work in progress, but I’m committed to setting a better example – and actually keeping some of the things I buy.