Mom’s Target Return Habit Backfires

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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.


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