20 Things You Should Probably Always Buy at Target

Target’s California Roots brand wines (two reds, three whites and one rosé) would make sommeliers cringe, but for $5 a bottle they’re affordable wine-based cocktail mixers for social gatherings and are acceptable for cooking. They aren’t available in all states.

Children grow out of their clothes in about six months, so it doesn’t make much sense to spend a lot as they’re sprouting. Target’s Cat & Jack kid’s T-shirts generally cost about $6 apiece.

Target’s Favorite Day line of trial and snack mixes are competitively priced at about $8 for a 12-ounce bag. While you’re there, check to see if there’s a sale on 32-ounce containers of nuts and trail mixes from Good & Gather brand (another Target exclusive).

If you’re into the current craze for flavored sparkling waters, check out Target’s Good & Gather brand. And eight-pack of 12-ounce cans is currently listed at $3.69, less if you use Target’s same-day order service.

Many of Target’s Good & Gather brand of commonly used spices are currently priced at $1.49 apiece. Other less-common spices like cinnamon sugar and ground ginger cost more but are still competitive with other brands.

Created exclusively for Target by Magnolia, a company founded by “Fixer Upper” reality TV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, the Hearth & Hand home lifestyle brand offers great deals on things like vases and stoneware kitchen storage jars.

With Halloween coming soon, Target offers a decent selection of affordable Hyde and EEK! decorations and costumes, especially for babies, toddlers, and children — and deserves kudos for featuring costumes for disabled children. Adults should go elsewhere for Halloween costumes, as the selection at Target is slim.

If you’re a fan of coffee pods, then Target is a good place to shop. A dozen Market Pantry brand Colombian medium roast pods currently cost $4.89, while a 24-count box of Folgers Keurig pods is priced at $16.59 (the equivalent of $8.30 for 12)..

Target’s website currently lists 34 pages for Kindfull brand pet foods, including three-ounce cans of wet cat food for 89 cents apiece; a seven-pound bag of dry cat food for $13.99; and a 15-pound bag of dry dog food with tuna and salmon protein for $25.99.

Target’s exclusive Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines, part of a collaboration with “Fixer Upper” reality TV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines offers a good price on eight-ounce bottles of lemon or eucalyptus hand wash, currently priced at $4.99. Refills are unavailable but if you want to keep using the plastic dispenser you can grab a 33-ounce bottle of Mrs. Meyer’s lavender liquid hand soap for $6.99.

The frozen aisle at Target is enormous compared to Walmart’s. It includes a line of exclusive Market Pantry brand of frozen snacks like pizza rolls and cheese sticks, most priced well below $10.

Target’s Market Pantry includes low-cost ketchup and mustard that are priced at or below popular comparable brands. A 14-ounce bottle of Market Brand spicy brown mustard and a 20-ounce bottle of ketchup are currently priced at 99 cents apiece.

Targets has an ample selection of its in-house brand of Method cleaning products. A 25-ounce bottle of floor cleaner is currently priced at $4.99, while 68-ounce refills for several spray cleaners are sold for just $6.49.

Target’s website shows 50 pages of arts and craft supplies, but check out its house Mondo Llama brand for the best deals on children’s projects like paint-by-numbers canvas kits, wooden mobiles, and customizable wooden bird houses.

Target’s regular and in-house brand up & up over-the-counter drugs are priced to compete with those from drugstore chains and Target’s main rival, Walmart. A 16-ounce bottle of up & up’s version of Pepto-Bismol is currently priced at $3.49, while 100 caplets of 500 mg Tylenol pain reliever may be had for $11.59.

Beach season is over for most of the country, but Target offers an ample selection of its Shade & Shore brand bikinis year-round. Most of them are priced under $30 for budget-conscious beachgoers.

Target’s expansive and exclusive Threshold brand offers bath, hand, and kitchen towels priced to compete against homeware retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond. A standard Threshold bath towel cost as little as $8.

If you’re planning a trip, check Target’s prices on travel-size sundries. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at some of the prices and the selection, especially compared to what you’ll find at chain pharmacies.

Target has an enormous selection of toys, categorized on its website into four age groups from 2 to 11+ years. It’s particularly good on hard-to-find items, even if prices are sometimes slightly higher that elsewhere.

Target revamped its in-house brand to up & up in 2009, replacing the company’s bull’s eye trademark with a colorful arrow to distinguish its large selection of affordable goods like sunscreen, diapers and tissues. Ten-inch up & up paper plates currently cost $5.89 for a 54-count package.