Seriously, I never imagined it would happen. First a life without Target in the UK. Then a Target breakup. Target has always been my escape place on a weekend afternoon, my daily date during maternity leaves, and a reason to start holiday shopping in July. From Cat & Jack to the Magnolia line (I’m a huge Fixer Upper fan), Target makes it pretty hard to not get sucked in.
Embarrassingly, Target was an actual excuse I used for why we shouldn’t move abroad!
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Life Without Target In The UK
It’s tough.
But a year later, I’m ok. I’m over it.
Without Target in the UK, I realize how ridiculous of a habit I had formed. I would find reasons to not buy something at HEB (grocery store) just to have an excuse to go into Target. Sorta pathetic but then again, it’s Target so it makes sense, right?
I’m not sure if I just needed that quick mindless wandering as a break between intense work hours and home or what, but Target really was a reliable hobby. As a working mom, I took longer routes to pop in on my way home or to squeeze in a quick look at lunch. The Target effect is real!
The Target breakup wasn’t easy.
From the UK, I still shopped Target online and shipped items to friends in the USA. Then we went home for Christmas, just 3 months into our move abroad, and the very first establishment (aside from the hotel we checked into at midnight the night before) was guess? Yup. Target!
We took Uber because I needed “my fix”. It was December 27th and I had to hit the after Christmas sale. I scrummaged and found plenty of things to buy even though the masses had hit it the previous day. We didn’t have the room for it, but I didn’t care. It’s the sale of the year and I wasn’t leaving without buying something!
That’s me and some poor guy wondering who the crazy Target lady is.
The Target Shopping Habit Starts To Change
After our return to the UK in January, my browser started dating target.com less and less. There’d be a look here and there, but nothing came of it. An online order for my daughter and perhaps a few birthdays here and there in the States, but that was it.
My love and fondness started to dwindle and I sorta forgot about it.
When we returned to the States in August, I felt obligated to go to Target. Yes, obligated. You know that feeling you’ve had when you’ve driven far or flown to a place where you have family or friends and didn’t bother to call to let them know you were there? That kind of guilty feeling.
So, I went. I walked in, past the bins, up and down the kids’ aisles where my favorite Cat & Jack line lives, over to the household Magnolia section, and then to the pharmacy. I checked out with Crest toothpaste and a gift bag I needed for a birthday party. That is it.
My husband was in shock and I’m not going to lie, I was a bit, too. I didn’t know what had happened. But I paused outside and was like, “it’s over”. I don’t need this anymore like I thought I did. I guess the Target breakup is official.
Benefits Of Target Not In The UK
Not having Target in England made me wonder how deep my financial ties were to Target.
And so I did a little math and discovered that my Target breakup saved me $3000 in one year. Remove holiday months and my new hobby in the UK, and I still saved $2000. And the UK is really, really expensive.
My distance from the US was the catalyst to my eventual break-up with Target, but I wish I had realized it sooner. Target was my bad habit. It ultimately cost me $3000 that could have been put towards savings, a house project, or perhaps something personal I’d at least remember, like a Louis Vuitton bag. 👜
If Target is your own bad habit that you’re ready to break up with, consider a Target break-up, too. Challenge yourself to NOT shop Target for a month, then 2 months, and keep going to see how much money you can save or until you realize that you don’t really need or miss it after all.
Target Habit Breakup Steps
Follow these steps for with life without Target in the UK or even the USA and reap the benefits of saving lots of money.
1 – Don’t Go Out Of Your Way
If Target is where you do all your shopping, then so be it. But, if you go grocery shopping somewhere different and they have solutions to your shopping list, then don’t go out of your way to make a special trip to Target. It’s just going to cost you more in the end.
2 – Review What You Have
One of the best and bummer things about living in the UK is that certain holidays aren’t as celebrated as in the States, so it makes finding holiday decor especially tricky. It forces you to go through what you have. And low and behold, you have everything that you really need. And then when you don’t….
3 – Get Creative
Go on Pinterest, pull out all the arts and crafts, or find alternatives you hadn’t considered before because Target made it so you didn’t have to.
Example: Thanksgiving isn’t a thing in the UK. I only had a few holiday decorations to start with and then about half of those got busted in the heat during the relocation from Texas. I realized the kitchen plates I have were just the right touch of color and holiday spirit needed to dress up the dining room. Problem solved.
4 – Avoid the Bargain Bins
I get it. Those killer deal bins, “The One Spot” or “Bullseye’s Playground”, are just downright mean.
If you have to go into Target, just don’t stop. Walk right past. Those deal bins give you the perception that you’re getting a deal, but it’s unlikely that anything in those bins was on your shopping list in the first place. So, best to just avoid.
5 – Try Second Hand
Seriously! You’d be amazed at what you can find at a vintage or antique shop. After all, the whole point of Magnolia is to sell Joanne’s Fixer Upper style, which is farmhouse, that was derived from shabby chic, that came from French country chic…that is all ultimately “old”. Try it.
6 – Replace The Target Habit With Something Else To Hold You Accountable
Rather than shop or wander through aisles find something different to escape to that will fully reward you: work on a personal development, go for a walk, plan a trip, get coffee with a friend, and so on. Find a hobby that will hold you accountable to distract from shopping.
Life Without Target Recap
All steps will help you live without Target in the UK or the USA. It doesn’t mean that Target needs to be gone forever. I don’t plan on never shopping Target again, but I do plan on shopping smart if I need to.
- Save money
- Less waste
- Get rewarded
The Target breakup will likely help you realize that new hobbies are far more fulfilling. And that money you saved, or new purse you’re wearing is easily worth it. 🎯
If you’re trying to figure out where to shop in England since there isn’t a Target, refer to my American equivalent stores post for where to go instead.
p.s. After all that saving, I went to Paris and got my first Louis Vuitton.
4 comments
Amen. Trader Joe’s is my vice. Hope you’re well!
Thanks, Zach! Ah, yes. TJ’s is another one. What I would do for a box of their cornbread right now!! xx
I have always lived in the UK so this is not a habit I had to break. However I think we can find ourselves doing this with lots of different shops. Great tips to help us stop and think!
Thanks Christine! Yes, so true. Target is huge in the USA but these steps can definitely apply to any UK store shopping habit that’s hard to break.