This is literally the easiest thing to do! You head in to Target with a list of just a few things you need and end up walking out with a cart full of stuff you didn't plan on totaling out at over $100.
Let's just start off by saying it happens to the best of us and if you are one who has never fallen guilty to this, bless you. Target offers so many cute items and has their store set up perfectly to make you grab every single one of them. In fact, the struggle now has a scientific name, "The Target Effect".
"The Target Effect" literally causes us to spend a fortune on items we didn't need. It happens like this:
1. Target's shopping carts are extra-large! They are bigger than the average grocery store carts leaving plenty of room for items to pile in.
2. That Starbucks near the entrance, it's intentional. As soon as you walk in, you grab yourself a venti frappucino and are destined to sip and stroll through the magical aisles of Target.
3. Because it is also near the entrance, your next stop is the the "dollar" section of cute (but typically useless) items that range from $1-$5. A few of these inexpensive items will inevitably make their way into the cart, but they also add up fast!
4. Next we have the displays of handbags, bathing suits, shoes, and clothes calling you over. I don't think anyone ever goes in to Target looking for clothes, but we'll definitely leave with some.
5. Fifth Target is sure to scatter tons of trendy home items throughout the store. More stuff you didn't know you needed or planned on purchasing!
6. Last, but not least that darn brightly lit cosmetic section right before you reach checkout will surely find it's way to your heart. Here's where you'll pick up lots of health and beauty items you did "need" plus a few extras. This is also the area where your total purchase will reach over the $100 mark! (If it's not over already).
and that my friends is "The Target Effect"! To make matters worse, Target is in the works of renovating their stores to make them even more inviting. That means that eye-catching Chip and Joanna Gaines Magnolia Home display is just the beginning of a long, long journey.
All this being said, does anyone else feel like going on a Target run now?
Source: People, WCPO