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9 Kmart Hacks Every Mom Needs To Know

by Sarah Hosseini

What could be more comforting than hearing, "Attention Kmart shoppers" over a loud speaker? When I was a kid, Kmart was the hot spot to go shopping. I'm happy to report that the store near my childhood home in New York is still open and operating, despite the wave of store shut downs. Regardless of Kmart's recent and highly publicized financial issues, they still seem committed to giving customers access to great products, unique store perks, and phenomenal deals. To help you take advantage, there are Kmart hacks every mom needs to know to shop like a total boss.

It's no secret that Kmart offers some of the lowest prices on the block. As a busy mom you probably don't have time to fool around with gimmicks and high prices, especially while trying to impossibly shop with your kids in tow. Knowing about your options at Kmart before you get there to shop will be key to unlocking all of the potential magic at the store.

This is where hacks come in, and yes, you're getting the hook up by reading this. Before you caffeinate, load the kids into the car, and unload them into a cart check out these Kmart tips. Here are nine hacks to help you next time you're a Kmart shopper.

1

Buy The Store's Generic Brand

Smart Sense is Kmart's generic brand that offers an array of products like groceries, household items, health, beauty, bath, pet items, and baby items. The store claims to offer essentials for less, so I looked up a few items and found that to be generally true. For example, a 35-pack of bottled spring water was a little more than $3, a bottle of shampoo for color treated hair was $3, and a can of baby formula was $13. Not bad if you ask me.

2

Use Their Coupons To Get More Money Off

Kmart offers online coupons that you can print and save to your online account. The coupons are organized under easy to find headings like "beverages," "food," or "health care." Coupons are a great way to save extra cash especially with kids in the mix.

3

Take Advantage Of The "Blue Light Specials"

The store's slogan is, "when the blue light flahes, the deal is on." The "Blue Light Specials" flash sales appear to be pretty good. For example, one item marked as a "Blue Light Special" was 55 percent off the original price. The process to buy the item was fairly simply and straight forward. Once you click on the item the website gives you a timer (you're supposed to complete your purchase in the allotted time frame), then you are instructed to select free in-store pick up.

4

Don't Skim Their Home Decor

Apparently Kmart is taking over the design world as the place to get inexpensive, interior treasures. All you have to do is type in #kmarthack on YouTube or Instagram and thousands of home decor videos and images pop up. All of which showcase great "upstyle" finds bought from Kmart. A recent Buzzfeed article compiled a whole bunch of great Kmart decor hacks with before and after images and the results were incredible (and cheap).

5

Look Into Their Designer Collaborations

Taking your wardrobe to the next level does not have to break the bank. At Kmart you can find trendy designer collaborations in the women's and men's apparel departments. The retail giant has teamed up with Jaclyn Smith, Sofia Vergara, Nicki Minaj, and Adam Levine to bring shoppers great clothes at decent prices.

6

Buy Some Kids' Clothes

I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of spending exorbitant amounts of money on clothing for my kids. For starters, they'll grow out of it in two seconds and they'll probably stain it in the same amount of time. Kmart sells kids clothes starting at $5 which is a hack I think many moms are totally down with.

7

Take Advantage Of The Layaway

Remember layaway? Seems like a distant, nostalgic memory for many of us as retailers throughout the years dropped their programs. But good news: Kmart still does it. It's always been the same simple process for Kmart layaway: you pick out the items you want, make a down payment, make payments every couple of weeks, and then take home the item when it's paid for.

8

Lease Items

Certain departments in Kmart are eligible for their leasing program including electronics, appliances, household goods, sporting goods, and outdoor living items. You end up paying a little more than retail cost, but you get to pay off your item with flexible payments.

9

Join The Rewards Program

Kmart's "Shop Your Way" rewards program offers points on purchases at Kmart. You can also link your Visa or Mastercard to your Kmart points membership and earn points at several partnering companies like Starbucks, Expedia, and Hilton.