The Opposite Of Saving Money: More Fuzzy Math At Target

I really enjoy shopping at Target. I like its low prices, its quality store-brand items, its red prescription bottles with the drug name on the top, and the fact that you can buy bananas priced individually instead of by the pound. But above all, I love their absurdist pricing schemes that demonstrate a lack of math skills on the part of Target employees, Target customers, or both.

It’s hard to see, but Nicole noticed that you can pay the same price for different quantities of acetaminophen. “Both cost about $5 at Target, but the one in the right has twice as many pills,” she writes.

Target is a hotbed of fuzzy math. Giles sent along this confusing deal, where a sale on hair coloring meant that customers can buy two boxes and get a $5 gift card, but the sale price is $2 higher than the regular one. Sure, a savings of $1 is better than nothing, but it’s not $5, either.

Pep noticed a similar deal on kitty litter, where the original price noted on the sale sign is either out of date or just plain wrong.

If you’re really, really in the need for cinnamon streusel bread, you can check out the clearance rack at Dave’s local Target, where you’ll pay an extra 25 cents for the privilege of buying a clearance item.

Finally, an anonymous reader sent us this photo of a price tag on a Roku 2 that does not seem inaccurate in any way.

Most of these pricing oddities came to us through the Consumerist Tipster app, which quite a few of the cool kids have downloaded for their Android or iOS smart telephonic devices.

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