this wasn't in the plan |but life is still pretty good

Forget your wallet.

Really, it works like a charm.

I needed to return something, and pick up something for The Tall One. I got a gift card for my return (since it was a gift) and was a bit angry that what I needed to purchase for TTO would have to come out of that. I browsed a bit anyway, because that's what you do at Target, and saw this cutest little Thomas the Tank Engine scrapbook kit on clearance and thought it would be a fun thing to make for Bug for a Christmas gift (he loves looking at picture albums). But the gift card was only for $6.30 and wouldn't have quite paid for that and what I needed to buy. You can bet that I would've bought it if I had had my wallet though.

So there you have it. And I imagine such advice would work if you were trying to save money at other stores too.