The first and most important thing to remember is that the shopping trips you see on TV areNOT typical. As a past participant, I can vouch that these excursions are often the biggest and longest that most of us have ever done (before or since!). Hours and hours of planning go into them, and it just isn’t feasible to do on a regular basis. The great majority of my shopping trips are small runs to the grocery or drug store (but what cameraman wants to follow me to Walgreens to watch me get free floss, toothpaste, and a bottle of shampoo?).
Everyone knows that produce is seasonal. If you want to make a triple batch of strawberry or apricot freezer jam, the best time of year to do it is during the summer when the fruit is in season, and thereby at its lowest annual cost. A savvy shopper waits until a product is on sale and then stocks up! The idea is to create a stockpile that will last you 3-12 months, or until the product again reaches its lowest price.
Packaged Foods are seasonal just like produce! Each calendar month brings a new batch of sales. Here’s the predictable sale cycle for each calendar month:
January:
National Oatmeal Month: Quaker
Diet Foods including: Healthy Choice, South Beach, Lean Cuisine, Special K, Kashi, SmartStart, 100 Calorie Packs
Super Bowl Sunday: Pepsi, Coke, chips, dips, cheese, sandwich items, crackers, snacks, wings
Seasonal Produce: oranges, pears, grapefruit, tangerines, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, kale, kiwi, avocado, cabbage, spinach
Clearance: Christmas decorations, toys, wrapping papers Winter Health: cold medicines and vitamins
February:
National Canned Food Month: canned fruit, vegetables, meats: tuna, chicken, salmon, pie fillings
National Hot Breakfast Month: Malt O Meal, oatmeal, Eggo Waffles, syrup
Valentines: chocolate, Hershey’s, KY Lubricant, etc
Chinese New Year: soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, noodles
Seasonal Produce: artichoke, asparagus, raspberries, potatoes, strawberries, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, kale, kiwi, avocado, spinach
March:
Frozen Food Month: frozen meals, TGI Fridays, Contessa, Foster Farms chicken, Eggo, Sara Lee, Healthy Choice, DiGiorno, Freschetta, Breyers, Dreyers, Marie Callendars
Seasonal Produce: artichoke, asparagus, avocado, Haas, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, fennel, kale, leek, lemon, lime, mushrooms, onions, orange, peas, radish, rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, tangerine
April:
Easter: ham, eggs, some baking supplies: sugar, spices, baking mixes, chocolate chips
Earth Day: organic foods, Energy Saver
Seasonal Produce: artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, grapefruit, Hass Avocado, mushrooms, onions, peas, rhubarb
Clearance: after Easter sales are the time to stock up on decorating, baskets, etc for the next year.
May:
Memorial Day: BBQ sauce, ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips
Paper Products: plates, utensils, insect repellant, sunscreen
Cinco De Mayo: salsa, tortillas
Seasonal Produce: artichokes, asparagus, avocado, beans, green, beets, blackberries, carrots, onions, sweet vidalia, peas, edible pods, English/Shelling peas, new potatoes, raspberries, strawberries
June:
National Dairy Month: eggs, milk (free milk Catalina, wyb cereal), ice cream, cheese, butter, yogurt, Cool Whip, in-store dairy coupons or booklets
End of June is Fourth of July Sales: hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ sauce, ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips
Seasonal Produce: apricots, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cherries, corn, cucumber, eggplant, grapes, honeydew, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, raspberries, red onions, summer squash, strawberries, sweet Vidalia onions, tomatoes, watermelon
July:
National Ice Cream Month
More 4th of July BBQ Sales: hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ sauce, ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips
End of July, Back to School Sales begin: crayons, pencils, folders, binders
Seasonal Produce: Asian pears, Bartlett pears, green beans, blueberries, corn, cucumber, eggplant, figs, garlic, grapes, nectarines, red onions, Valencia oranges, peaches, peppers (sweet, bell), plums, potatoes, summer squash, tomatoes, watermelon
August:
Back to School: pudding cups, lunch meat,
Staples and Office Depot penny items
Disinfectant: Clorox, Purell
Clearance: insect repellant, sunscreen, charcoal
Seasonal Produce: Apple (Gravenstein), Hass avocado, beans, green beans, berries, corn, cucumber, eggplant, figs, grapes, melons, onion, peaches, Bartlett pears, bell pepper, plums, raspberries, summer squash, tomatillo, tomato
September:
Back to School Sales through Labor Day: crayons, pencils, folders, binders
Diabetes: Bayer glucose meters, Glucerna cereal
Seasonal Produce: apples, artichokes, beans, bell peppers, chili peppers, cucumber, eggplant, grapes, onion, Valencia orange, pears (Asian, Bartlett), pomegranate, squash, tomatillo, tomatoes, winter squash
October:
Halloween: candy
Beginning of the baking sales: canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, baking chips
National Seafood Month
Adopt a Shelter-Dog Month: Pedigree, Purina
Seasonal Produce: almonds, apples, artichokes, arugula, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, chard, chestnuts, cranberries, lemons, parsnip, pears, pomegranate, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, winter squash, turnips, yams
November:
Baking Sales in full swing: nuts, chocolate chips, evap milk, sweetened condensed milk, coconut, cake mixes
Canned foods – soup, broth, condensed milk, vegetables, fruits, spaghetti sauce
Turkey, canned pumpkin, stovetop stuffing, Betty Crocker boxed potatoes, gravy mixes, Rhodes rolls, frozen pies, cranberry sauce, Jello, marshmallows
Seasonal Produce: Anjou pears, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, Comice pears, cranberries, kiwi, lemons, oranges, potato, squash, yams
Clearance: After Halloween Sales are the time to stock up on things for the next year. I like to buy the Halloween candy-alternatives like halloween crayons, erasers, watches, spinning tops, etc. I mix this in with my next year’s candy bowl, and it stretches my loot for all the neighbor kids!
December:
Holiday Dinner: egg nog, deli platters, instant potatoes, gravy mixes, Rhodes rolls, frozen pies, cranberry sauce, Jello, marshmallows
Baking: flour, sugar, butter, cream, cake mix, brownie mix, muffin mix, breads, pie crust, marshmallow, whipped cream
Canned foods – soup, broth, condensed milk, vegetables, fruits, spaghetti sauce
Clearance: Buy all your Thanksgiving Decorations, extra table settings and turkey carving products now once they’re at least 50% off.
