What Goes on Sale and What to Buy on Clearance in May

Hello Spring! Hello warmer weather, fresh berries, and sales! Fresh produce is barely being planted in my area. The only way to feed my family fresh food or less is to shop according to the national growing season. Chances are very good that those are going to be the sale items in the grocery store anyway. Better tasting seasonal produce and on sale? Yes, please!


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Shopping seasonally also saves money on household and big ticket items too.  If you have a current or future need, now is the time to shop the May holiday sales for the following fresh fruit and vegetables, food, and household goods.


For extra savings, pair the sale with a coupon from my printable online coupon database (affiliate link) because money saving coupons often follow national sales cycles too!

Seasonal Food, Fresh Fruit, and Vegetables on Sale in May

May Seasonal Fresh Fruit: Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, pineapple

May Seasonal Vegetables: Carrots, avocado, artichokes, asparagus, onions, peas, green beans, beets, corn, potatoes

Cinco De Mayo:- Mexican/Hispanic/Latin food and vegetables

Seasonal Food Sales in May

Cinco de Mayo: salsa, shredded cheese, tortillas, tortilla chips, canned & refried beans, frozen Mexican entrees & snacks, etc.

Mother’s Day: chocolate

Memorial Day: salad dressing, ketchup and condiments, BBQ sauce, grilling spices/rubs, potato chips and snacks, sandwich ingredients, grilling and picnic foods

Household Goods: What to Buy in May

May kicks off wedding and graduation season be on the lookout for sales on small appliances and household items. Memorial Day kicks off grilling season too. If you need party supplies or paper plates, etc for summer the end of May is a good time to stock up for summer parties.

Cinco de Mayo: Piñatas and fillers (candy, small toys, etc.)

Mother’s Day: Flower arrangements and bouquets, gift sets, perfume, photo frames  jewelry, candles, pajama, robes, etc. There are some good gift ideas for moms here

Memorial Day: paper plates, plastic utensils,etc.

Graduation season: Party decorations, paper plates, cups, napkins You can find a deal on graduation party supplies here

National Fitness and Sports Month: Fitness gadgets (fitness trackers like these for example,) small equipment, athletic clothes, socks, dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals, and nutrition bars (you can find dairy free nutrition bars here)

Thrift store, eBay, and consignment stores – Donations are up because people are still decluttering and Spring Cleaning. 

Swimwear and summer clothing: The stuff that’s been in the stores since January will start being marked down in May (Learn more about it out here)

Cosmetics - this is when I try to wait to buy my favorite face serum Happy Hippie (learn more about it here)

Plants and flowers for the garden and gardening needs: Seeds, watering cans, plant food, soil, weed killers, mulch, , water hoses compost bins, etc. You can find a HUGE selection of seeds, including organic and heirloom here.  Tip: You can save time and money at Home Depot by shopping the sales   on line here and picking it up at the store for FREE SHIPPING. I do this when Home Depot has their big spring mulch sale and have a ton of money.

Kitchen tools, cookware, and accessories You can find a great selection of kitchen helpers here

Everyday dishes, silverware, and drinking glasses

Silverware, fine china, crystal: For the start of wedding season. You can find tons of personalized wedding gift ideas here.

Vacuum Cleaners like these: It is the end of the model year and manufactures are clearing out old stock so it may or may not be a good deal. If you can wait, the best sales on vacuum cleaners are in November.

Digital Cameras: Although the sales may not be as good as they are in February. I am leery about buying used camera equipment on eBay, etc because I never know if it works or a lens is scratched until after I've bought it. A professional photographer recommended shopping B&H Photo's Used Camera Equipment section here for deals on cameras because B&H inspects and guarantees all of the used equipment they sell and they have never let me down. B&H will also buy old camera equipment from you if you want to finance an upgrade.

Televisions and Other Electronics: Japanese manufacturers are putting old models on sale because it is the end of the Japanese fiscal year is in March 

Office Furniture

Mattresses: Usually around Memorial Day

Refrigerators: Usually around Memorial Day

Houses – Spring prices are good but winter is the best time to buy for the lowest price since both buyers and the sellers want to take advantage of getting one of the last tax breaks of the calendar year.

Summer fun: Beach toys, sunscreen, insect repellent, etc.

If you are looking for ideas on how to use those cheap seasonal groceries check out the ideas -and more!- below!
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