I used to think that saving money by seasonal shopping was grocery shopping at
farmer’s markets in the summer, buying pumpkins in the fall, and not something
I could not do the six months out of the year where nothing grows locally
during the winter.
It wasn’t until I wrote a monthly
What Goes On Sale and What to Buy on Clearance series that I realized I
couldn’t have been more wrong.
I learned that almost everything from food to household goods to cars has a
time of the year where it goes on sale because:
- There is a seasonal abundance (like fresh produce)
-
The store has some of last season's stock left in storage and wants to
make room for the current season
-
There is on end of season clearance to make room for next season’s goods on
the store shelves
-
There is a sale due to a celebrating an industry month (such as National
Craft Month, National Camping Month, national holidays,etc.)
-
There is a mega sale due to it being a slow time of the year for sales of
that item (such as booking travel early and before the rates go up in the
high season)
Save this money saving list to your Pinterest boards for later! Share it with
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That’s when I started to read the on line store sales flyers
differently. I looked for and noticed trends to ball park sales on the
items we need and a few that we want. Most of my grocery shopping savings
doesn’t come from using coupons (most of the ingredient type food and other
items we use rarely issue coupons anyway.) I save more money on food and items
because I shop according to the seasonal store sales. Sometimes there
might be a coupon or Ibotta app rebate (you can
learn more about Ibotta rebates through my referral link here) which saves even more money. For example, by pairing a summer
clearance sale and store coupons I saved an extra $30 on my $100 total for
costuming supplies at Joann Fabrics for a commission. This doesn’t
happen all of the time but I like it when it does!
What to Buy on Sale Every Month of the Year and Save Money
From high end heath food stores to low end conventional grocery stores, you
can keep your family rolling in fresh fruit and vegetables for less because
you are shopping during their national growing season. This is helpful for
those of us who can’t buy locally grown good due to the winter ice and
snow. And with a little planning, you can use this What to Buy Monthly
Guide to save money on clothing, gift ideas, household and big ticket items
too!
It's no surprise to anyone that December holiday items go on clearance sale in
January but so do items that help you keep New Year's Resolutions and
nationally in season produce sales are back!
The odd thing about February sales is you can get deals on both summer and
winter items. February is a great month to stock up on wine and add it to your
wine refrigerator!
With several religious holidays in March, stores often sell the related food
categories at discounts before and deep discounts after. My freezer is always
loaded with frozen fish bought on sale during Lent and brisket after
Passover.
We have some of the same holiday related food sales as March depending upon
what date those holidays fall each year and national summer produce is getting
ready to sell. Spring cleaning items are on sale and there are surprising good
sales in thrift and consignment stores because they are often overloaded with
donations from folks Spring Cleaning.
Fresh berries are in store and on sale as well as all things gardening!
Many food associations celebrate their industry during a specific week,
month or day and those products are guaranteed to be on sale. This is also the
cheapest time to buy home improvement supplies and schedule vacations.
There will be tons of summer produce and 4th of July food related items
on sale. Summer clearance sales start as well as huge deals on last year’s
Back to School supplies – which also work for your home office.
Canning supplies and ingredients are on sale in August as well as food for
packed lunches. You can find deals on summer clearance items and last year’s
fall merchandise is on sale to make room for new items in September.
You will find great deals on fruit and vegetables for National Fruits &
Veggies Month. September is also a great month to buy wine, major appliances,
and winter holiday travel.
October has many industry awareness days, weeks, and months that usually lead
to fantastic sales on a wide range of things from pet adoption fees (my
personal favorite) to pasta.
But you don’t have to wait until the Black Friday weekend to find good
seasonal sales on the food, fresh produce, and household items you need.
Many food associations celebrate their industry during a specific week, month
or day and those products are guaranteed to be on sale. November has several
industry awareness months and days that usually lead to sales and savings on
the following household items.
Most of the discounted December food sales are usually cookie,candy, and
dessert related to the December holidays. Wedding dresses go on sale to make
room for the post holiday proposal rush in January. Obviously you will find
the cheapest deals on gift items the day immediately following the December
holiday but putting off your gift giving until then is something you should
only do at your own risk! Although, planning ahead for upcoming gift giving
holidays and birthdays is probably a safer idea.
Looking for more money saving tips and ideas? Check out the following options
- and more! - below!
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