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If you’ve been around here a while, you know that most things go on sale at the store in 6-8 week cycles. Our method is to stock up on enough to last until the next cycle. But some things at the store don’t follow that pattern. Certain items are on sale seasonally or follow a non-traditional sales cycle. Here’s what to buy when to save the most money.
What to Buy When| Grocery Store Items with Non-Traditional Sales Cycles
Baking Supplies
Baking supplies like flour, sugar, butter, chocolate chips, and spices tend to go on sale near holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Flour, butter, and anything chocolate can all be frozen, so buy as much as you need until the next holiday!
Wondering what you should stock up on? I’ve made a full list of baking supplies to stock up on.
Produce
Your best bet is to always buy seasonal produce. Each month, I post what to buy in that month in terms of what’s in season. Some type of produce will always be on sale, but you should stock up on family favorites. Just don’t buy too much at one time to avoid the danger of food waste.
If you do end up buying more than you need, you can freeze, can, or make things like jelly. Here’s how to freeze vegetables.
Temperature-Based Foods
Unless you live in the Southern hemisphere, most people aren’t eating much ice cream in December. You’ll see sales on frozen and cold items in the summer, but almost never from January through March.
Conversely, soup and chili will be on sale in the colder months, along with hot drink mixes.
Charcoal will go on sale in the summer, especially around Memorial Day.
And while not temperature specific, diet-based foods will be on sale in January as people set goals for their health for the new year.
Holiday Foods
In addition to temperature-based foods, there are other food items that are associated with certain holidays that tend to go on sale at that time. Here are a few examples:
- Spiral ham
- Turkey
- Stuffing
- Cranberries
- Corned beef
- Eggnog
- Fried onions
- Candy
- Sweet potatoes
- Pork
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