How to Save Money with Grocery Sale Cycles

Grocery Sale Cycles for All 12 Months

In order to understand how to stockpile, it is important to understand sales cycles. Much like produce is seasonal, so is almost every item you purchase at the store.

Understanding when the products you purchase go on sale will allow you to strategically stock up on items throughout the year. You’ll then be able to build a stockpile for your family which will save you tons of money.

Everyday items, like cereal, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and so on will typically come on a really good sale roughly every 3 months (sometimes even less). Buy when prices are low.. this sales cycle chart will help you seek those items when they are at their lowest price:

Sales Cycles by Month

January

• Christmas clearance items: Not all stores are cleared out for Christmas the day after Christmas. Keep your eye out for Toys on clearance, wrapping paper, decorations, lights, ornaments, candy and much more. Look for the Target toy clearance sale in January too!
• Health Products: Diet shakes, diet bars, vitamins, medicines for cold and flu season and smoking cessation medications.
• Fitness Equipment: It is time to think about getting healthy again! You can find workout games, Fitness DVD’s, fitness equipment and fitness magazines at great prices.
• Quaker products: Look for a sale on Quaker products at your local grocery store and stock up on granola bars, oatmeal, and cereal for a great sale price!
• Super Bowl Party: Super Bowl is around the corner and stores will start having sales on food and snacks. Looks for deals on soda, crackers, chips, dip, salsa, cream cheese, crackers, and cookies. This is also a good time to get a new TV if you’ve been looking for one.
• Linens: Towels and bedding tend to go on sale.
• Semi-annual sales: Bath & Body Works and Gap and many other stores in your local mall will start having sales.
• Winter Clothes: Look for winter clothes on clearance and stock up for your kids, spouse or yourself for next year.
• Storage Bins: Storage bins go on sale every January. January is a great time to clean out the house and put things away.
• Snow Sleds: Get great deals on gear for the Winter Snow.
• Diapers for Babies: January usually brings a good sale on diapers and other baby products. Albertsons usually runs a baby promotion in January.
• Cleaning Products: Cleaning products tend to go on sale in January.

February

• Valentine’s Day: Candy and chocolate, jewelry, flowers, cards.
• Canned Food sales: Veggies, fruit, tuna.

March

• Frozen Food Month: Which means you will find almost every variety of frozen food on sale at some point during the month!
• St. Patricks Day: Find sales on corned beef, cabbage, and clearance deals on St. Patrick’s Day stuff after St. Patricks Day.
• Easter: Find sales on ham, eggs, rolls and candy. Be sure to hit the clearance sales after Easter.

April

• Easter clearance sales: Look for deals on candy, baskets, Easter decorations, etc.

May

• Cinco De Mayo is coming so you will find sales on party foods, chips, salsa, tortillas.
• Garden Supplies: Seeds, wheel barrows, gloves, tools.
• Memorial Day: BBQ/Camping foods, BBQ sauce, hot dogs, ground beef, chips, Hershey’s Chocolate Bars, Marshmallows, Honey Maid Graham Crackers. Camping supplies will also be on sale. You will start to see bug spray, sunscreen, camping supplies, tents, coolers, BBQ Grills.

June

• National Dairy Month comes in June which means you will find almost every variety of dairy food on sale at some point during the month!
• BBQ/Camping supply sales: BBQ sauce, hot dogs, chips, capri sun.
• Albertsons Gift Card Promo: There is usually a gift card promotion at Albertsons this month. You can buy $100 worth of gift cards and get $20 back in catalinas to spend on groceries. Use the money you’re saving for Christmas and buy gift cards to use later, get free groceries NOW.

July

• 4th of July BBQ foods hot dogs, charcoal, chips, mayo, drinks, ketchup, mustard, sunscreen, paper plates, cups, Hershey’s Chocolate Bars, Marshmallows, Honey Maid Graham Crackers.
• School Supplies Sales: Some of the best school supply sales come in July. Look for deals on crayons, pencils, folders, binders, paper, scissors, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, pens, markers, paper, highlighters, scissors, notebooks.

August

• More school supply sales: Crayons, pencils, folders, binders, paper, scissors, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, pens, markers, paper, highlighters, scissors, notebooks.
• School lunch items: Snack packs, crackers, juice boxes, lunchables, lunch chips, granola bars, fruit snacks.
• Kraft sale: Kraft will usually have a sale. Find items like cheese slices, macaroni and cheese, sandwich meat, crackers, cookies and more.
• General Mills Sale: The General Mills cereal will go on sale and so will the cereal bars, cake mix, frosting, chex mix, pillsbury rolls, and fruit snacks.

September

• Labor Day BBQ items and the end of school supply sales. Campbell’s sale, and more school food items on sale.

October

• Halloween candy: Candy and more candy! You’ll start seeing toy sales and toy coupons this month too.

November

• Halloween clearance items: Candy, costumes, decorations, etc.
• Thanksgiving dinner and baking items: Turkey, stuffing, broths, condensed soup, rolls, boxed potatoes, frozen pies, gravy, canned veggies, cool whip, chocolate chips, canned pumpkin, flour, sugar, nuts.

December

• Thanksgiving clearance items: Decorations, napkins, etc.
• Christmas dinner and baking items: Ham, egg nog, Chex cereal, cake mixes, marshmallows, flour, butter, sugars, sweetened condensed milk, pudding, evaporated milk, chocolate chips, corn syrup, baking powder, and salt.

Conclusion

It should be noted that sales cycles can change and you may find different stuff on sale during certain months. It’s great if you take notes on sales and prices so that you can be sure you’re getting the best price every time.

We also recommend simply printing this sales cycle sheet out and keeping a copy in your binder! That way you can make notes on it as you learn more things about sale cycles!