What to Buy When: January

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What to Buy When: January

While you may be ready to take a break from shopping, there are certain deals available only during the month of January. For example, if you’ve been to the mall to spend your Christmas money, you probably noticed that winter apparel (coats, hats, gloves, boots, and sweaters) is significantly reduced for clearance–even beyond those December sale prices. There are lots more savings to be had this month. Remember, it pays to know your sales cycles.

What is a Sales Cycle?

The rotation of featured sale prices is called a sales cycle, and it’s important to know about because it will save you money. Three to four times a year, nearly every grocery item will go on sale at its rock-bottom price. Saving the most money means that you will make your purchases when that item is at its lowest price, and you will buy enough of that item to last you until the next time it goes on sale at its lowest price. For example, when I find toothpaste on sale for $1, I usually have a coupon to pair with that sale, making it free. I will stock up on toothpaste so that I have enough to last my family until the next time it goes on sale (in about three months).

What is on sale in January?

There are certain items, however, that only go on sale in January. These sales won’t cycle around again until next January. It’s important to know how to budget so that your purchasing dollars are ready to stock up on these items—buying enough to last you over the next twelve months. Here are the items inviting you to a fresh start saving more money this month:

At the Grocery

You’ll find plenty of sales on items that are related to health and wellness, along with diet and exercise. After all, everyone has set goals for the new year, and how to be healthy is on just about everyone’s list.  Look for sales on these items that will help you reach your 2012 Goals:

Quaker (and other brands) Oatmeal products: (Learn about National Oatmeal Month HERE. Stock up for making favorite recipes like my Baked Oatmeal and Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies.)

• Granola bars
• Instant oatmeal
• Grits
• Fiber bars
• Cereal

Diet foods and health products. Look for sales on brands including:

• Healthy Choice
• South Beach
• Lean Cuisine
• Kashi
• All yogurt: Dannon, Yoplait, and more
• Special K
• Kellogg’s products

*Find corresponding coupons on Coupons.com and my Coupon Database.

Super Bowl Party Foods. You’ll see big sales leading up to Super Bowl weekend on items for making those great party foods:

• Pepsi products
• Coke products
• Velveeta
• Chips
• Dips
• Cheese
• Sandwich Fixings
• Chili Ingredients (Try my Crockpot Texas Chili)
• Crackers
• Snack/Cookie items
• Your grocer’s party trays

Winter Foods. You should find sales on several food items that we naturally associate with winter weather and colder temperatures:

• Hot Teas (It is Hot Tea Month!)
• Coffee
• Flavored Coffees
• Hot Cocoa
• Soups, Stews, and Chili

January In-Season Produce

• Avocado — Learn How to Prepare an Avocado HERE.
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage (Not a cabbage fan? You might like my Bierocks (Cabbage and Beef Pockets), my Cabbage Salad with Apples and Ginger Vinaigrette, or my Cabbage Soup.
• Chinese Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Celery Root
• Chicory
• Fennel
• Grapefruit
• Greens
• Wild Mushrooms
• Mandarin Oranges
• Sweet Oranges
• Pears
• Spinach
• Sweet Potatoes

*Print out my full listing on my Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables Chart. (Post it as a reference on your refrigerator.)

At the Pharmacy

Don’t forget to stock up now on these great buys:

• Over-the-counter cold and flu medicines
• Children and adult pain relievers/fever reducers
• Health supplements
• Vitamins

National Sales Events

January is a month with several National Events going on. Keep your eyes open for sales that are promoting:

National Bath Safety Month
National Blood Donor Month
National Braille Literacy Month
National Hobby Month
Hot Tea Month
National Oatmeal Month
National Soup Month

Clearance Items

According to Deal News, look for the best prices on these retail items in January:

Electronics. If you waited to buy that big screen TV, you won’t be sorry. “As new HDTVs, home theater systems, and more are unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) mid-month, retailers will begin to put old stock on clearance in an attempt to make room for the incoming stock” (Source: Deal News).

Furniture deals. New styles come out in February, so you can cash in on closeouts and clearance this month.

Fitness equipment and training DVDs. These go on sale now, but if you wait a while, you are likely to find some great deals on Craigslist for these “like new” and “nearly new” items that were simply never put to use.

BUT DON’T BUY:

The iPad 2. Rumor has it that an iPad 3 will come out at the end of February, so there will be much better deals on the iPad 2 then.

Bedding. January White Sales are a tradition–but the truth is, you’ll find better deals on bedding in June.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT:

• Calendars. Wait a couple of weeks into the new year and you’ll find discounts on new calendars.
• Holiday Gift Wrap. Stock up and in 12 months you’ll be glad you did.
• Video games. Find deals on the “latest and greatest” at used stores mid-month, after the “newness” has literally worn off for some gamers.
• Perfume/Fragrances. Between Christmas and Valentine’s Day (when prices will rise), January boasts great sales and deep discounts on many fragrances, especially those gift sets packaged for holiday gift-giving.

You might also like:

• How to Budget | Free Printable Budget Worksheet
• 5 Tips for Using Coupons
• Seasonal Fruits and Veggies Chart
• 2012 Goals | Personal, Family, Financial, and Business
• Smart Ways to Set Your Goals and Reach Them

Find out What to Buy When on Faithful Provisions.

Do you have any tips or sales you look forward to in January? Please share them in the comments below. If you liked this post, please share it on Facebook!