How to Start your Stockpile and When the Sales Hit!

When people think of the word STOCKPILE they more often than not associate it with the image of storage rooms overflowing with toilet paper or 1000 tubes of toothpaste that you might see on shows such as Extreme Couponing. However, coupons are not necessary to build your stockpile!

First, let me preface this by saying I personally have couponed off and on for a few years. Is it worth the money saved to coupon? Yes! Does everyone have the time needed to coupon? No. For me, the latter was the case. So you might wonder well, if you don’t coupon how do you save big money on lots of products? Allow me to educate…

Every month of the year the grocery stores, dept stores and so forth have sales. Rock bottom sales if you will. The key is to hold off until those sales commence and then stock up. If you have coupons on those items then you would match it and really save, if not, you are still saving a chunk of change.  Also, check out the sale aisle at your local stores. Often times those products are being discontinued and the store is just trying to move them quickly and you can really get things for next to nothing. But let’s get back to the monthly sales…

Below I am giving you a list, by month, of sales that happen like clockwork each month of the year. If you will look at your ads on any of these months you will see these items on sale. So stock up! Build your stockpile as slow or as fast as you are able. For some that may mean a couple extra products each payday others may allow certain $ amount each pay day to go directly to the stockpile. I might keep an extra 20-40 on me just in case I see a special sale like I did this weekend. Christmas has just come and gone and Wal-Mart is trying to sell off the mass of Hams and Turkeys. Well, the hams were originally 1.98 a lb and reduced to just $1 per pound! And even better, the turkeys which were 1.19 a pound had been marked all the way down to .50 a pound. Needless to say I grabbed a couple of each and made the freezer happy. I knew that would be going on sale as you will see on my list below.

The list below will give you an idea of monthly sale/cycles at the grocery store and the items will be their lowest prices!

January
Post Christmas: Decorations, Toys, Wrapping Paper etc. on clearance. Also look for regular food Items packaged in Holiday packaging that will be on sale (refrigerated cookies, breads, crackers etc)

Super Bowl: Soda, Chips, Cheese, Sandwich items, Condiments, Crackers, Snack foods, Dips National Oatmeal Month: Most Quaker items will be on sale (not just oatmeal, look at Life cereal,Syrup etc)

Winter Health: Cold Medicines and Vitamins

Seasonal Items: Canned soups & Chili, Household Cleaners

February
National Canned Food Month: Canned Fruit & Veggies, Pie Fillings, Canned tuna & other meats

American Heart Month: Aspirin, Cholesterol Meds, Low Cholesterol “butter” spreads / sprays etc.

Chinese New Year: Soy Sauce, Crunchy noodles, Teriyaki Sauce, Ramen, Stir fry sauce, stir fry veggies, water chestnuts

National Hot Breakfast Month: Malt O Meal, Oatmeal, Eggo Waffles, Syrup, frozen potatoes

Valentines: Chocolate, Hershey’s, KY

Other: Dog Foods, Push on store brands

March
Frozen Food Month: All things frozen

Seasonal Items: Household Cleaners; Gardening supplies (occasionally earlier depending on where You live)

National Peanut Month: Peanut Butter, Peanuts

St Patrick’s Day: Potatoes, Corned Beef

Easter / Passover (sometimes not until April): Eggs, Ham, Horseradish, Spices, Sugar, Chocolate Chips, Coconut, Butter, Baking mixes, Marshmallows

April
Easter / Passover (If not in March): Eggs, Ham, Horseradish, Spices, Food coloring, Sugar, Chocolate Chips, Coconut, Butter, Baking mixes, Marshmallows

Daylight Savings: Batteries, Smoke / Carbon Monoxide detectors, Light Bulbs

Earth Day: Organic Foods, Energy Saver items, Eco-friendly items, Reusable Totes / Grocery Bags, Natural Cleaners

Post Easter: Decorations, Toys, Wrapping Paper etc. on clearance. Also look for regular food items packaged in Holiday packaging that will be on sale (refrigerated cookies, breads, crackers etc)

Other: Olive Oil, Popsicles (change of inventory this month), Kellogg’s Cereal, ConAgra Products

May
Memorial Day (Most will be on sale again in late June / Early July): Soda, Charcoal, Grilling Meats, Salad Dressing (often free with a coupon), Potato Chips, S’mores items, Dips, Grilling Meats, Hot Dogs, Hamburger Meat, Buns, Marinades, and Juice Drinks (like Capri Sun)

Allergy Meds: Alavert, Zyrtec, Claritin etc (and generics)

Paper Products: Plates, Utensils, Insect Repellant, Sunscreen

National Pet Week: Dog & cat food and treats

Cinco De Mayo: Salsa, tortillas, Taco seasonings

Other: General Mills Cereal

June
Stay away from full priced summer items early this month that were on sale last month (and next month) such as allergy meds, paper plates, sunscreen, insect repellant, BBQ items etc.

National Dairy Month: Eggs, Milk, Ice Cream, Cottage Cheese, Sliced / Shredded / Block Cheese, Cream Cheese, Butter, Yogurt, Sour Cream, Whipping Cream, Whipped Cream, Cool Whip, Drumsticks

Father’s Day / July 4th (end of June): BBQ items again: BBQ Sauce, Condiments, Grilling meat, Charcoal, Potato chips, Hamburger / Hot dog buns

National Headache Month: Aspirin, Sinus meds, Other Painkillers

July
National Ice Cream Month: Ice cream, Popsicles, Drumsticks etc.

More 4th of July BBQ Sales (Beginning of the month): Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, BBQ Sauce, Ketchup,Condiments, Charcoal, Salad Dressing, Potato Chips, Dips
Back to School Sales (sometimes at the end of the month; sometimes not until Aug)

Lunch meat, Lunchables, Bread, Cold Cereal, Waffles, Lunchboxes, Crayons, Pencils, Folders, Binders, Granola bars, fruit snacks, pudding cups

August
Back to School (may continue into September through Labor Day): Lunch meat, Lunchables, Bread, Cold Cereal (especially Kellogg’s), Waffles, Lunchboxes, Crayons, Pencils, Folders, Binders, markers, Glue, paper Granola bars, fruit snacks, pudding cups

Clorox Classroom Cleanup: Sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizers
Seasonal Clearances: Insect Repellant, Sunscreen, charcoal

September
Diabetes Products: Bayer Glucose Meters, Glucerna Cereal

Tomato Products: Tomato Sauce /, paste / juice, spaghetti sauce, Canned tomatoes, tomato soup,ketchup occasionally

Other: Honey, Oral care (typically more at drug stores than grocery stores), condensed soups

October
Halloween: Candy, Fresh Pumpkin

Holiday Baking Sales (end of month especially, but wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas week for the best deals): Canned pumpkin, Evaporated Milk, Baking Chips

Daylight Savings: Batteries, Smoke / Carbon Monoxide detectors, Light Bulbs

Adopt a Shelter-Dog Month: Dog foods and treats

Other: National seafood month

November
Great American Smoke Out: Nicorette, Commit etc.

Post Halloween: Candy Clearances, Costumes etc. Also look for regular food items packaged in Holiday packaging that will be on sale (refrigerated cookies, breads, crackers etc)

Peanut Butter Month: Peanuts, Peanut Butter

Holiday Baking Sales: Nuts, Chocolate Chips, Evaporated Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Coconut, Cake Mixes Canned Holiday Items: Soup, Broth

Thanksgiving Items: Turkey, Canned Pumpkin, Stovetop Stuffing, Boxed Potatoes, Gravy Mixes, Frozen Pies, Cranberry Sauce, Jell-O, Marshmallows

December
Christmas Dinner: Gravy Mixes, Frozen Pies, Egg Nog, Deli Platters, Instant Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Jell-O, Marshmallows, Sour Cream Dips, Crackers, Chips, Soda, Ham, Turkey

Baking: Flour, Sugar, Butter, Cream, Chocolate Chips, Cake Mix, Brownie Mix, Muffin Mix, Breads, Pie Crust, Marshmallow, Whipped cream

Post Thanksgiving: Look for regular food items packaged in Holiday packaging that will be on sale (refrigerated cookies, breads, crackers etc)


Right after Christmas watch for Hams & Turkeys to be reduced to 50% off or more!

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