Last year I would post a monthly article letting you know what would be on sale, what fresh produce is in season (and therefore on sale) and what to get ready for in the following month.
This year I thought it would be easier to just keep it all in one place for easy reference.
Listed below you will find details on what kinds of things are on sale each and every month so you know when to stock up. You might pin this or bookmark it for future reference.
Many of these things are common sense- such as diet products in January and baking supplies in November. There are many other things that might surprise you or you might not think about so hopefully this list will come in handy!
And to make it super convenient, I have a free printable worksheet here with all the sales by month for you.
January is busier then you might think! We have lots of people shopping for things Santa forgot, itching to use gift cards or Christmas cash. There are tons of sales as retailers are trying to move through all the Christmas decor, food items and any additional things they may have stocked up on for the holidays (toys are a big one.)
Typically Target has a big sale on toys (usually things hit 50% off and sometimes 70% off) and they have a baby sale with all sorts of baby items from bedding to strollers.
Some other sales to watch out for:
*Storage items- for holiday decor and the start of spring cleaning
*Clearance on wines and champagne that didn’t sell for New Years
*Diet and Health Foods- think New Year’s Resolutions
*Fitness Equipment
*Superbowl supplies- snack foods, beer etc…
*Cold and Flu Medications
*End of the winter items for clothing and home decor- grab it while you still can!
In season produce:
*FRUITS– tangerines, pears, grapefruit, lemons, papaya, apples, pears and pomegranate
*VEGGIES- Celery, Leeks, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Broccoli, Artichoke,Avocado
Lots of fun sales in February. Here are some things to look out for:
*Valentine’s Day- candy, flowers, pjs, perfume, cards
*Canned Food Month
*National Breakfast Foods Month
*Chinese New Year- assorted Asian foods on sale
*Sales on spring clothing items
*Home Goods sales- because of spring cleaning you see fresh bright home goods, storage items etc…
*Final clearance on winter sports gear
*Clearance on fitness items
*New electronics are often released so sales on older models
*Clearance on winter cosmetics as new spring colors are released
*President’s Day sales at home improvement stores and clothing stores
And here is your fresh produce in season:
*FRUITS- Strawberries, Kiwi, Raspberries, Lemon, Oranges, Papaya
*VEGGIES- Artichoke, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Avocado
Happy Spring! Here are some items to look out for in March:
*St Patrick’s Day items- beer, cabbage and corned beef, candy etc.
*Last of the Valentine’s Day clearance
*Frozen Foods Month- all sorts of items from pizza to ice cream
*Spring cleaning products
*Baking items and peanut butter
And the produce that should be in season:
*FRUITS- Strawberries, Kiwi, Lemons, Limes, Mango, Oranges, Pineapple, Strawberries, Rhubarb
*VEGGIES- Artichokes, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Collard Greens, Fennel, Leeks, Morel Mushrooms, Onions, peas and Spinach
April is a fun month because we see lots of clearance on Easter items- decor, treats, baking supplies etc…
Earth day is also during the month of April and we see lots of great deals on green and organic foods, cleaning supplies and personal care products.
This is the summer season for clothing manufacturers so expect to see lots of warm weather things in store.
Here are the in season produce items:
*FRUIT- Grapefruit, pineapple, rhubarb, mango
*VEGGIES- Asparagus, Artichoke, Beets, Carrots, Mushrooms, Peas and Zucchini
May is one of the slower months in my opinion but the great news is we start seeing fantastic produce in season.
Here are some things on sale:
*Cinco de Mayo- decor, Mexican Foods, alcohol
*Mother’s Day- cards, candy, flowers, perfume and more
*Memorial Day sales- BBQ items and cold drinks
*Outdoor items- sunscreen, bug spray, allergy medication, sports drinks etc..
*Things for Graduates- cards, candy, leather goods etc..
And the produce in season:
*FRUITS- Pineapples, watermelon, cherries, strawberries, blackberries, apricots
*VEGGIES- Corn, Zucchini, Artichokes, Avocado, Onions, Peas
June is when people want to be out of the stores and enjoying family vacations and such but it is a good time to shop. You will see discounts on health club memberships, vacation packages, sporting goods and athletic gear.
Summer merchandise starts to go on clearance and we starting seeing a little bit of fall clothing and home goods at the end of the month. Home improvement goods and outdoor items are on sale (garden supplies etc..) and all sorts of things are on sale for Father’s Day.
Here are some other things to watch out for:
*Sunscreen and bug spray
*BBQ items- food, charcoal etc..
*National Dairy Month- cheese, yogurt etc.. all on sale
*Fourth of July Sales Begin- chips, grilling items etc..
*Allergy and Sinus Medications
*Pool toys and other summer outdoor toys
And it is a wonderful month for fresh foods- here is your produce in season:
*FRUITS- watermelon, strawberries, peaches, Blueberries, cherries, apricot, tomatoes
*VEGGIES- Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Onion, Squash
The awesome thing about July is that many of us are finally experiencing the warm weather and you see lots of clearance sales on things you need now. No need to plan ahead and buy off season.
In July we see clearance sales on summer clothing- like bathing suits and this is typically when patio and outdoor items start to go on sale. Because so many people will be looking for these items they do tend to go fast.
Typically July brings a big clearance sale on toys at Target- usually 50 to 75% off is the best price we see.
Even though it is well before school starts for many of us, this is absolutely the best time to get school supplies. Each week the big chain stores and office supply stores will feature deep discounts on items like binders, pencils, art supplies and more. I strongly recommend shopping early for this stuff to save the most money.
Here are some other things to watch out for:
*National Ice Cream Month- lots of coupons and sales on all sorts of frozen desserts
*Grilling items on sale- great time to stock up for Labor Day
*Clearance on summer home goods and clothing (fall items hit the stores)
And here are your produce items in season for July:
*FRUIT- peaches, pears, blueberries, watermelon, nectarines, plums, raspberries, tomatoes, figs
*VEGGIES- Corn, Green Beans, Cucumbers, Onions, Eggplant, Bell Peppers, Potatoes
Lots of fresh produce in season in August and some great deals on household items.
*School Supply sales slow down– get all your supplies while you can and while they are still available.
*Labor Day Sales- grilling items, sodas, ice cream etc…
*Lunch Box Snacks- convenient foods, juice boxes, peanut butter etc…
*Sales on fall clothing
*Breakfast Foods- waffles, cereal, coffee etc..
And a lot of great choices for fresh produce:
*FRUITS- Apples, Melons, Grapes, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries , Tomatoes
*VEGGIES- Avocados, Corn, Summer Squash, Eggplant
September is a great month for shopping as there are clearance deals on summer items and retailers start to pull out the holiday season merchandise. So a little something for everyone.
Here are some things to keep an eye out for:
*Labor Day Sales- grilling items, ice cream, bug spray, camping items
*Final Clearance sales on summer clothing items
*Clearance sales on back to school merchandise
*National Organic Month– lots of organic foods and cleaners and personal care items
*Baby products- Target usually has great clearance sales this time of year*Final clearance of summer and fall home goods- holiday merchandise will be coming fast.
And here is the produce in season:
*FRUIT: Apples, Grapes, Pomegranate, Pears, Tomatoes
*VEGGIES: Eggplant, Pumpkin, Spinach, Artichoke, Cucumber, Onion, Squash
Halloween is the big focus this month but you will also find many retailers start putting out Christmas items already. This is a great month for candy sales! We also see Daylight Savings Time so there are sales on batteries, light bulbs, fire alarms etc…
October is also a month of great sales on pet food and Italian foods– look for coupons and sales on pasta, cheese and more.
And here is the produce that will be in season:
*FRUIT: Apples, Pomegranates, Grapes, Cranberries
*VEGGIES: Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Squash, Artichoke
November is really when things start to get crazy for the holidays. All the stores will have the holiday merchandise in full display and we will see a tiny bit of Halloween clearance left.
Black Friday sales are at the end of the month but I always find a lot of great deals in November. Retailers like to get you shopping early and often the prices at the start of the month are better then Black Friday (and you don’t need to fight the crowds).
Here are things to look for low prices on:
*Baking supplies (canned pumpkin, flour, chocolate chips etc…)
*Thanksgiving Dinner supplies (stuffing, gravy, turkey, cranberries and more)
*Soups and warm weather drinks
*Winter clothing on clearance in many stores (spring items arrive at the start of January usually)
And then the fresh produce that should be in season:
*FRUITS: Cranberries, Pomegranate, Kiwi, Lemon, Pears
*VEGGIES: Pumpkins, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, Celery, Kale
And as you might guess nearly everything is on sale for December! We tend to see the best prices on Christmas gifts (home goods, personal care items etc…) in November so if you haven’t started shopping it is a good time to get started. Typically toys can be found on sale right up to the last minute.
Some other sales:
*Candy and stocking stuffers
*Post Christmas Clearance on decor, treats, baking items and more
*Kitchen Electrics and cleaning items such as vacuums and steam mops
*Electronics tend to be the lowest prices around Black Friday
*Christmas mealtime items- breakfast foods, wine, ham, prime rib, potatoes, gravy etc…
*Baking products, cider, warm drinks, egg nog
And then here is the produce typically in season:
*FRUITS-pears, kiwi, oranges, dates, lemons
*VEGGIES-cauliflower, broccoli, celery, squash, yam, turnips
And again you can find the link to print all the month by month guides at the top of the post.
If you like this article, you might also check out:
Anu says
Such a great list. Will you be able to make it as a plug-in on the side on be able to add it under anyone of the drop down’s at the top? It would be very helpful and would not get lost in the tons of deals you post.
Thank you for the great work you do. We really appreciate it.
Loree says
I am in need of some kitchen appliances such as refrigerator, microwave and stove. What month are those best to buy?
Cherali says
Love this post, thank you so much!
Charlene says
Hi Loree-
Usually Sept and Oct are when newer models come out so the old models go on sale for most appliances- fridges are usually in late spring because new fridges come out in June/July. I also find President’s Day sales to have some nice bargains.
If you need it sooner I would suggest waiting for the next holiday weekend and checking the ads. Sometimes they offer nice sales and sometimes they don’t so you kind of what to identify what you are looking for and the regular prices so you are informed. Some major furniture stores have scratch and dent facilities too that you can check. We bought a fridge from an RC Wiley scratch and dent- there was a tiny scratch from using a box cutter to open the box and we got a nice discount :).
Kim Fields says
Please add metro your email list.
Thanks!
Emmy says
Thank you! This is awesome.
Kathleen Brown says
.
nita says
Thanks so much for doing this for us, I think I will post each one of the printouts on my desktop to see when I open it. Love it and all youre frugal adventure advice!
Charlene says
Oh thank you for the kind words. Glad you liked it Nita!