Savvy Shopper’s Guide – January

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Revised 2014

The key to saving money is knowing how and when to buy. We cover the “how” everyday in our daily postings. This Savvy Shopper’s Guide will cover the “when“.

What to Buy in January

January’s themes are all about about new beginnings, a healthier lifestyle, getting organized and being successful in the new year.

The month of January is also:

  • Time to plan Super Bowl parties*
  • National Candy Month*
  • National Egg Month*
  • National Hot Tea Month*
  • National Meat Month*
  • National Slow Cooker Month*
  • National Soup Month*
  • National Wheat Bread Month*
  • National Oatmeal Month*
  • National Hobby Month

*expect to see sales and coupons centered around these promotions

January features great deals in these categories:

  • Low Fat Brands and Diet Products – nutrition drinks, weight loss shakes, 100-calorie products, etc
  • Super Bowl Party Foods – Snack foods, Soda, Sandwich Items
  • Stock your medicine cabinet – Cold Medicines, Pain Relief, Vitamins
  • Winter Foods & Beverages – Coffee, Hot Tea, Chili, Soups, Stews
  • Home Organization Products – Closet organizers, drawer organizers, baskets, storage bins and home office organizing supplies like file folders, hanging files, binders and file boxes.
  • Electronics – New HDTVs, home theater systems and other electronics will be unveiled mid-month so retailers will start putting old stock on clearance. Sales will begin in January and spill over into February. If you don’t mind a year old model, this is a great way to save cash on large purchases. Look for the biggest sales around mid-January.
  • Fitness Equipment & DVDs – You wil find sales on these items from retailers but keep an eye on Craig’s List as those buying new equipment seek to sell their old (many times in excellent condition). Also,
  • Home Linens – January is the traditional month for “white sales”. You will be able to find some good deals, but you may be able to find even better deals if you wait until June as many retailers are promoting sales for wedding presents.
  • Calendars – By the end of this month, we’ll start to see prices on calendars go down.
  • Home Remodeling – The colder winter months are a slow time for many building contractors. Look out for promotions as they often offer incentives to bring in extra business.
  • Jewelry – Retailers will offer huge discounts of 50-70% off fine jewelry before their prices start rising again for Valentine’s Day.
Clearance Items
  • Christmas & New Years Party Items
  • Wrapping Paper, Ribbons, Bows, Gift Tags, Ornaments, Artificial Christmas Trees, Christmas Cards
  • Christmas Baking Products (sprinkles, cookie/candy molds, cupcake liners, etc)
  • Seasonal Baking Products (canned pumpkin, karo syrup, pumpkin baking mixes, etc.)
  • Winter Clothing (coats, hats, gloves, boots, sweaters)
  • Fragrance Gift Sets – prices on these will increase by Valentines days so take advantage of lower prices now and look for clearanced holiday packages.
  • Cosmetics – check Walgreens and CVS for clearance tagged items. Be sure to match up those coupons.

In Season Produce – look for lower prices on these items:

  • Apples
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Clementines
  • Grapefruit
  • Greens (cooking)
  • Kale
  • Kiwi
  • Leeks
  • Lemons
  • Lettuce
  • Oranges
  • Parsnips
  • Pears
  • Shallots
  • Spinach
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Tangelos
  • Tangerines
  • Turnips
  • Winter Squash
Create your own Simple When To Buy Guide
Use the print-friendly button to below to print the buying guide for each month, hole punch and place behind a tabbed divider in your coupon binder or keep in a 1-inch binder.

Print Friendly and PDF

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Uptown Grocery Co. Deals 1/15 – 1/21

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Check out these Uptown Grocery Co. deals! Uptown Grocery is located at Kelly & Covell in Edmond.

You can sign up for their Coupon Club to receive special in-store offers. And their coupon policy can be viewed HERE.

Personally, my grocery budget is spent for this week, but here are a few good deals that caught my eye from Uptown Grocery Co. I may have to make a trip before next Tuesday when the ad ends.

Cucumbers 3/$1
Green Onins (bunch) 3/$1
Woodstock All Natural Frozen Vegetables 10oz 3/$5
$1/1 Woodstock Frozen Fruit or Vegetables printable
Final Cost: $0.67

You can also save $5 instantly when you buy 5 participating Quaker products. My favorite deals are:

Quaker Oats 18oz $1.57 – $0.60 (promotion wyb 5) = $0.97
Aunt Jemima Syrup 24oz $1.97 – $0.60 (promotion wyb 5) = $1.37
Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal 14.5oz $2.17 – $0.60 (promotion wyb 5) = $1.57

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All Clearance - Buy 2 get 1 Free at Christopher & Banks

I buy the majority of my clothing from thrift stores, garage sales and consignment shops. I almost never buy brand new clothing UNLESS it’s on the clearance rack. Or unless there’s a really awesome promotion or I have a coupon to stack with said promotion.

It just so happens that Christopher & Banks is handing us both….clearance items stacked with a great promotion.

It’s the Buy 2, Get 1 Free at the Christopher & Banks Clearance Sale.

Right now, when you buy two clearance items, you get a clearance item (of equal or lesser value) FREE! You can shop this sale from right now through Tuesday, January 21, 2014.

PLUS, you’ll enjoy FREE shipping on any order, with no minimum!!

This is a great opportunity to stock up on basic tees and other layering pieces.

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Cents of Style 60% off Winter Accessories
It may be the middle of winter, but retailers are already starting to move out their winter inventory to make ready for the spring line. Which means we’re in luck!

Today is Fashion Friday at Cents of Style and they’re offering 60% off winter accessories, plus FREE shipping. Use code WINTER8 at check out to get the discount.

Look for scarves, hats, gloves and even boots! Hats, scarves and gloves will all be under $10 shipped, with many under $8. Boots are under $20 shipped. There’s limited sizing on the boots, but if you do find your size, you’ll snag a killer deal.

Cents of Style Knitted Infinity Scarf Under $10 Shipped!

Head on over and save 60% off winter accessories! Leave a comment and let me know what you  chose.

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Dayspring: Mr. & Mrs. Gift Set (or mugs only) 50% off

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Dayspring: Mr. and Mrs. Gift Set 50% off Looking for the perfect gift for an anniversary or wedding? Or a fun Valentine’s Day gift?

For the month of January, Dayspring is offering the Mr. and Mrs. Gift Set for just $19.99 (orig $37.95). The gift set comes with:

  • Mr.  Mug
  • Mrs. Mug
  •  Mr. and Mrs. Journal
  • Coupon Book
  • Gift Bag

Here’s what other people are saying about this gift set:

“Bought this for my granddaughters wedding shower. Everyone loved it and you could see it was a quality piece. Great that everything you needed was there, from gift bag, tissue and gifts. Loved it.”

“Gave this to my niece as an extra little gift for her bridal shower. Of all the big beautiful gifts that she got, this was the one that people asked to see. They passed around the coupon book and the journal. The other women kept asking me where I bought it. My niece loved the bible verse inside the cup. What a great way to share God’s word.”

“This complete set gets a two thumbs up from me. It is great to give, as a gift for weddings, anniversaries. If you are married and you want to spruce up your love nest or enhance your love altar this is the perfect set.”

Dayspring: Mr. & Mrs. Mugs just $5 each

If you’d just like to buy just the mugs (or mug) without the other gift items, then the best time to do that is January 21-23. For three days only, Dayspring is offering their Mr. and Mrs. Mugs for only  $5 each.

Shipping is $6.95 for orders up to $19.99 or free with orders over $50.

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Eversave: Initial Pendant with Swarovski Crystals $9.95 Shipped

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Eversave: Initial Pendant with Swarovski Chrystals

I love these initial pendants. What a great gift for a teen or tween!

Eversave is offering an initial pendants featuring crystals made with Swarovski Elements for just $9.95 shipped.

The pendant is approximately 1 centimeter tall and features three 1.5-millimeter crystals. The Nickel-free, rhodium-colored chain is approximately 18 inches.

The necklace itself is priced at $4 through Eversave, but there is a flat rate $5.95 shipping fee. You can buy up to 5 saves per person.

TIP: Start a gift closet
Save money in the long run by taking advantage of great deals like these all year long. Store them away in a big basket, trunk or closet. Pull from it for birthday parties, thank you gifts, rewards for good behavior, hostess gifts, whatever. You can even utilize it for last minute Christmas presents.
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Free Sample Finish Dishwashing Detergent

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Right now you can sign up to receive a FREE sample of Finish Power & Free. This is the only detergent I use in my dishwasher so I’ll take all the free I can get. I’m excited to try the Power & Free which is made with less harsh chemical. Just click on the image above to receive yours.

TIP:
I keep a basket on the shelf in my laundry room specifically for free samples of cleaning and laundering products. They come in handy when we run out before grocery day. I keep a similar basket in my guest bathroom full of hygiene products. They’re always available when house guests forget their toothpaste or if my kids forget to tell me they ran out.
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If you’re new to shopping Homeland, be sure to check out my Simple Homeland Shopping Guide. You can also find a copy of their coupon policy HERE.

Until further notice, select Homeland Stores will be doubling two or three coupons per transaction, depending on the location.

I wasn’t even going to Homeland this week. I just decided to stop in and grab some Rhodes Frozen Bread Loaves so I could make some pizza rolls. I’m so glad I did, because I found peelies on Maxwell House French Roast Coffee and Kraft Cheese Cubes which resulted in a HOT deal when used in conjunction with this week’s Kraft promotion.

The Kraft promotion is the one where you save $10 instantly when you purchase 10 participating items.

Homeland: Hot Deal on Maxwell House and Kraft Cheese

Maxwell House Coffee $4.99 (on sale for $5.99 – $1 Kraft promo)
Kraft Natural Cheese Cubes $1.49 (on sale for $2.49 – $1 Kraft promo)

***Deal Idea***
Buy two Maxwell House French Roast Coffee = $9.98
Buy eight Kraft Natural Cheese Cubes = $11.92
– two $1.50/1 Maxwell House peelies (deduct $3)
– four $1/2 Kraft Cheese Cubes peelies (deduct $7 – three will double)
Final Cost: $11.90 for everything

So basically, you pay $3.49 each for Maxwell House coffee (compare at $7-$10 regular price) and just $0.62 each for Kraft Natural Cheese Cubes (compare at $2.50 – $3.50 regular price).

Here are some other deals you might consider this week:

Jell-O Refrigerated Snacks $2
Save $10 wyb 10 with Kraft Promotion
Final Cost: $1

***Deal Idea***
Buy six Jell-O Refrigerated Snacks = $6
Buy four Kraft Natural Cheese Cubes = $5.96
– three $1/2 Jell-O Refrigerated Snack, exp. 2/9/14 (SS 01/12/14) (deduct $6)
– two $1/2 Kraft Cheese Cubes peelies (deduct $4)
Final Cost: $1.96 for everything!!
Mrs. Butterworth’s Syrup $2.50
– $0.55/1 Mrs. Butterworth’s Syrup, exp. 3/31/14 (SS 01/05/14 #2 R)
Final Cost: $1.40
Kellogg’s To Go Shake Mixes $2
$0.70 off one Kellogg’s To Go™ Breakfast Shake Mix
Stack w/ $0.50/1 Kellogg’s To Go Shake Mixes Homeland Store Coupon (Extra Savings Flyer or printable)
Final Cost: $0.10
Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Shaved or Selects $2.99
$1.00 off TWO OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh lunch meats
Final Cost: $1.99 each wyb two
Jennie-O Mild Turkey Sausage 16oz $2.50
$1.00 off JENNIE-O Turkey Breakfast Sausage
Final Cost: $0.50
Jennie-O Ground Turkey 16oz $2.50
$1.00 off 2 JENNIE-O Ground Turkey
Final Cost: $1.50 each wyb two
REMINDER: If the store you visit is out of stock on any sale items, ask for a rain check. Not only will you be able to get that price when the sale is over, but you can still use your coupons. PLUS the back side of every rain check includes a coupon for $0.50 off one dozen eggs.


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Zaycon Foods Chicken Event

Thought I would remind you that Zaycon Foods is coming back to Oklahoma with another load of chicken. Delivery is scheduled for February 7th, 8th or 10th, depending on your area:

February 7 – OKC (Meridian Bowling Lanes), Norman, Lawton
February 8 – Edmond, OKC (Tabernacle Baptist Church), Yukon, Shawnee
February 10 – Henryetta, Tulsa

Isn’t it exciting to see more and more locations being added?

FYI – this will be the last chicken event until fall. There will be no chicken events throughout the summer due to the price of chicken going up.  If Zaycon Foods’ price is going up, then you can bet everyone else’s will too. So if you like chicken breast at less than $2 per pound, grab it while you can!

If you’re new to Zaycon Foods, here’s everything in a nutshell: Order 40 pounds of all-natural, boneless, skinless chicken breast for just $1.89/lb ($75.60 per case) and pick it up at the delivery site designated for your area on the specified date and time.

If you want more than the nutshell, you can read all kinds of good stuff about Zaycon Foods in past posts I’ve written and specifically about the chicken.

And here’s another perk! I know I’m not giving you much of a heads up, but you know, better late than never and all those other cliches. Keep reading….

Zaycon Foods Essay ContestEnter the Zaycon Foods 100 Word Essay Contest and you could win Zaycon Foods credits!

The essay should be about food and family, but the rest is up to you. You can write about what Zaycon Foods means to you and your family, you can write about your grandmother’s favorite recipe, or you can write about the best meal you ever prepared; it’s up to you!

You need to submit your essay between January 10th and 17th (it’s already January 15 at the writing of this post; that’s the better late than never part). By entering into this contest, you could win $50, $100, or $200 worth of Zaycon Foods credits! Seriously.

Head on over and get the low down on all the rules and regulations that go along with a grand opportunity like this.

Good luck!

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Cream of Something Soup Mix: No More Canned Cream Soup

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Cream of Something Soup Mix
While I haven’t vetoed all processed food, over the past several months I’ve been taking steps to lessen the amount of majorly processed food that passes through our pantry.

One of the things I’ve done is to stop buying creamed soups for cooking, and start making my own. This is not a new concept. If you google “cream of something” soup, you’ll get loads of search results.

One of the most popular recipes is for a powdered version that you mix in bulk and then use as needed, simply by adding water. The ingredients are dried milk, cornstarch, instant chicken bouillon and dried minced onion.

cream-soup-ingred

I have never in my life bought instant chicken bouillon and I see no reason to start now. Since bouillon is mainly for flavor and since I make homemade chicken stock on a regular basis, I decided to use chicken stock in place of the water and kill two birds with one stone. So I only use the three dry ingredients shown above plus chicken stock.

Also, when following versions of the most popular recipes, I found the final result to be thinner than I would like, so I cut back the amount of liquid added.

Cream of Something Soup

You basically mix the dry ingredients together and store in an airtight container until you have a recipe that calls for cream of something soup. Then you add liquid to the dry ingredients and heat over low heat until thickened. Once your soup has thickened, you can add extras like chopped celery, cooked chicken and mushrooms to customize it.

And there you have it! You never have to buy a can of creamed soup again! I’ve used this soup in green bean casserole, ranch pork chops & potatoes, Beef Enchilada Casserole and many other dishes.

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