Savvy Shopper’s Guide – January

Revised 2014

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.

• 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