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Not only are November and December big months for retail sales, they are also huge for the grocery industry. People are baking and entertaining more, and supermarkets have taken notice. With more deals and incentives available than during other times of the year, be sure to use them to your advantage.
Clean Out Your Freezer
In the weeks leading up to the holidays, use whatever is in your freezer in order to create space for the great deals you'll find. Many grocers sell holiday-related items such as frozen vegetables and turkeys below cost at this time of year to lure shoppers. If you have a chest freezer, go ahead and buy extra. Things like fresh cranberries can also be frozen, as well as juices and broths. If properly stored, they can be frozen up to a year without diminishing food quality.
Hint: a whole turkey can be safely stored in the freezer for up to a year. Turkey leftovers can be stored for 3-4 months. Wrap in heavy freezer paper to avoid freezer burn.
Stock Up
Stock up on dry goods that won't spoil and stash them away in your pantry. Think of non-traditional uses for sale items. Boxed stuffing can be used as a casserole topper. French fried onions can be used as a breading for chicken and canned pumpkin can be used to make cookies and breads. For more creative recipes, visit company Web sites or look online at sites like, www.cookbook.coupons.com, which provides recipes that include ingredients with printable coupons from Coupons.com.
Some dry goods items to consider stockpiling:
Flour
Sugar
Baking spices
Canned pumpkin
Canned vegetables
Snack crackers
Olives
Be a Cherry-Picker
That's the industry term for consumers who make the rounds to each store only to take advantage of sales and loss leaders. With hot deals ripe for the picking this time of year, it pays to shop multiple stores. Scour the weekly sales fliers and create your shopping list for each store according to what's on sale. If you don't yet have one, be sure to sign up for the Supermarket's rewards clubs to save even more.
Clip Coupons
Combining the grocery sales with coupons can lead to even bigger savings. Coupon companies issue more coupons this time of year, so it may even pay to buy two copies of the Sunday paper (savings hint: they are sometimes available at Dollar Stores on Mondays). Or, have friends and relatives save their coupon inserts for you.
If you don't have time, or don't want to buy the paper, you can search for coupons online. Online printable coupons, which you print from your computer and work in stores just like traditional coupons, tend to have higher values than those you find in the paper. They're also conveniently available any time you're online. Look on the manufacturer's Web sites or visit coupon sites like Coupons.com, which typically offers hundreds of dollars in coupon savings.
Take Advantage of Post-Holiday Sales
Many manufacturers offer holiday- themed packaging that will get marked down as soon as the holidays are over - even if the food itself isn't near its expiration date. It is also a time to buy holiday-themed paper goods such as napkins, paper towels, and cups. Buy a pack of red & green M&Ms - sort the red ones for Valentine's Day and the green ones for St. Patrick's Day.
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