I was thinking about all the great deals going on this week at Publix, Kroger, Walmart and Target, and it dawned on me that there are really 7 weeks each year that you need to grocery shop . . . and one of them is right upon us! As we're gearing up for grilling out, the corporate folks at our favorite grocery stores have everything strategically planned around what they know we'll buy.
Which means all we have to do is outsmart them. 🙂
Here's how to save on grocery bills by strategically shopping these 7 BIG weeks of each year.
There are seven big shopping cycles each year that are absolutely the best weeks to shop, because stores know we're ready to shell out some cash. These are the weeks that stores will have seasonal items on sale for their lowest prices of the year, so you can easily stock up.
Curious which weeks they are? Here we go!
(ranked in order leading up to the very *best* times to grocery shop)
How to Save on Grocery Bills – Shop THESE 7 Weeks:
7. Super Bowl
Come February when we're all ready to make every appetizer on the planet, retailers are stocking their shelves with great prices on everything you'll need to whip up a bit batch of chili. Stock up during Super Bowl on these items:
- paper products
- canned tomatoes
- beans
- tortilla chips
- cream cheese
- sour cream
- soda
- canned goods
- chips and dips
6. Labor Day
- chips
- soda
- ground beef, ribs, boneless, skinless chicken breast
- corn
- apples
- cereal
- snack size mixes (for back to school)
- uncrustables
- everything back to school
5. Memorial Day
- strawberries
- blueberries
- chips and dips
- condiments
- marinades
- hamburger and hotdog buns
- chips and salsa
4. 4th of July
- blueberries
- peaches
- watermelon
- cherries
- marinades
- chips and dips
- angel food cake
- baked beans
- condiments
- beef
- firewords
- soda
- paper products
- bug spray, sunscreen
3. Easter
- canned veggies
- cream soups
- ham
- baking supplies – flour, sugar, brown sugar
- Nestle tollhouse
- butter
- eggs
- vinegar
- Sister Schuber rolls
- candy
2. Christmas
- oranges
- baking supplies
- Nestle morsels
- ham, turkey
- stuffing mix
- Sister Schubert rolls
- cranberry sauce
- hot chocolate
- butter
- eggs
- boxed potatoes, gravy
- cream soups
- canned pumpkin
1. Thanksgiving
- pumpkin
- apples
- baking supplies
- Nestle morsels
- ham, turkey
- stuffing mix
- Sister Schubert rolls
- cranberry sauce
- hot chocolate
- butter
- eggs
- boxed potatoes, gravy
- cream soups
- canned pumpkin
Have you found other seasonal cycles that are worth shopping? I'd love to hear which are your favorite weeks to shop! Leave a comment to share.
And if you have other tips and tricks for how to save on grocery bills – I always love to hear them!
Looking for more savings tips and tricks? Here you go:
- Top 10 Grocery Budget Busters
- How To Really Change Your Grocery Budget
- Ultimate Aldi, Costco & Sam’s Club Price Comparison Sheet to easily compare prices before heading out to the store.
Laurie,
I love your web pages..all your freebies and everything you offer on this sight. Problem is I have not learned to shop for just two people..I’m an empty nester…and I’m wasting money like crazy and losing my mind doing it….plus I have been wanting to so a spot on savings for older adults..they are concerned with the same things as young families but on a smaller scale….any advice on how I can help myself plus others….Thanks….God bless your efforts.
Hi Linda – thank you so much for taking the time to read PPP! A big thing I would do is really think about how much you really NEED – like ~ could you split one meal into two by making the full meal and freezing half for a later time? Do you need as much food as you did a few years ago when kids were home? Really think about the best way to use what you have, and maybe even challenge yourself to come up with ways to creatively use only what you have at home (you may be surprised with what you come up with!) I’ll keep thinking of other ideas though too – thanks so much for sharing (I think so much of it is deciding that it’s a priority for you!)