How to Save on Groceries: Take Advantage of the Season

If you’re trying to save money on groceries it is a good rule to Take Advantage of the Season.

Fundamentally this means intentionally shopping for items when they are going to be at their least expensive price. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

There are three areas where you can start doing this right away:

1. Produce – Basic economic theory tells us that prices come down when there is an abundant supply. And when is there a lot of produce? When it’s in season. I’ve found that you will pay a premium price (at least three times higher) for fruit that is out of season compared to when it’s harvested.

Here is an example: I live in New York, where buying strawberries in June is a very reasonable proposition. But brace yourself for sticker shock if you plan to purchase them in November! Plus, those strawberries probably traveled several thousand miles to get to me; needless to say both the low quality and the high price of out of season produce leave a lot to be desired.

That’s an obvious cost savings, but how can you put it into practice? When I am planning my family’s meals I take the season into consideration. During the winter we eat a lot of squash, carrots, apples, cabbage and potatoes because those things are readily available locally and inexpensive. In August, I’ll use cucumbers, zucchini, peppers and berries since they are a local summer crop and the prices are much more affordable. Simply by applying my understanding of the seasons into my meal planning I can save significantly on the cost of produce.

There are two resources that I recommend if you would like to learn what is in season and local to your home: Sustainabletable.org has a harvest calendar broken down by state to help you buy produce locally and in season (saves on cost and maximizes nutritional value). ProducePete has a national guide only, but it is more extensive in the produce it covers. I recommend that you look at both of them.

Many people have local farmer’s markets that they like to shop and doing so will help you recognize the harvest cycles. It’s hard to miss the fact that peaches are in season when every table is overflowing with them! In many cases, you can get good deals if you buy directly from the producer, so check it out for your area.

Unfortunately for me, I live in a tourist town so the farmer’s market is cost prohibitive. Occasionally I’ll ask the farmer for seconds (bruised or battered fruit) and sometimes I can score a good deal that way, but I look for other local options instead (check out Ingall’s Blueberry Fields if you’re in Cooperstown next August!)

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out one additional resource: If you are needing to buy produce that is off-season, don’t overlook the advantage of frozen fruits and veggies. These are often on sale and with coupons you can get them for almost free. Or, if you have the freezer space at home, you can always freeze some fresh produce yourself!

2. Holidays and Special Events – Holidays and Special Events can be great times to cash in on grocery store savings and all you need to do is pay attention. Let me give you an example: Easter is approaching (April 12) and many families will be celebrating over a ham dinner (yum). Grocery stores know this and will feature a good price on hams in order to attract shoppers to their stores, hoping that they’ll spend more on other items (this is called a loss leader). They will apply the same strategy to other cuts of pork. So, when do you think it makes sense to buy an extra ham or pork for your freezer? The week leading up to the Easter of course, when the price is at it’s lowest.

Religious holidays aren’t the only events to be aware of. I saw some great sales for the price of cheese in the week leading up to the Superbowl (I’m assuming people eat a lot of nachos or something?).

What might be a good buy around the first week of July? Hot dogs and ground beef for Independence Day picnics. Pumpkin Puree can be found for a steal in the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Diet and low-cal foods are hot in January (all those New Year Resolutions!) and soups tend to go on sale in September just in time for the back to school season.

By taking advantage of these seasonal promotions, you can stock up when the prices are low and avoid having to pay more during the rest of the year.

3. Post Season Sales – I’ve just talked about taking advantage of sales that are linked to Holidays and Special Events, so it’s important that I also point out that these seasons can also be budget busters. When is it the WORST time to buy a dozen roses?? Obviously the week leading up to Valentines Day. The mark-up is extreme because the producers know that many people are going to buy flowers no matter what the cost. This will be true for Valentine’s Day candy, or new spring fashions, and, of course, seasonal decor.

How can you use this information to help you save money? I would suggest that you anticipate that the exact same thing is going to happen next year and decide to avoid finding yourself in the same position. Look for post holiday clearance items that can last until the next go around (canned goods, some candy, cards, clothing). Buy them on clearance and either use them during the year or hold on to them for 51 weeks. Then, when it’s holiday time again, you won’t need to over-pay for it.