One of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions people tend to make is to spend less and save more. Making a resolution to be more frugal is a serious challenge that will have huge results in the long run.
A way that I am learning to be more frugal is to be more mindful of my spending habits by consciously asking myself before purchasing something if this is a “want” or a “need”. I am ready to actively reduce my “want” purchasing each month and have made a goal to take it down by 50% and add the saved money to the family savings account.
Another way to make some budgetary changes is by buying items during certain months. Usually, these items are seasonal foods or items that are at the end of purchase season. Here are a few ways to start giving a little more oomph to your budget.
- Seasonal Food: Look to bulk up on seasonal foods for extra grocery savings. Foods like citrus fruits, pears, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, kale, kiwi, avocado, cabbage, and spinach. As well, thanks to January being National Oatmeal Month, expect to see sales on oats. Oats are a must for your preparedness pantry and are so versatile. Here are 16 ways you can use them. Don’t forget to purchase produce and flash freeze. This helps to have produce throughout the year without paying full price.
- Winter Clothing: This is probably the last month we’ll see a good inventory of winter coats and gloves. By February, stores will begin to phase out winter wear to make room for Spring styles. This would be a great time to add essential winter layers and winter boots to your supplies if you do not already have them. Hat and mittens especially will be deeply discounted and can be added to your emergency preps. added to winter vehicle supplies or purchased for a head start on the next holiday season. Another winter clothing item to look for discounts on is hunting attire. That’s right! Bib overalls, jackets, pants – everything needed for winter hunting will have their prices slashed for a quick sale, so now is the time.
- Camping Gear – Additionally, winter camping gear like tents, heavy sleeping bags, camping stoves, etc., may be discounted in order to make room for spring camping items to be put on the store shelves.
- Organizational Products: Thanks to those who are ready to get things organized this year, organizational products will also be on sale. This is a great time to buy those large plastic bins to put your preps in. My family has large 50-gallon stacker bins organized by our prep needs: medical, off-grid lighting, communication, etc. Look for deals at tractor supplies, superstores, Lowes, and Home Depot.
- Health products: Cold and flu remedies and vitamins will also be on sale this month and with the dreaded COVID, this would be a great time to stock up on these products. Here is a great article on how to create a flu-fighting arsenal.
- Party foods: We will see lots of sales on chips, dips, wings, pizzas, and sandwich items. Can you say Super Bowl? You may even find some holiday platters that did not sell. These can either be used for quick and easy dinners or snacks or you can disassemble them and freeze deli meats, cheeses, or veggie trays to make soups with. So many of the foods have a long shelf life so you can really stock up.
Other Deals To Look For
Holiday items will also be deeply discounted, although there will likely not be much variety. But if you are willing to sift through the holiday items you can find some deals as low as 75-80% off the original price.
As well, home bedding items like cozy flannel sheets, heavy comforters and towels will have discounted prices. While many think these may be extravagant for their preparedness needs, they will come in handy during bouts of winter storms where the power goes out in homes for a given period.
Saving money doesn’t always have to take a lot of time. Just stocking up on a few extras when they are at their lowest can save you $100’s. What are your favorite things to buy in January?