If you're anything like me, you made it through the holidays and are ready to get back to normal with your eating habits. Or maybe you'd like to get back to better than normal!
Either way, it's time to start buying food again now that all the left-overs are gone.
Here are the things that are on sale this month. Whether you're stocking up for the months ahead, or just buying food for the week, these are prices you're not going to want to miss!
Food Items You Need to Buy in January
Quite a lot of the food that is on sale in January is along the same lines as the food available in December, but there are a few differences.
While apples, citrus, potatoes, cruciferous vegetables, and leafy greens are still on sale, a few new items made the list...
Kiwi
This delicious fruit is on sale this month, so if you love kiwi, now is the time to stock up!
While kiwi doesn't really lend itself to canning, it is a great fruit to dehydrate!
Check out my tutorial on dehydrating fruit here
Celery
Think outside the box a little bit with this one... Celery isn't something that you're going to can and pop open a jar of to serve with dinner.
But you could buy and dehydrate it to use in soups, casseroles, and stuffings later on.
I bought about 20 pounds of celery this month for a recipe that I have been using while canning over 100 quarts of bone broth chicken soup.
Avocado
This one is a MUST to stock up on when it goes on sale! Organic avocados in my area get up to $3 a piece in the off season... That's just crazy!!
So what I like to do is buy them on sale, puree them, and freeze them in usable increments until I need them later.
If you're a guacamole fiend like I am, then you can also make your guacamole ahead of time and freeze it in the increments you are likely to eat it in... for me that would be by the gallon. ;-)
Non-Produce Items on Sale in January
January is also filled with Food Holidays that will cause stores to lower their prices to get people in the door.
Did you know about these Food Holidays?
National Oatmeal Month
During the week we eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning. On the weekends we mix it up a bit, but during the week, a hot bowl of oatmeal kicks the day off right.
Since we try to buy all organic products if they are available, it will be no surprise that we also buy organic oatmeal. We got a steal of a day when we bought it last and got a year supply.
Take some time to figure out how much you might need for a month, 6 months, or a year, and when you see it on sale this month, grab it up!
Just remember to make sure you have a place to store all that oatmeal!
National Hot Tea Month
We go through a lot of hot tea around here, so we will definitely be stocking up on bags this month.
Try to pick something that you're going to enjoy all year, and not just a seasonal blend (unless you're like me and enjoy Citrus Spice no matter the season!).
I would also recommend knowing for sure that you like the tea first. Don't just buy 20 boxes of something because it looks good. If you get it home and hate it, then you've wasted a lot of money.
National Egg Month
Is it just me, or are eggs getting really expensive? I don't think it's just me... So this month, let's grab them on sale and save big.
You can crack, scramble, and freeze the raw eggs in muffin tins for later.
Or you can do what I do and cook anything you would make with eggs and freeze the finished product. Like my Einkorn Chocolate Chip Cookies...
National Pie Day
Not to be confused with National Pi Day on March 14th, this is actually a national holiday all about pie!
Look for canned pie filling on sale this month. Check expiration dates and you can go ahead and buy filling for next Thanksgiving!
If you do score some cheap pie filling, you'll want to make my great-grandmother's pie crust to go with it!
National Peanut Butter Day
My husband is so excited about this holiday. Organic peanut butter is a luxury around here... one that we haven't had in quite a while.
But I put aside some money to stock up on peanut butter this month. My homemade sandwich bread and homemade strawberry jam are excited too :-)
frugalfrigate says
Victoria, please tell us how to preserve avocados. When you freeze them do they not become brown? How does it taste when you defrost the avocado puree? I love avocados and they are so healthy.
Victoria says
Hello! I actually just puree the avocados, add a little lemon juice (a dash per avocado), and then freeze them in ice cube trays.
The avocado puree tastes just like fresh, and the texture is the same too. I usually throw a cube on my salad in the fridge the night before I need it and it’s perfect at lunch, not brown at all.
You can also turn the avocados into guacamole before you freeze it and treat it the same way… usually it doesn’t turn brown in the fridge for several days after thawing, so you could even freeze it ahead of time for a party!
Hope that helps :-)
frugalfrigate says
Ice cubes? Why didn’t I think of that! :-) It’s a great idea for preserving such a delicious food. Avocados all year long Yum! Thank you!
Victoria says
It’s pretty nifty! I even have some shaped cube trays (pumpkins, hearts, and so on…) that we use at different times of year for some added fun. :-)
Wendy says
HI Victoria!
Have you ever tried just dicing the avocado and tossing it with lemon juice before freezing? Just wondering if that might be successful…
Also, a tip for your celery – I just chop it and throw it in the freezer (no blanching required) to use for soups and other recipes throughout the year. I do the same thing with my peppers from the garden in the fall with what I haven’t used by the time they start to go soft. Works like a charm! :)
Happy Homesteading :)
Victoria says
Hey Wendy! Thanks for the freezing tips! I’ll have to try that!
We do toss avocados in lemon juice and freeze. The trick is getting aaaaaall the air out of the bag!
Normally we just make guacamole or purée though. :-)
Mie says
If by ‘tea bags’ you mean those little portion sized ones, I highly recommend switching to whole leaf tea. Being actual tea and not just crumbles, it tastes far better and it is much cheaper. If you don’t have a strainer, I recommend getting a dishwasher safe one that fits both a single cup and a pot.
Victoria says
Hi Mie! I definitely agree that loose leaf is better. But this post is specifically talking about things on sale at the grocery stores. Most US stores don’t sell loose leaf at all ? A tragedy to be sure!
Thank you for the comment and now I think I’ll brew a cup of loose leaf tea! ❤