Summer Holiday Grocery Savings

Yum

Summer holidays, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, the Fourth of July, and leading up to Labor Day aren’t just cookout season.

They’re some of the best grocery sales of the entire year.

Grocery stores are fighting hard for your dollar before each holiday weekend, and that creates opportunity for you.

This is where smart shoppers quietly stock up. Maybe not enough for the apocalypse, but enough to gain breathing space. To hedge your bets.

Grocers know you’re coming in for burgers, ribs, hot dogs, chips, soda, watermelon, buns, beer, paper plates, and all the rest. They’re hoping you’ll grab a few big advertised deals and be done.

But the real win?

Making holiday sales work for you – not just for the weekend, but for weeks or even months beyond.

Some summer prices hit their lowest point of the year during these holidays. And once summer ends, many of those items climb right back up in price.

That’s why experienced shoppers don’t just shop for this weekend.

They shop ahead.

A great sale on condiments, frozen foods, soda, grilling meats, cheese, bacon, or pantry staples can carry you for weeks or even months. Sometimes longer.

And if you coupon?

Holiday weeks are when stores and manufacturers flood the market with extra coupons, digital deals, rebates, and promotions. Stack those with sale prices, and the savings can get serious fast.

The trick is shifting your thinking about grocery shopping.

The goal is not simply:

“How little can I spend this holiday?”

The goal is:

“How can I buy the most food at the best prices over time?”

That’s a completely different mindset, and that small shift changes everything.

Sometimes spending a little extra during a truly great sale saves far more later.

That’s how you strategically build a pantry and fill your freezer without spending a fortune all at once.

You simply skip from sale to sale throughout the year, buying more when prices bottom out and easing back when they don’t.

Little by little, your kitchen fills with food bought at good prices. And with that comes a feeling of abundance – and the sense of ease that comes with it.

And that’s how you win at the grocery store.

If you know what to look for – and have an idea when those items will cycle back on sale again – you can stock up appropriately without buying too much or too little.

That’s shopping for the win.

Here are my picks for the season:

Almost anything you can grill or smoke will hit a great price somewhere before a summer holiday. While sales vary by region, there’s usually something for everyone.

This is the season for burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, sausage, steaks, pork shoulders, brisket, and all kinds of backyard favorites to cycle through at rock-bottom pricing.

You’ll probably see plenty of “Prepared,” “Heat and Eat,” and ready-to-grill options on sale, too. They’re convenient, sure – but they usually cost more and rarely taste as good as homemade.

Do whatcha have to. But if you’re going to buy them, at least buy them on sale. (Me? I’ll take a hard pass.)

Pork Items:

Pork is one of the easiest meats to understand once you know one simple fact:

When stores sell a lot of hams, they also have to sell the rest of the pig.

That’s why pork sales tend to cluster around holidays.

The biggest pork bargains usually arrive around Easter and the winter holidays, when hams are everywhere. But summer has one huge advantage:

Summer is rib season.

And stores are willing to get pretty aggressive on pricing to get you through the door.

Ribs:
Ribs are often summer loss leaders and can hit some of their lowest prices of the year. If ribs are your thing, this is the time to stock up.

Most come in cryovac and freeze beautifully. To save freezer space, trim them St. Louis style before freezing and rewrap carefully. (I cover that and how to best use the trimmings in my Competition Ribs post.)

Pork Butt or Shoulder:
Ever wonder why pork shoulder sometimes seems oddly cheap when ribs are on sale?.

Strong rib sales often create opportunities on shoulders and butts, too. Buy if the price is attractive, but remember that some of the year’s best pork sales are still coming in fall and winter.

Smoked Sausages:
Brats, hot dogs, kielbasa, andouille, smoked sausage, and summer sausage all get their turn in holiday ads.

The deepest discounts are usually on grilling favorites like brats and hot dogs, but other varieties often see worthwhile sales, too.

Just don’t assume summer is your only chance. Sausage sales show up all year long and the best prices are just around the corner in September through October..

Bacon and Breakfast Sausage:
These are grocery-ad regulars before almost every holiday.

If the sale is strong, buy enough to get you comfortably to the next holiday cycle. Bacon freezes exceptionally well, which makes it one of the easiest meats to stock up on. Sausage freezes well, too, but is best used in three to four months.

____________________________________________________________________________

Beef:

Beef is where many shoppers feel the pinch these days.

But while truly great sales on beef are getting harder to find, summer holidays are still one of the best opportunities to buy Ground Beef at a low. But one of the worst times to buy other cuts.

The reason?

Summer is burger season, and the enormous demand for ground beef causes many less expensive cuts and roasts to be diverted to meet the demand. Some of them almost disappear from the shelf, and sales on them are far and few between.

With so many families depending on ground beef for meals year-round, it pays to pay close attention to summer sales on ground beef.

Ground Beef:
Ground beef is the star of summer holiday sales.

Different fat percentages rotate through promotions before every summer holiday, so flexibility gives you more opportunities to buy at rock-bottom prices.

That said, ground beef simply isn’t the bargain it once was.

Stretching it with beans, lentils, mushrooms, or other lower-cost ingredients can help lower meal costs without sacrificing much.

And consider ground chicken or turkey as an alternative. Bonus if you grind it up yourself. More on that, below,

Preformed Burgers:
Fresh and frozen burger patties are everywhere before summer holidays.

Compare carefully. They’re usually more expensive per pound than sale-priced ground beef and rarely of as good a quality.

If convenience is important, buy them on sale and enjoy them. Just know what you’re paying for. (You know I won’t be hand-making 30 patties for a big cook-out; nope, I’ll be focusing on my sides and desserts!)

Premium Prepared Burgers:
Stuffed burgers, bacon-cheddar burgers, steakhouse burgers, and other meat-case specialties often get holiday promotions, too.

They can be fun. They are tempting!

They’re rarely a bargain.

Use them as inspiration and make your own signature specialties.

Steaks:
There’s usually at least one excellent steak sale before every major summer holiday, especially before Father’s Day.

Buy what you need, stash a few bargains (very well wrapped) in the freezer, but remember that some of the year’s best steak prices often appear between Christmas and New Year’s, with another round of promotions around Valentine’s Day.

One exception? Flank and skirt steak. Even on sale, they’re often surprisingly expensive. Larger sirloin cuts can sometimes fill the same role for less money, and strip or New York strip is very worth considering.

Brisket:
Brisket can be hard to find in some areas, but when it appears at a stock-up price, it’s worth considering. You’ll often see another round of strong pricing around arouond major Jewish holidays, in December and again in the spring.

For easier storage and thawing, separate the flat and point before freezing and trim away excess fat.

____________________________________________________________________________

Chicken:

Chicken isn’t glamorous.

It’s not exciting.

But it’s one of the most reliable bargains in the grocery store.

Unlike many proteins, chicken tends to follow a fairly predictable sales cycle. Depending on your area, legs, thighs, quarters, breasts, and whole chickens often hit rock-bottom pricing about once a quarter, and many of those sales line up with summer holidays.

That’s why chicken is one of my favorite proteins to stock up on.

Smaller whole chickens often dip after Easter when the demand for increased egg production eases, so keep an eye out through Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. And as always, random pop-up sales happen, so stay flexible.

A sale-priced whole chicken can easily beat the value of a 3 pound $5 + tax Costco rotisserie chicken. My last whole chicken was $.69 a pound. Costco chicken? $1.81 a pound.

Know Your Prices:
One of the easiest mistakes shoppers make is assuming giant frozen bags are automatically a bargain.

Sometimes they are.

Sometimes they aren’t.

Fresh chicken is usually priced by the pound; frozen chicken is often priced by the ounce.

To compare, divide the package price by the # of ounces and multiply by 16 to get the true per-pound cost. (And those nuns – actually most of mine were wonderful – said we had to learn our tables coz we’d never be carrying around a calculator!)

You may find sometimes the “deal” isn’t much of one at all.

Wings:
Watch wing prices carefully because they can become shockingly expensive compared to other chicken cuts.

If you find them at a genuine low, enjoy them and stock up a bit, but don’t go overboard. Wings cycle through sales before holidays, football games, and other events throughout the year.

Boneless wings can be a budget alternative, but skip the prepared versions. Just cut up sale-priced chicken breasts or tenders yourself.

Tenders, Nuggets, and Prepared Chicken:
Frozen tenders, nuggets, strips, and similar convenience foods are heavily promoted before holidays.

If your family eats them regularly and the sale is excellent, buy accordingly.

Just remember that homemade versions are dramatically cheaper.

In fact, sliced chicken breasts or thighs are often less expensive than actual tenders and require less work because there is no tendon to remove.

Ground Chicken and Turkey:
This is one convenience product I personally skip.

I’m generally not impressed with the quality, value, or consistency.

If you like ground poultry, it’s surprisingly easy to make your own with a grinder attachment, hand grinder, or do as I do: use my food processor. I rough cut the chicken into chunks about 2 1/2″, chill in the fridge, and whiz it with the chopping blade. Then I know exactly what’s in my ground poultry.

____________________________________________________________________________

Fish & Seafood:

Here’s something most shoppers never think about:

The best seafood sales often have less to do with fishing seasons than they do with holidays.

When demand for seafood spikes during Lent, Advent, and New Year’s celebrations, stores compete aggressively for seafood sales. That’s when some of the deepest discounts of the year tend to appear.

Summer holiday seafood sales can still be very good.

Just don’t assume they’re the best you’ll see all year.

If you regularly buy seafood, think of summer as a good opportunity to replenish your supply rather than a once-a-year stock-up event.

A Quick Note on Farm-Raised vs. Wild-Caught:
This topic gets complicated in a hurry.

Sustainability, sourcing, safety, environmental concerns, nutrition, and personal preference all come into play. If those issues matter to you, and they probably should, it’s worth spending a little time researching.

(And maybe clear your cookies first; always a great idea when doing any research.)

Shrimp, Crab Legs, and Shellfish:
Shrimp and crab legs are common holiday sale items, especially in coastal areas, although availability varies widely by region.

If you enjoy them, summer holidays can be a nice excuse to indulge.

Just don’t feel like you need to fill the freezer.

There’s a good chance similar sales will return later in the summer, and many shellfish items hit even lower pricing before the winter holidays.

Salmon and Tuna:
Salmon is one of the most frequently promoted seafood items before holidays. Tuna tends to appear less consistently.

The strongest pricing often shows up during Lent, with another good round of salmon sales before Christmas.

If seafood is part of your regular rotation, summer sales can make these healthier proteins much more affordable. Then, when Lent rolls around, that’s the time to think about stocking up.

White Fish and Other Seafood:
Cod, pollock, tilapia, haddock, and other white fish show up in holiday promotions from time to time, although the sales can be less predictable.

And now and then, you’ll stumble onto one of those grocery-store surprises that still make shopping fun. Lobster tails, scallops, mussels, or another splurge-worthy seafood at a genuinely good price.

Those deals vary wildly by region, with coastal areas generally seeing the best selection.

Keep your eyes open.

Random seafood sales are one of the few grocery surprises still worth getting excited about.

There is no better time of the year to stock up on condiments than the summer holidays.

Seriously. Stock for the year.

This is one of the easiest places to save a surprising amount of money over time because condiments are expensive when you need them right now and shockingly cheap when they’re featured for holiday sales.

If you coupon, this is where combining sales, store apps, rebates, paper coupons, and digital coupons can lead to truly ridiculous pricing.

Sometimes pennies.

And the grocery stores are counting on you not taking advantage of it.

They expect shoppers to think:

“We need ketchup for the cookout.”

Not:

“Ketchup is a dollar? I’m buying six.”

That second shopper wins.

Because once you understand sales cycles, you stop buying condiments at full price in random emergencies.

Ask me how thrilled I was to pay $5.49 for mayonnaise last fall because I failed to stock up at holiday pricing. I practically passed out at the checkout. And this is when I got serious about Homemade Mayonnaise. Sadly, unlike commercial varieties, it can’t be kept on hand for long periods.

Basic Condiments:
Summer is the prime season for ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, relish, barbecue sauce, hot sauces, Worcestershire sauce, and all the cookout basics.

These are often at their lowest prices of the year from Memorial Day through Labor Day. If you regularly use them, stock up heavily when pricing bottoms out.

If you miss the summer cycle, you’ll often see decent, though probably not rock-bottom, sales before the Super Bowl. A kind of “Hail Mary,” as it were!

Salad Dressings:
The more dressing your household goes through, the more important pricing becomes. A strong sale can easily justify stocking up for six months to a year.

That said?

Homemade salad dressing is almost always cheaper, fresher, and better tasting, with a minimum of additives. And many take just minutes to make. I have a whole menu of Homemade Salad Dressings. I think I was at 35 at last count.

If you prefer bottled dressing, holiday sales from Easter through summer are usually your best opportunities. And if your kids inhale Ranch the way mine did, pay very close attention to Ranch sales – and never let them know you have plenty stashed away. It seems that the more there is, the greater their appetite for it becomes.

Seasonal Specialty Condiments:
Once you start recognizing grocery rhythms, you’ll see seasonal sales everywhere, not just during the summer.

A few examples:

Salsa before Cinco de Mayo
Horseradish and cocktail sauce before Christmas and New Year’s
Vinegar before Easter

Little by little, you start learning when items tend to cycle through sales, and that completely changes the way you shop. And, of course, I have links to all the other major food holidays at the bottom of the page to get you through the year.

Cheese is one of the easiest foods to overspend on at the grocery store.

And one of the easiest to save on.

Almost every holiday brings DEEP cheese sales, especially before summer holidays when burgers, cookouts, pasta salads, appetizers, and party trays are everywhere.

The key?

Buy cheese when it’s cheap, not when you suddenly need it.

Regular Grocery Store Cheese:
Block cheese, shredded cheese, sliced cheese, store brands, and national brands all tend to go on strong sale before holidays.

Blocks are usually a better value, stay fresher longer, and store better once opened, and have greater meltability than shredded. I gotta admit, I lean more toward shredded as I’ve aged and tasks become more difficult, so no judgement here.

Always compare the price per ounce, and weigh convenience vs. value.

Cheese can be frozen in a pinch; know that the texture changes. Once thawed, it tends to become drier and more crumbly, making it best suited for casseroles or cooked dishes. Grated packages freeze and thaw beautifully. Hint: Buy large, bargain bags and divide.

Surprise: grocery store cheddar frozen in a block tastes closer to premium cheddar – it has that drier aged texture. I know it sounds crazy.

Deli and Specialty Cheese:
Better and premium cheeses near the deli often go on sale before holidays, too. If you enjoy them, timing your splurges around holiday sales can save a lot. Your discount stores and buyers’ club have fabulous pricing and selection, especially around holidays.

Hard cheeses are almost always the best value in wedges or blocks. Pre-grated versions are usually more ounce-for-ounce, dry out faster, and create more waste.

As for soft cheese, for best quality and value, avoid the crumbles; package sizes can be deceiving, compare ounce for ounce.

Fresh mozzarella and burrata are highly perishable, so don’t overbuy even when they’re on sale, although goat cheese will last unopened long after its best if used by date.

Feta is one of the biggest places where shoppers accidentally overpay. If you use it regularly, buy blocks packed in brine. It tastes better, lasts much longer than crumbles, and can be a dramatically better value per ounce. Feta is special – it keeps for months if covered in brine. See What to Know About Feta.

American Cheese, Velveeta, and the Green Can Parmesan:
Listen. There’s room in life for both fancy cheese boards and questionable late-night snacks.

Tell me I’m right!

Wrapped American cheese slices almost always hit strong summer holiday pricing. They keep for weeks unopened, so buying a few extra packs can make sense if you use them regularly. Just don’t freeze them.

Velveeta usually has coupons floating around before holidays, especially when party foods and dips are being promoted. If queso, party dips, or creamy mac and cheese are part of your life, holiday sales are the time to buy.

And yes, Parmesan in the green can absolutely has its place.

It’s handy, nostalgic, kid-friendly, and perfect for quick weeknight meals, garlic toast, popcorn, Chex mix, or emergency spaghetti dinners. Just compare the price carefully. Sometimes a wedge of real Parmesan costs only pennies more.

Cheese Curds:
Depending on where you live (especially in Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Michigan), cheese curds may hit very good sale pricing during summer holidays.

But compare the per-pound cost carefully because curds can still be expensive even “on sale.”

That said? There is absolutely nothing better for fried cheese curds or poutine.

____________________________________________________________________________

Watch for sales on sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt, whipping cream, and butter before every summer holiday.

Butter and cream cheese usually won’t hit the rock-bottom prices you’ll see before Easter or during the winter baking season (when you’ll want to buy in quantity and freeze), but summer sales can still be very good.

When the price is right, buy enough to get you to the next holiday sale rather than just enough for the weekend. Most of these items keep surprisingly well. (I store sour cream and yogurt upside down after opening; it stays fresh so much longer.)

And don’t forget to compare prices at Aldi, Lidl, warehouse clubs, and discount grocers. Sometimes their everyday pricing quietly beats the grocery store’s sale.

If you’re eyeing prepared dips, compare them to the price of sour cream and cream cheese first. Many can be made at home in just a few minutes for a fraction of the cost. You’ll find plenty of ideas in my appetizer section.

Let’s talk about Whipped Cream. Canned Whipped Cream: I know it’s convenient.

And I know exactly why people buy it.

But ounce for ounce, canned whipped cream is one of the worst values in the dairy case. It is over twice what whipping cream costs. A pint of whipping cream is $3.39 at Kroger; the equivalent amount of canned is $7.96.

On the other hand, canned whipped cream requires no bowl, no mixer, no cleanup, and can even go camping.

So buy it if the convenience is worth it. Just buy it on sale.

Otherwise, spend five minutes and make your own. And let the kids lick the beaters!

While condiments and snack foods have their own sections, there are plenty of boxed, bottled, and canned pantry staples worth watching during summer holiday sales.

Many aren’t once-a-year bargains, but strong sales can still be a great opportunity to build your pantry. These are the kinds of items I buy throughout the year whenever I see true stock-up pricing. Little by little, the pantry stays full, and I rarely have to pay full price.

Canned Beans:
Watch for sales on baked beans, chili beans, kidney beans, refried beans, pork and beans, and similar varieties.

Baked beans are especially likely to hit their best prices during summer holidays, thanks to all the cookouts and barbecues. Combine that with full warehouses in late summer, and you have stock for the year pricing.

Other canned beans cycle through sales year-round, particularly late summer when the warehouoses are full and around the Super Bowl, March Madness, and Cinco de Mayo.

If the price is excellent, buy enough to get you to the next sale cycle.

And yes, dried beans are almost always cheaper. But canned beans remain one of the more affordable convenience foods in the grocery store and won’t break the bank. (Watch for dried before and after any holiday where ham is popular)

Sloppy Joe Sauce, Canned Chili, and Similar Products:
These items often appear in holiday promotions, although their deepest discounts usually arrive during football season and other sporting events.

If you use them, stock up when the price is right.

That said, homemade sloppy joes and chili are both surprisingly easy and inexpensive to make.

(And now I’m craving a chili dog.)

Cream Soups:
Cream soups are frequently promoted before holidays, but the sales are usually good rather than spectacular.

If you rely on them for casseroles, buy what you’ll need. The strongest sales often show up around Easter and winter holidays.

And if you’re looking to save even more, homemade substitutes can be dramatically cheaper. Apparently, I can’t leave well enough alone because I have one of those on my site, too.

Canned Tomatoes:
Watch for canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and similar products.

I especially keep an eye out for whole tomatoes and tomato paste because they’re so versatile.

Tomato sales can be unpredictable, which makes them one of those items worth buying whenever you spot true stock-up pricing – often in late summer when the warehouses are full.

Packets, Mixes, and Convenience Products:
Think taco seasoning, chili mixes, ranch packets, brownie mixes, cake mixes, biscuit mix, instant potatoes, macaroni and cheese, rice mixes, microwave rice, drink mixes, and dozens of similar shortcuts.

Making these items from scratch is almost always cheaper.

A lot cheaper.

But convenience has value, too.

The key is not paying full price. Fortunately, these products go on sale constantly, so there’s rarely a reason to stockpile heavily unless the deal is exceptional.

Breakfast Cereal:
I’m just going to say it:

Most breakfast cereal is expensive for what you get nutritionally.

I’m not talking about oatmeal or other whole-grain breakfast options, and some cereals are certainly better than others. But cereal is one of those categories where pricing can vary wildly.

Holiday promotions often bring strong “Buy 4, Save $4” type deals, especially from brands like General Mills and Post. Combined with coupons, rebates, and store promotions, name brands can occasionally end up cheaper than generic.

It’s also worth checking Aldi, Lidl, warehouse clubs, and discount grocers because cereal pricing is all over the map.

If cereal is a regular purchase, buy enough to get you to the next sale.

Or better yet, explore a few other breakfast options. (I do purchase cereal for making other foods, Chex Mix, Puppy Chow, S’more bars, and so on.)

Easter and the winter holidays are the true stock-up seasons for most baking ingredients.

But summer holidays have their own opportunities.

Summer baking isn’t really about layer cakes and Christmas cookies. It’s about bars, cheesecakes, Nilla pudding, no-bake desserts, snack mixes, s’mores, and all those easy treats that show up at cookouts, potlucks, and family gatherings.

That’s where many of the best summer baking bargains can be found.

Cereal, Cookies, and Crackers:
I often pay more attention to these items on sale for baking than for breakfast or snacking.

Chex, Rice Krispies, graham crackers, shortbread cookies, nilla wafers, and similar items are handy for bars, cheesecakes, layered desserts, pie crusts, snack mixes, and all kinds of summer treats.

Is it more cost-effective to make your own graham cracker crumbs, buy a box, or pie a premade shell in aluminum foil? Just compare the price per ounce. Many grocers print it on the shelf label under the item. If not figure it out.

Find the number of ounces in the package. If there are pounds, divide them by 16 and add any ounces to it. 1 pound 6 ounces is 16 ounces plus the 6 ounces is 22 ounces.
Find the price and divide by the ounces: $4.99 divided by 22 ounces is about 23 cents an ounce. Now you have a figure to compare that is more useful than the number of servings.

If you regularly use them, holiday sales can be a good time to buy a few extras.

Chocolate Chips:
Watch for chocolate chips and baking chips to drop to a fabulous price before summer holidays.

If the sale is strong, they’re worth stocking up on because they store well and are useful year-round.

One clue you’ve found a truly great deal?

The shelf is empty.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a raincheck if your store still offers them.

Nuts:
You’ll often see sales on nuts, nut mixes, and baking nuts before holidays.

Know your prices because not every sale is actually a bargain. The very best nut pricing usually arrives during the winter holidays, when it’s worth buying extra and freezing them for later use. (Hint: if you have a tractor supply store, they often have outstanding prices.)

Jarred nuts are convenient but often expensive. For better value, compare bagged nuts in the baking aisle, snack aisle, bulk bins, warehouse clubs, and discount stores.

Marshmallows and Hershey Bars:
S’mores season is your friend.

Marshmallows, Hershey bars, and graham crackers often hit some of their best prices of the year before Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day. (And those graham crackers can serve double duty, crushed for crumbs and layered into desserts.)

Watch for promotions, multi-buy specials, and store displays. If your family goes through plenty of s’mores supplies, summer is the time to stock up. My epic fail: I thought I’d buy Hershey bars to save for my Holiday baking…the buying part worked; the saving part didn’t.

Party trays, deli salads, prepared dips, wings, barbecue, pimento cheese, spinach-artichoke dip, guacamole, hummus, prepared sandwiches, and similar convenience foods all go heavily on sale before holidays.

And they’re still expensive. Really expensive.

If you’re feeding a crowd or are on a budget, homemade is almost always the better value – and better tasting.

(Although I have to admit… Publix fried chicken deserves every bit of its reputation. A church lady told me so, and she was not wrong.)

Otherwise, I avoid the deli like the plague! Begone, you sad little cartons and shrink-wrapped items on styrofoam trays…sorry, got carried away. I thought I was Gandalf for a minute!

Snack foods, soda, chips, crackers, cookies, candy, frozen treats, and every other form of “junk food” imaginable will go on sale before the summer holidays.

And while I’m not here to judge anybody’s cart…

These items are expensive for what they are.

There’s a reason so many are sold in ounce-based packages instead of by the pound. Comparing value gets a lot harder that way.

Still, if your household uses these products regularly, this is one area where combining store sales, digital coupons, paper coupons, rebates, and loyalty apps can still lead to surprisingly good deals.

Many grocery stores put their upcoming ad up the evening before the sales cycle starts, which gives you a last-minute chance to compare the current sales week with the next.

Snack items like this are usually on sale before every holiday. If they are a regular item at your house and you can ration them or have an upcoming event where you want to have them on hand, cautiously buy extra.

I’m always after the crackers, which are a great item to have on hand; they are so high full price, and sales don’t always coincide with when you want to have a get-together. (Or a late-night snack.)

Stock up if the sales are great, in enough quantity to get you to the next holiday. If you have the willpower to keep some on hand.

Don’t overlook the bakery when you’re checking bread prices before a holiday.

Sometimes the store bakery beats the packaged brands on price, quality, or both. Holiday weekends are one of the best times to compare.

Buns:
If it can hold something from a grill, it will probably be on sale.

Burger buns, hot dog buns, brat buns, hoagie rolls, slider buns, any naan or flatbread, brioche buns, pretzel buns – there’s no end of choices and usually some excellent pricing.

Many varieties hit their best prices before summer holidays, although some go on sale regularly throughout the year.

If you have freezer space, picking up an extra package or two can make sense. Bread freezes surprisingly well for short-term storage. For best results, thaw packages in the fridge upside down overnight so the moisture redistributes.

King’s Hawaiian Rolls:
These are almost always featured during holiday sales.

Even on sale, I wouldn’t call them a bargain. They’re more of a treat than a value purchase.

But if you use them regularly, holiday pricing is the time to buy. Check for coupons and toss an extra package in the freezer if you’ll use it soon.

And let’s be honest: nothing beats those little rolls for sliders.

Brownies, Bars, Cookies, and Other Bakery Treats:
Prepared bakery items are heavily promoted before holidays, and people clearly love them.

But from a budget standpoint?

They’re rarely a great value.

If convenience is worth the extra cost, enjoy them.

If saving money is the goal, this is one of the easiest categories to skip.

Frozen foods are heavily promoted before almost every holiday.

From pizzas and appetizers to ice cream, frozen vegetables, chicken products, desserts, and convenience foods, there will be deals everywhere.

The trick is the same as with everything else:

Know your prices.

A sale is nice. A rock-bottom sale is when you buy extra.

Think about season, too. The best prices on fruits and vegetables start when the warehouses are full. Prices rise over winter and throughout late spring. Fresh in-season fruits and vegetables often beat frozen in price

Frozen Seafood:
You’ll often see frozen fish and seafood promoted before summer holidays, but the deepest discounts usually arrive during Lent and again around winter holidays.

If you want it, buy it.

If you’re stocking up, save most of your freezer space for those bigger sale cycles.

Frozen Chicken Products:
Nuggets, tenders, wings, patties, and other prepared chicken products are frequent holiday sale items.

Only stock up heavily when they hit true rock-bottom pricing because these products go on sale constantly throughout the year.

For whole chickens and chicken pieces, some of the best prices often appear after Easter when demand for eggs drops. If Easter falls late, some of that pricing may carry into early summer.

Pizza:
Frozen pizza is one of the most heavily promoted items in the grocery store. And for good reason. A meal in minutes that everyone will eat is a great save, and more cost-effective than stopping to eat at the end of a hard day.

Pizza will almost certainly be on sale before holidays, but it also goes on sale regularly throughout the year.

If it’s a staple at your house, learn your low price and buy more when the deal is in reach. Coupons, store promotions, and “buy so many, save so much” deals can sometimes make for exceptional bargains.

And if the sale item is sold out? Don’t be afraid to ask for a raincheck.

Ice Cream and Frozen Treats:
Ice cream, frozen novelties, popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, toppings, and related treats are usually featured throughout the summer.

If these are regular purchases at your house, holiday sales can be a good time to buy a little extra.

Just don’t panic-buy. There will be plenty more sales before the season ends. And while you’re at it, consider homemade options.

Frozen Desserts, Pastry, and Baking Helpers:
Watch for sales on pie crusts, puff pastry, phyllo dough, frozen whipped toppings, cheesecake products, and other dessert shortcuts.

Puff pastry and phyllo are some of my favorite buys, but Easter and the winter holidays usually have the lowest price.

If you enjoy baking, these can be handy items to keep in the freezer, and holiday sales often provide a good opportunity to replenish your supply.

Frozen Fruits and Berries:
Frozen fruit frequently goes on sale around holidays, especially berries used in desserts, smoothies, and breakfast dishes.

Compare carefully, though.

Fresh berries are often heavily promoted before holidays, too, and usually end up being the better value. Let the price per pound and quality should inform which goes in your cart.

Fresh produce is one of the highlights of summer holiday shopping.

Several fruits and vegetables are almost guaranteed to be on sale before every holiday weekend, and many hit some of their best prices of the year during the summer months.

Just keep seasonality in mind.

The early holidays often feature produce that isn’t yet local. Years ago, that usually meant disappointing quality, but today’s produce supply chain has improved dramatically. It’s still worth paying attention to both price and quality.

Vegetables Worth Watching:

Artichokes and Asparagus: Often see some of their best pricing from Easter through Memorial Day.
Avocados and Tomatoes: Nearly always promoted before summer holidays. Buy at different stages of ripeness so they don’t all need to be used at once.
Bell Peppers: Red, yellow, orange, and green peppers are common sale items. They keep well for a couple of weeks and freeze beautifully after roasting.
Mushrooms: Frequently discounted before holidays. Store upside down and poke a few holes in the bottom of the package to help them last longer.
Green Onions: Usually inexpensive around holidays. Don’t forget that the roots can be regrown in water or soil.
Carrots, Celery, and Cabbage: Store well and are often featured in holiday ads. Cabbage usually sees its absolute best pricing around St. Patrick’s Day, so keep that in mind.
Lemons and Limes: Often promoted and will last several weeks if kept dry.

Corn:
Fresh corn is one of summer’s great bargains.

You’ll usually find sales throughout the holiday season, but the very best pricing tends to arrive later in summer when corn is truly in season.

To check freshness, look for green husks, moist tassels, and full kernels near the top of the ear. Just feel through the husk; no need to open. At a good sale price, fresh corn is often a better value than frozen or canned.

Melons and Watermelon:
You’ll start seeing melons featured before every summer holiday. Pricing generally improves as summer progresses and local harvests increase.

Berries:
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are common holiday sale items.

Quality has improved dramatically over the years, even outside peak season. If the price is excellent and the berries look good, consider buying extra and freezing some for smoothies, baking, or future desserts.

Salads, Greens, and Slaw Mixes:
Prepared salad kits and slaw mixes are almost always on sale before holidays. They’re kinda a pet peeve of mine.

They’re convenient.

They’re also expensive.

Even on sale, they can cost several times more than buying the ingredients separately and preparing them yourself. There is a reason they’re priced by the ounce instead of by the pound like nearly every other vegetable. It’s harder to compare.

If convenience wins, buy them. If savings matter more, mix up your own salads.

For longer storage, no heroics needed. For boxed, place a paper towel inside the container, turn it upside down, and slash a few holes in the bottom. Store it upside down. If bagged, place the paper towel towards the bottom and close with a chip clip and store while keeping the paper towel down.

You’ll also find many varieties of lettuce, spinach, spring mix, and other salad ingredients on sale before every holiday.

Let the sales guide your menu.

Fruit and Vegetable Trays:
Expect to see plenty of party trays promoted before holidays.

And yes, they’re convenient.

They’re also one of the most expensive ways possible to buy produce. And you never know whose hands have been on them…

Buying whole fruits and vegetables and spending a few minutes with a knife is always the better value – more for your money and so much better (and fresher) than paying someone else to do the work.

With vegetable trays, you can generally buy the whole vegetables for the cost of the tray, and if you choose more of the inexpensive or sale-priced ones, and use fewer of the higher priced, you’ll come way out ahead.

Beverages are one of the biggest holiday sale categories.

Whether it’s soda, beer, coffee, tea, juice, energy drinks, or bottled water, stores know people are entertaining, traveling, and stocking coolers.

That means deals.

If these are regular purchases in your household, holiday sales are the time to buy enough to get you to the next major sale cycle. Luckily, there are lots of holidays! Especially in the Summer.

Soda (or Pop):
Summer holidays often bring some of the best soda pricing of the year, frequently with quantity limits attached. Don’t tell anyone, but you can hit a sale more than once! Pharmacy/Drug stores are the big sleeper here; watch their ads.

If soda is a regular purchase at your house and the price truly bottoms out, this is the time to stock up.

One thing many shoppers miss: sale-priced cans are often a better value than bottles, even when two-liter bottles are on sale. Compare carefully. It can vary! It’s that liter vs ounce thing that stops most of us in our tracks.

1 liter is about 34 ounces.
2 liters is about 68 ounces.

So it follows, if the standard we compare against is a 12-ounce can:

1 liter holds about 2 3/4 cans.
2 liters holds about 5 1/2 cans.

And if the shelf is empty? Ask about rainchecks if your store offers them.

Beer, Ciders, and Similar Drinks:
Beer and cider sales are everywhere before summer holidays.

Depending on the brand and promotion, discounts can be substantial. Popular brands almost always go on sale somewhere during holiday weekends.

One advantage goes to shoppers who aren’t particularly brand loyal. Flexibility creates more opportunities to buy at the lowest prices.

Summer is generally one of the best seasons for beer sales. After Labor Day, the deepest discounts become less common – the exceptions? Super Bowl and March Madness.

Wine:
Always take a quick look at the wine aisle.

Summer is an ideal time for fruity sparkling Sangrias – and they can stretch your budget because everything needed from wine to fruit to sparkling water will be on sale. But I digress…

Holiday displays often mean stores need to make room for incoming inventory, and that can create clearance opportunities on perfectly good bottles.

If your store has a clearance section, check it regularly.

I love the surprises I come across, and you’ll never know what’s there if you don’t take a peek.

If you’re a serious wine enthusiast, the big annual sales at wine shops and liquor stores, which typically occur in early February to early March, are the best times to buy. Sign up for emails and alerts from your favorite supplier. Even if not advertised, don’t forget to ask for discounts for multiple bottles.

Spirits and Liquor:

Liquor sales have seasons, too.

Just like grocery stores promote burgers and hot dogs before summer holidays, liquor stores tend to feature the spirits people are most likely to use for warm-weather entertaining.

In the summer, expect to see sales on tequila, rum, vodka, hard seltzers, cocktail mixers, and other warm-weather favorites. National Tequila Day falls in July, making it a good time to watch for discounts on tequila and tequila-based products.

Holiday promotions can provide good opportunities to save, especially if you already know your preferred brands and normal pricing.

One of the best things you can do is sign up for your local liquor store’s email list. Many stores run special promotions, clearance sales, rebates, and loyalty offers that never make it into the regular advertising.

Many liquor stores also have one major annual sale, often sometime between late winter and early spring. Those events are usually the best opportunity to stock the cabinet or pick up premium brands at substantial discounts.

In the meantime, holiday promotions let you slowly build your bar without paying full price.

Coffee:

Coffee is one of the most frequently promoted grocery items around holidays, whether you buy vacuum-packed, whole bean, ground, or pod varieties.

Summer sales can be very good, but the deepest discounts usually arrive around Christmas and New Year’s. That’s the season serious coffee drinkers should watch most closely.

If you’re running low, summer holiday sales can help bridge the gap until winter stock-up season. When the price is right, buy enough to comfortably get you to the next holiday sale.

One thing I’ve learned over the years: plenty of people happily drink everyday brands like Folgers. They may not get much attention from coffee snobs, but they’re popular for a reason – familiar taste, consistency, and value. Holiday sales can make them an even better bargain.

(My daughter once poured Folgers into a premium coffee container for years before her husband caught on.)

Vacuum-packed coffee stores surprisingly well, often six months to a year in a cool pantry and even longer in the freezer.

For pod users, warehouse clubs often offer some of the best everyday pricing, but pod sales tend to hit their lowest prices around Christmas and New Year’s. If savings matter more than convenience, refillable pods can dramatically reduce the cost of your daily cup.

Tea, Juice, Water, Energy Drinks, and Other Beverages:
Summer holidays are cooler-filling season.

Whether it’s bottled water, sparkling water, sports drinks, energy drinks, juice, seltzers, powders, drink enhancers, or ready-to-drink beverages, stores know people are entertaining, traveling, camping, boating, get-togethers, and stocking coolers.

That means sales.

If these are regular purchases in your household, holiday promotions can be an excellent opportunity to take advantage of sales.

Tea is especially seasonal. Look for sales on bottled tea, powdered mixes, and tea bags throughout the summer as stores compete for the cool-weather beverage dollars before fall hits with higher prices.

(And if you want to stretch your homemade fruity summer beverages for a pittance, add tea to the mix!)

Powdered drink mixes and water enhancers also cycle through sales all summer long, but some of the best pricing appears around major holiday weekends.

The more often it ends up in your cooler, lunchbox, pantry, or cupholder, the more attention you should pay to the sales.

Many non-food household items cycle through promotions before every major holiday, and smart shoppers use those sales to avoid paying full price later.

The key is the same as always:

Know what you use, know a good price when you see it, and buy enough to get you to the next sale cycle, not through the end of the world.

(I got overly excited one year and bought too many razor refills…they’re now my children’s inheritance.)

Here’s a little insider grocery trick:

Sometimes what looks like a sale at one store isn’t really that store’s sale at all, especially in the spring and early summer.

A big manufacturer is probably running a promotion, and suddenly, the same laundry detergent, paper towels, razors, batteries, allergy medicine, garbage bags, foil, and other household items start showing up on sale everywhere. And often they are combined with rebates, “buy so many or a certain dollar amount and get money back.”

I call these “campaigns.”

Once you learn to spot them, you’ll start realizing that stores are often competing with each other on the very same products. That’s when it pays to compare ads and stack store sales with coupons, rebates, and loyalty offers. Insider tip: identify the manufacturer and check their website for coupons.

Batteries and Light Bulbs:
Batteries are heavily promoted before most holidays, but some of the very best pricing often appears around Back-to-School season, Halloween, Christmas, and the weeks before the time change.

That said, don’t assume the grocery store has the best deal.

Warehouse clubs, discount stores, hardware stores, and online retailers often beat grocery pricing, even during sales.

One trick: keep a note of what you paid the last time you bought batteries or light bulbs. Having a reference point makes it much easier to recognize a genuine bargain. Write it on the package or slip a note inside.

And if you haven’t switched to rechargeable batteries for frequently used items, it’s worth considering. The savings add up quickly.

Personal Care Products:
Razors, shaving supplies, allergy medications, sunscreen, insect repellent, and similar products often go on sale before summer holidays.

Allergy medicine tends to see its best promotions in early spring, while sunscreen and bug spray become heavily featured as summer approaches.

If these are items you use every year, buying ahead can save a surprising amount.

Paper Products and Picnic Supplies:
Toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, napkins, paper plates, cups, and disposable utensils all tend to be promoted around holidays.

For paper plates, cups, and picnic supplies, summer holidays are often the best buying season of the year.

Toilet paper is a little different. Grocery stores sometimes have great promotions, especially when combined with manufacturer coupons, rebates, or “buy so many, get money back” offers. Drugstores, warehouse clubs, Target, and discount retailers are often worth comparing before stocking up. (These are sometimes the “campaigns” I mentioned above.)

Storage and Kitchen Basics:
Watch for sales on aluminum foil, plastic wrap, food storage bags, storage containers, parchment paper, wax paper, and garbage bags.

These are classic pantry and kitchen staples that quietly cost a lot over time, and they are on sale before every holiday.

If the price is strong, buy enough to last until the next holiday or seasonal sale cycle.

Spring (again with the campaigns) is often the biggest stock-up season for many of these products, but summer promotions can still be worthwhile, and the winter holidays rule.

Grilling Supplies:
Starting around Cinco de Mayo and continuing through Labor Day, grilling supplies go on sale constantly.

Watch for discounts on charcoal, lighter fluid, fire starters, wood chips, foil pans, grill brushes, lighters, and other barbecue essentials.

Father’s Day and the Fourth of July often bring the strongest promotions.

If you grill year-round, late summer can be an excellent time to stock up before prices become less competitive.

Cleaning Supplies and Detergents:
Dish soap, dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, cleaning sprays, disinfecting products, and similar household items are commonly promoted before holidays.

Summer sales can be good.

Spring sales are usually better.

Many manufacturers run major promotional campaigns in spring, combining coupons, rebates, loyalty rewards, and temporary price reductions. That’s often the best time to build a household stockpile. Yep, those “campaigns” I mentioned are working behind the scenes.

For summer sales, buy what you need and save the heavier stocking up for those bigger spring promotions.

Air Fresheners and Scented Products:
Air fresheners, plug-ins, sprays, candles, and similar products frequently appear in holiday promotions.

If they’re items you enjoy, you’ll likely find sales.

Personally, they’re not something I spend much money on. They aren’t particularly frugal, and they’re easy to live without.

But if they’re part of your household routine, holiday sales are the time to buy them.

If you’re thinking:

“This all sounds great, but I can’t afford to spend an extra couple hundred dollars on groceries before a holiday.”

I get it.

Most people can’t.

And that’s not what I’m suggesting.

The goal isn’t to buy everything on sale.

The goal is to buy a little extra of what you use and what you need when the price is right.

But enough to last you to the next great sale.

Maybe it’s an extra bottle of ketchup. Maybe it’s six.

A couple of boxes of pasta.

An extra package or two of cheese.

A family pack or two of chicken instead of the smaller one.

That’s how it starts.

When money was tight, and I was raising two kids on my own, I didn’t walk into the store and suddenly build a pantry.

I started with a few extra boxes of pasta.

Sometimes life happened, and we ate through the stash. I had to start over.

But little by little, week by week, the pantry filled and the freezer filled.

That’s how it works.

One of the biggest mistakes shoppers make is thinking they have to spend exactly the same amount every week.

That’s great for budgeting.

It’s not always great for saving money.

Some weeks are stock-up weeks.

Some weeks aren’t.

When prices are exceptional, usually before holidays, it often makes sense to spend a little more because you’ll spend less later.

Think of it this way:

Most people don’t buy furniture or refrigerators every week, but they’ll shop around, comparing prices for weeks to find the best price.

They do buy groceries every week.

The smaller savings on the things you purchase over and over again will add up faster than people realize. Faster than any savings on a one-time purchase.

So start small.

Very small if you need to.

Buy what you can afford.

Buy what you’ll actually use.

Buy what you can store.

And if possible, buy enough to last to the next big sale.

Over time, you’ll begin paying less and less for the food in your kitchen because more of it was purchased when prices were low.

Trust the process.

It isn’t flashy.

But it works.

So whether you’re hosting the neighborhood cookout or simply trying to keep your grocery budget under control, think of summer holidays as more than just another expensive weekend.

Think of them as an opportunity.

The best shoppers aren’t necessarily the people clipping every coupon or chasing every sale. They’re the ones who recognize a great price when they see it and buy a little extra while it’s there.

And that’s how grocery shopping starts working for you instead of against you. Little by little, those small savings add up to something surprisingly big.

The Next Opportunity

Holiday sales come and go. The smart shopper is already watching for the next one. Winning at the Grocer’s explains the strategy; these holiday guides show it in action.

Each holiday sale guide is more than a list of what’s on sale. It’s a roadmap to the best seasonal bargains, what to stock up on, what to skip, when the next great sale on items might be, and how to make the most of holiday pricing.