The SCI Grocery Year
What goes on sale in December
Party food, then everything festive clears on the 26th.
The first three weeks of December are expensive and the last week is one of the best clearances of the year.
Almost anything with a holiday on the packaging is worthless to the store on the 26th and perfectly good in your cupboard, which is a genuinely useful asymmetry.
It is also the easiest clearance in the world to overdo, which is why we keep mentioning the attic.
Worth watching
If you actually use these things, December is a good time to take a look.
Baking supplies, if you missed November
Still reasonable, though past the best of it.
Party and buffet food
Heavy promotion through the middle of the month.
Wrap, cards and decorations, from the 26th
Cleared hard, and it keeps perfectly.
Cookie and candy tins
Steep clearance in the last week.
Don’t get carried away
Before buying another 70-percent-off decoration, perhaps consult the three bins currently living in your attic.
One thing to watch
The December 26 clearance is genuinely excellent and genuinely a trap. It is only a saving on things you were going to buy again next year anyway.
December is a good month for produce too
Depending on where you live, these are often abundant and especially good this time of year.
- Citrus
- Pomegranate
- Brussels sprouts
- Kale
- Parsnips
- Chestnuts
Worth doing this month
Write down what it actually cost
Not to feel bad about it. So that next October, when you pick a number, you are picking it from something real instead of guessing again.
Open Did I Actually Save?Keep your own prices
Seasonal patterns can tell you when to pay attention. But the best price for your family depends on what you buy, where you shop and what things normally cost in your area.
That is why keeping your own prices is so useful.
Start your free price bookBefore January gets here
Take five minutes on one thing
Check the pantry, the freezer or the household supplies for one thing you are running low on. That is it. You do not need to stock a bunker. Just notice what you will actually need next.
Next month is fresh-start sales, holiday clearance and a good excuse to eat the freezer.
See what is coming in January