You're always hearing about off-season, post-peak times to save money on purchases and food, but it always arrives too late. We've compiled a timeline and lots of best-time-to-buy suggestions into one post to help you plan a more frugal 2010.
We scoured the net for advice from financial sites, gadget bloggers, and other sources on the best times to buy particular items, ranging from little goods you can stock up on (aluminum foil) to big-time purchases you can easily overpay for in the wrong season (boats). We threw together all these tips, organized them by time frame, and, through the keen eye of one Jason Fitzpatrick, assembled a timeline of some of the major items to keep in mind throughout the year.
Click on the image below for a larger version, and right-click it and save it to grab the 1200-pixel-wide version for safekeeping.
Want the specifics? Here's the data dump from our little research experiment. The reasons for these items being suggested in their particular months varies, but generally they're pinned to getting a better deal when sales are slow, when new products are just about to roll out, or when every single retailer is selling at a discount. If you're interested in the source articles for this compendium, we've listed them near the end of this (already long) post.
Winter
Jan. 1 - March 31
Spring
April 1 - June 30
Summer
July 1 - Oct. 1
Fall
Oct. 1 - Jan. 31
Buying and Saving Good Food
When's the best time to buy food? That all depends on where you live.
Honestly, we would have loved to assemble an all-in-one chart and help you buy peaches in vast quantities, then dine on the canned and frozen rewards all year long. But while pretty much everything is available and fresh all the time at, say, the Lifehacker West office, those of us who can see snow outside are in the thick of basement potato season, with grocery stores stocked full of goods trucked or flown in.
That doesn't mean you can't benefit from smart shopping and preservation, however. Here are some great resources that will get you informed about what's good and fresh when you buy it, and how to keep it edible throughout the whole year.
Find fresh food
- Epicurious' Peak-Season Map: (Pictured above) Click a month, click on your state, and see what's growing good, plus grab a few recipes for those ingredients.
- Seasonal Chef: Geared toward farmers markets, but valid information on coast-to-coast food availability.
- Sustainable Table: Pulls information from the National Resource Defense Council on foods you can feel good about buying, and when to buy them.
Store your food
The basics on freezing fruits, vegetables, and meat come direct from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA's page on freezing and food safety gives the skinny on freezing vegetables:
... Most vegetables that freeze well are low acid and require a brief, partial cooking to prevent deterioration. This is called 'blanching.' For successful freezing, blanch or partially cook vegetables in boiling water or in a microwave oven. Then rapidly chill the vegetables prior to freezing and storage. Consult a cookbook for timing.
Helpful, but not super-specific. Food blog The Kitchn offers lists of items you can buy in bulk, and our archives offer up a few hints on getting the most from frozen food:
- Getting Started With Canning, aka Home Food Preservation
- Freezer Jam: A Baby Step To Canning (Original post)
- 10 Simple Freezer Tricks to Save You Time and Money
What about meats, both raw and cooked? Here's how the USDA breaks down freezer life at o degrees Fahrenheit:
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