3 Smart Spending Tricks That Can Save You a Lot of Money

We can’t avoid spending, especially for basic things that help us to live a comfortable life like
food and personal hygiene stuff. However, we can spend smarter and spend less money than
the average consumer. These smart spending tricks will help you to cut back and probably save
you hundreds of dollars every year.

Shop for groceries on key days

According to experts, the best days of the week to go grocery shopping to save money is on
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Wednesdays is the start of sales week for most stores which
can run for the next seven days and on Sundays various stores often release coupon booklets
that may be stacked with manufacturer coupons. In order to get the best mileage and capitalize
on both the sale and the coupon, you shop on the days after you get the coupons and before
the next sale cycle begins.

The first day of sales can vary by store, some stores start their sales on either Sunday or
Monday. So the trick is to find out when your store starts running their sales and when they put
out coupon booklets and then shop as close to those days as possible for any deals that you
want to snag.

Buy in bulk

If there's a sale, buying in bulk can save you money, that is, if you do it the right way. One way
bulk buying can make sense is if you shop for products that you continuously need, such as
food your family normally eats a lot of like meats, ready-to-eat meals and canned items. Non-
perishable items like diapers, toothbrushes, toilet paper, laundry detergent, garbage bags, dog
food or treats are also smart to buy as much as you can if there's a sale. It’s also smart to bulk
purchase if a sale item is cheaper per unit when you purchase it in bulk. Make it a habit to
calculate the cost per unit or per ounce price in order to determine if buying a sale item in bulk
will actually save you money and is really worth it. Lastly, it’s smart to bulk buy for just enough
to last you for at least three months. This way you have enough on hand to save you from
dashing to the store for a full-price replacement when you run out. Sales normally run in 12-
week cycles, and stores typically run the same items on sale again so they will likely be
discounted again by the time you are ready to replenish your stock.
Be aware of sale cycles

Another great smart spending trick that can help you save a lot of money is to shop when
products and brands you need are at their lowest prices. To be able to do this you need to be
aware of sale cycles.

This is how Canada’s yearly sales cycle go in most stores and some of the popular items that
you can buy at very cheap and affordable prices:

January
● Bedding and linens and bathroom accessories
● Winter jackets, hats, gloves & scarves, boots and sweaters
● Storage containers, label makers and custom organizing supplies
● Holiday decor, wrapping paper & greeting cards, seasonal candy, toys typically go on
holiday clearance sale when Christmas is over
● Medicines, vitamins, pain relievers, lip balm and other items are on sale for the cold and
flu season
● If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, it’s a great time to stock up on diet foods
and drinks like diet soda, frozen meals, diet shakes, yogurt and granola bars.
● Exercise equipment such as treadmills, weight sets, exercise bikes, athletic shoes and
many weight loss products sell at sale prices.

February
● Valentine’s day items like chocolates and candy, fragrances, stuffed toys, jewelry
● Home theater systems go on sale to get you all set up for The Super Bowl
● Great deals on snacks the first week of February for Super Bowl fans
● Air conditioners are low in demand so stores scale back prices

March
● Frozen food items like pizzas, prepared meals, fruits and vegetables, and meat go on
sale because it’s National Frozen Food Month.
● Cleaning supplies like glass & window cleaners, furniture polish, all-purpose cleaner,
and cleaning wipes to prepare for Spring cleaning season
● Stores slash prices up to 50% and more in winter sports gear and winter apparel,
especially winter coats as Spring is right around the corner
● Luggage deals for spring and summer vacations

April
● Winter wear last items go on sale
● Household cleaning supplies
● Vacuum cleaner
 ● Wallpaper and painting supplies
● Gardening tools such as shears, spades, shovels, gardening gloves
● Cookware sets go on sale to prepare for wedding and graduation season

May
● Televisions - sale on older models
● Refrigerators - slash prices on older models
● Patio furniture - older models
● Mattresses and box springs
● Cleaning products and supplies as spring cleaning month is in full swing
● Bottled water start to go on sale and throughout the summer
● Deodorants usually go on buy-one-get-one-free discounts to prepare for warmer months
● Condiments and picnic items such as ketchup, mustard, paper plates, plastic utensils,
sauces and salad dressings

June
● Ground beef, hotdogs, burger and hotdog buns, condiments like ketchup, mustard and
relish because barbecue season is officially in full swing
● Ice cream is a popular summer staple so expect many deals from june until august
● Hot weather clothing like bathing suits and sandals
● Sunscreen and insect repellent

July
● Sunscreens and insect repellents are on sale all the time in July, so you should never
pay full price during the summer season
● Cold drinks, especially pop and bottled water
● Hot dogs and hot dog buns as well as ground beef for burgers are on sale all of July
● Craft supplies start to go on sale as the kids are out of school by this time
● Standing or table top fans and ceiling fans are also on sale this time of year

August

● Back to school supplies - They will be the cheapest around the end of the month, so
stock up on a year’s supply of pens & pencils, binders, paper, glue, scissors, staplers,
crayons, markers and more
● Linens - Sheet sets, blankets, pillows, towels, bathroom items go on sale for college and
university students heading back to school
● Laptops
● Backpacks
● Cereals

September
● Summer apparel and accessories go on sale as summer season ends
● Fall plants
 ● Lawn care and gardening supplies
● Patio Sets
● Barbecue grills and tools are on sale for the last barbecue party of the year on Labour
Day
● Large Appliances - Older models of refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, washing
machines and dryers

October
● Toys and games for children to kick off the start of holiday sales
● Food items for Canadian Thanksgiving feast such as turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce,
baking items and nuts like almonds, pecans, pistachios and walnuts
● Denim jeans go on sale to end back-to-school sales
● Lawn mowers as stores are getting rid of older models to make room for holiday items
● Air conditioners go on sale to clear out summer stuff

November
● Wedding Dresses go on sale because of low demand
● Apparel items go on sale as many people start their holiday shopping
● Halloween items are marked down up to 50% off when Halloween is over
● Candles and candle gift sets
● Televisions - older models go on sale as stores get ready for Black Friday shopping

December
● Toys and other popular Christmas gifts for children
● Turkey - there will be sales for turkeys all over for Christmas day or Christmas Eve
dinner
● Baking ingredients and supplies as many people start their holiday baking spree
● Electronics like computers, televisions, cell phones, DVD players and iPods go on sale
as they are popular Christmas gifts

Cutting back on expenses does not have to mean being the family cheapskate. The trick is to
lessen your expenses without cutting them out entirely. These smart spending tricks will help
you maximize every dollar and become clever about spending without being cheap.