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New Year, new budget, am I right? Start 2021 off right by stocking up on ten of the smartest things to buy in January.
Stay current this year with all of the stock-up deals by downloading the KCL app!
1. Stock up on frozen, low-calorie meals for less than a dollar.
Making a New Year’s resolution to lose weight? Stock up in January on ready-to-go frozen meals. Last year, I saw some great deals on frozen foods at Walmart with coupons and Ibotta rebate offers, like:
Submit one $1.50/1 – DiGiorno Original Rising Crust Frozen Pizza, Ibotta Rebate (ibotta.com)
Pay $5.00, submit for $1.50 Ibotta credit
Final Price: $3.50
Submit one $1.50/3 – Stouffer’s Frozen Meals, Ibotta Rebate (ibotta.com)
And submit one $0.25/1 – Any Brand Frozen Entree, Ibotta Rebate (ibotta.com)
Pay $7.44, submit for $1.75 in Ibotta credits
Final Price: $1.90 each, when you buy 3
Use one $1.25/5 – Lean Cuisine or More Cuisine products from RMN 1/5
And submit one $1.50/3 – Lean Cuisine Frozen Meals, Ibotta Rebate (ibotta.com)
And submit one $0.25/1 – Any Brand Frozen Entree, Ibotta Rebate (ibotta.com)
Pay $11.15, submit for $1.75 in Ibotta credits
Final Price: $1.88 each, when you buy 5
2. Snag your favorite boxes of health-conscious cereal…
Like other “diet” foods, healthy low-sugar cereal is cheapest in January. I’ve seen Kashi by Kids organic cereal as low as $2.84 per 10.8-ounce box at Target in 2020, which is just $1.55 total after a $1.25 Ibotta credit. I also found the following deals on cereals last year:
Rite Aid
Final Price: $1.97
Walgreens
Use one $1.00/2 – Kellogg’s Special K Cereals 10.5 oz or larger, Walgreens L2C Coupon (exp 2/2) (walgreens.com)
And submit two $0.45/1 – Kellogg’s Special K Cereal, any flavor 10.5-19.3 oz, Ibotta Rebate (Ibotta.com) – limit 5
Pay $5.98, submit for $0.90 in Ibotta credits
Final Price: $2.54 each, when you buy 2
3. … Or be on the go with instant oatmeal.
January is National Oatmeal Month, so watch for coupons to combine with sales. One great way to save is to sign up for Amazon’s Subscribe & Save service. You’ll get 5% off your first purchase for subscribing to one item or 15% if you subscribe to five or more, plus you can stack an Amazon coupon to get an even better deal.
Here’s just a taste of the deals I found last January:
Opt in for Subscribe & Save for 5% off
Use Amazon coupon for 25% off
Free shipping with Amazon Prime or on orders of $25+
Final Price: $6.85
Subscribe to five or more items in one month to receive 15% off:
Opt in for Subscribe & Save for 15% off
Use Amazon coupon for 25% off
Free shipping with Amazon Prime or on orders of $25+
Final Price: $5.87
RELATED: Tips for Getting the Most Out of Amazon’s Subscribe & Save
4. Get ahead of cold and flu season by prepping your medicine cabinet.
Last year, NyQuil two-packs were $5.99 each when you bought two at CVS with a coupon. Here are some other deals I found last January as well, so keep your eyes peeled:
Rite Aid
Vicks VapoRub, 3.53 oz $9.99
Vicks Sinex, 0.5 oz or 24 ct $9.99
Spend $30.00, receive $10.00 BonusCash, limit 2
Final Price: $6.66
Walgreens
Buy 2, receive $3.00 Register Reward
Use $1.00/1 – Vick’s, Sinex or Flutherapy products, Walgreens L2C Coupon (walgreens.com)
Pay $18.98, receive $3.00 Register Reward
Final Price: $7.99 each, when you buy 2
5. Stock up on tissues for pennies.
Lots of stuffy, snuffly noses around your house this time of year? Now’s the time to stock on Kleenex tissues. In 2020, I found a deal for three 50-120-count Kleenex Facial Tissues for $0.92 each with a coupon at Harris Teeter.
Harris Teeter
Use $1.00/1 – Angel Soft Fresh Scent Toilet Paper 12 ct or larger or Mega Rolls 6 ct or larger (angelsoft.com)
Or $1.00/1 – Angel Soft Bath Tissue 12 ct or larger or Angel Soft Mega Roll 6 ct or larger (angelsoft.com)
Or $0.50/1 – Angel Soft Double Roll Bath Tissue 4 ct or larger (angelsoft.com)
Or $1.00/1 – Angel Soft Toilet Paper 12 ct or larger or Mega Rolls 6 ct or larger from RMN 1/5
Or $1.00/1 – Angel Soft Fresh Scent Toilet Paper 12 ct or larger or Mega Rolls 6 ct or larger from RMN 1/5
Final Price: $5.99
Amazon
Opt in for Subscribe & Save for 5% off
Use Amazon coupon for $2.00 off
Free shipping with Amazon Prime or on orders of $25+
Final Price: $9.38, or $1.17 per box
Subscribe to five or more items in one month to receive 15% off:
Opt in for Subscribe & Save for 15% off
Use Amazon coupon for $2.00 off
Free shipping with Amazon Prime or on orders of $25+
Final Price: $8.18, or $1.02 per box
6. Take advantage of after-Christmas prices on TVs.
If you think Black Friday is the best time to buy a new TV, you’re wrong. TVs are actually cheapest right before the Super Bowl, when we see prices under $100, like this Toshiba 32-inch TV for $94.99 at Best Buy, or this Sceptre 32-inch Class HD 720p LED TV for $86 at Walmart.
KCL stock-up price:
- Name-brand TVs: 30% off or more
- Off-brand TVs: 40% off or more
RELATED: Painless New Year’s Resolutions to Whip Your Budget into Shape
7. Buy your Super Bowl Sunday snacks for next to nothing.
In January 2020, Doritos were only $2 for 9.5-ounce bags at Target. You could also find Frito-Lay and Doritos for $7.87 for a 40-count bag on Amazon with Subscribe & Save’s 5% discount.
8. And don’t forget the dip!
I love salsa, so I jump on sales when I can to save as much as possible. Last year, I found a deal for 16-ounce Fresh Cravings Chunky Salsa for $1.49 at Walmart with a coupon stacked with an Ibotta rebate.
For the best deals, check your favorite grocery stores. Here are some other January 2020 deals I found:
Kroger
Use one $1.00/1 – Pace Salsa or Picante Sauce, Kroger 5X eCoupon, valid 1/24 – 1/25 (softcoin.com)
And submit one $0.25/1 – Pace Salsa or Picante Sauce Jar 16 oz or larger, Ibotta Rebate (ibotta.com)
Pay $0.99, submit for $0.25 Ibotta credit
Final Price: $0.74
ALDI (check ALDI’s weekly deals)
Final Price: $1.49
9. Stock your pantry with discounted soda.
Need sodas for game day? Target’s got your back. Last year, I found 12-ounce 24-count Pepsi cans for $6.99 at Target. I also found 16.9-ounce 6-court Pepsi packs at Kroger on sale for as low as $1.77.
10. Save money by purchasing gift cards at a discount.
Know all those gift cards you get for Christmas to stores you never shop at? Now’s the time to buy and sell them on websites like Raise, when discounts are deepest. Buy for over 10% off retail prices and 20% off at restaurants.
KCL stock-up price:
- Gift cards for popular retail stores (Cabela’s, JCPenney, Gap, Express, etc): 10% or more off retail prices
- Gift cards for restaurants (Macaroni Grill, California Pizza Kitchen, Buca di Beppo, etc): 20% or more off regular prices
UP NEXT: Krazy Coupon Lady’s Best Money-Saving Tips!
