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New Year, new budget? Start 2023 off right by stocking up on the some of these — smartest things to buy in January. We’ve got what food to stock up on and what to buy in every category this month.

At KCL, we’ve been tracking sales since 2009 and these are the items and product-categories that often see deep price cuts and a greater coupon availability during January.

 

What to buy at the grocery store:

What to buy at the big box stores:

What major sales to shop:

We say there’s no better way to say hello to 2023 than the motherload of semi-annual sales from some of our favorite stores like Ulta, BBW, and Target. With semi-annual sales and clearance sales throughout the month, you can stock up on things like hair care, bras, underwear, candles, toys, and more. Even if you’re feeling a bit of Black Friday and Christmas shopping burnout, some of these deals are too hard to say no to. Trust us; we’ve tried.

Download The Krazy Coupon Lady app for more ways to save on everything.

Here’s what to stock up on in January!

what to buy in january 2023 calendar graphic

1. Healthy foods

Making a New Year’s resolution to get healthy? You’re not alone. Health food companies know this time of year is their window of opportunity to acquire new customers.

So shoppers can expect to see deals on many national healthy brands, all hoping you’ll pick their product as you begin your journey to better health. Check out our best healthy deals available now.

These are some of the brands we’ve seen run promotions during previous years. Look for coupons in your stores’ apps, and in-store promotions like ‘Buy 3 select Atkins products get $5 off instantly’ or ‘Buy 3 Quest products get $3 off your next order’.

 

2. Cold and flu medicines

hand holding box of Dayquil & Nyquil duo in aisle

Whether it makes our official New Year’s Resolutions list or not, staying healthy is usually the other priority at my house every January. Cold and flu season frequently peaks this month.

With sales volume high for these medicines, big over-the-counter brands are competing for your business, running sales and promotions in hopes you’ll choose their brand.

January is a great month to fill your medicine cabinets. Just remember, over-the-counter medications usually have expiration dates 6-12 months in the future. Liquids and liquid-gels are on the shorter end, so I always check for dates before I buy. Tablets have longer, sometimes 18 months or more before they reach their best-by date.

Last year, NyQuil two-packs were $5.99 each when you bought two at CVS with a coupon. Kleenex tissues drop in price to as low as $0.01 per tissue. Other brands we typically see discounts for include:

Medicine coupons

 

3. Oatmeal

January is National Oatmeal Month, which means you’re more likely to find sales, promotions and coupons for major oatmeal brands during this month. It was January of 2009 that I infamously bought an entire case of Quaker high-fiber instant oatmeal, a new variety that was on sale with coupon, brining cost per box down to just fifty cents. I felt great about my deal right until realizing the high-fiber variety gave my toddlers the runs and lead to great diaper expense. Ended up donating the case and learning a lesson about never stockpiling items you haven’t tried before.

One great way to save on oats is to use Amazon’s Subscribe & Save. 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.

Oatmeal coupons

 

4. Soups

grabbing canned soup on sale

January isn’t the only time you can get a deal on canned soup, but it’s one of the better times of the year to buy. And the exciting thing about canned goods is you can really stock up, sometimes even getting a case discount on top of a sale price. Soups are also a great item to buy and donate to local food banks.

Soup coupons

 

5. Seasonal produce including citrus

What produce is in-season can get complicated when we’re living in a world where every produce item is being grown 12 months per year. Still, when crops like navel oranges are naturally producing in the majority of the orchards growing them, price per pound will drop.

In January, when I can get navels at $0.88 per pound, that’s when I break out my citrus juicer. Other produce items that reach their lowest annual prices during winter include:

  • Oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes, grapefruit
  • Greens, lettuces, spinach, kale, arugula, endive, cress, cabbage, kale, collards
  • Broccoli, cauliflower
  • Butternut squash, acorn squash

 

6. Holiday clearance items

Holiday clearance begins December 26th and sometimes before and discounts usually start at 50% off. By January, store discounts will be into the 70% off or greater range. Items like holiday candy will likely be picked over. Gift wrap and holiday lights will still be around if you’re lucky. And loads of decor items should still be available. By the second week of January, final markdowns are taking place and inventory will be sold or liquidated by the end of the month.

In addition to the expected holiday items, I always like to remind folks to check out products like sandwich bags or paper plates and napkins. Varieties with holiday prints will also go on clearance during early January.

 

7. Storage bins

From large to small, storage totes and organization bins will go on clearance during January. Target is one of the best places to find these deals. Clearance prices will creep in before December 25th but will continue throughout the first 2-3 weeks of January. Holiday colored bins will be included in these clearance sales, but many non-holiday storage containers will also be included. You can expect savings around 50%.

 

 

8. Fitness equipment

Exercise bike with a woman exercising in a room

You can expect to find sale prices on fitness equipment throughout January. From the best fitness trackers to big name at home workout equipment from big names like Schwinn, Peloton, NordicTrack, BowFlex, you can find it all on sale in January.

You’ll save more if you go for a well-reviewed lesser known brand. Amazon, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Target, Best Buy and Walmart tend to have the best prices. Find stationary bikes under $200, home gyms under $400 and row machines under $250.

If you’re not quite ready to bite the bullet, January is also a great time to find cheap gym memberships.

 

9. Handsoaps

A hand soap held out by hand in front of a 50% off sign.

Hand soaps sell for under $2.00 during the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale, which begins on Dec. 26 each year, and lasts through mid-January. The sale runs in-stores and online, but shipping is almost never free so if you prefer to shop online, make sure to select in-store pickup.

And hand soap isn’t the only thing on sale at Bath & Body works. The Semi-Annual Sale is a great time to buy other body care and home fragrance items too.

 

10. Candles

Everybody buys candles in the fall and during the holiday season. To keep sales from plummeting in January (and to liquidate seasonal inventory), stores discount candles in January. Two store in particular worth check out are Bath & Body Works and Yankee Candle.

Look for savings above 50% at both sales.

 

11. Liter bottles of shampoo and conditioner

display of redken jumbo sized shampoo and conditioners in ulta

Liter bottles (33.8 oz) of salon-brand shampoos like Biolage, Joico, Paul Mitchell Tea Tree, Redken and DevaCurl retail for $30 to $50+, which makes waiting for a sale worthwhile.

We compare sale prices between Ulta, JCPenney and Amazon throughout the year and 40% off is about as deep as the savings ever get on these brands in the liter size, which is the best cost per ounce.

Every January, Ulta holds the Jumbo Love Event, Dec. 25 – Jan 21, 2023. JCPenney and Amazon will sometimes price match items in the sale. Ulta in Target locations do not have the same sale prices.

 

12. Toys

Whether you’re buying ahead for your own kids or stockpiling gifts for future baby showers and birthday parties, the Target Semi-Annual Toy Sale in mid-January is just about the best time to get toys up to 70% off.

And remember, your Target RedCard will save you an extra 5% on top of the 70% clearance prices. The best deals during this sale are in-store.

Related: Target Toy Sale Tips

 

13. Women’s lingerie during Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual Sale.

victorias secret shopper holding up pajamas

While the Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual Sale starts right after Christmas, it runs through the middle of January, giving you plenty of time to grab underwear and bras up to 75% off. The sale runs both in-stores and online, but like other clearance sales in this list, the discounts are deeper in-stores.

 

14. Shop for items as low as $0.49 during the Ross Clearance Sale, in select stores.

If you really like a good clearance hunt, Ross’ annual clearance event is a next-level savings event that doesn’t always pay off, but when it does, the pay off is huge.

Ross sales aren’t coordinated nationally, so the first thing to be aware of is that this annual Ross Dress For Less Clearance Sale varies greatly by location. You can expect to see it popping up all over TikTok, but your own mileage will vary when you go in-store to shop.

The sale is famous for its’ $0.49 clearance deals, which happen closer to the end of the month of January. During the Ross clearance sale in January 2021, we found the following items marked down to $0.49:

  • Dresses
  • Graphic tees
  • Holiday accessories
  • Sneakers
  • Socks

We also found Under Armour, Nike, and Ralph Lauren clothing for less than $2 and purses and wallets for under $5.

 

Wait until February for…

  1. Super Bowl TV deals (Super Bowl 2023 is Sunday Feb 12)
  2. Super Bowl snack food deals (think chips, salsa, frozen pizzas, sodas)
  3. Winter clearance (think jackets, snow bibs, hats, gloves, boots)

See all the best things to buy in February.

The 14 Best Things to Buy in January (+ 3 to Pass On)