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The smartest things to stock up on in February really run the gamut. You’ve got everything from chocolate to cheese, and towels to toothpaste. You’ll be shopping at Aldi, Home Depot, drugstores like CVS and Walgreens, and more. Not to mention the meal boxes you can still take advantage of as a leftover from January. Utilize new member specials to try out multiple meal box offers. Cancel each one and then wait for a discount offer to show up in your inbox for your favorite one. Re-up if it makes sense.
Also, Valentine’s Day is this month (hence the chocolate), along with National Hot Breakfast Month (which could be a pickle considering how hard it is to find cheap eggs). Plus, you’ll need to jump on end of season winter clearance so everyone in the family has a coat that fits next fall.
Whew, this stock up month is going to be busy. So, without further ado, let’s get cracking (just maybe not cracking eggs).
Download the Krazy Coupon Lady app so we can send you the deals to buy these things in February.
1. Buy chocolate, stuffed animals, and other Valentine’s Day items on clearance.
Once Valentine’s Day is over, expect huge clearance markdowns everywhere. Stock up on candy, flowers, jewelry, stuffed animals, and other gifts that can be used as presents all year. (Think Easter basket treats, good-behavior rewards, and Christmas gifts!)
Walgreens starts at 50% off the day after the holiday and then the following week moves to 70% off clearance. Shop early if you’re worried about selection. Target typically marks down their Valentine’s Day clearance to 90% off the week after the holiday. Definitely shop right after the candy hearts have settled to get the best of Target’s clearance.
In 2022, Family Dollar had all Valentine’s items marked down by 50%. Shop for candy, stuffed animals, holiday decor, and more.
Last year in 2022 we saw the traditional Russell Stover Assorted Chocolates Heart marked down from $4.99 to $1.49, a 70% discount. And then a Spritz Valentine’s Day Square Throw Pill at Target got a big 90% off sale, going from $10 down to $1.
Where to Buy Cheap Flowers for Valentine’s Day
You’ll have the best luck finding cheap flowers for Valentine’s Day at either Trader Joe’s or Costco. Trader Joe’s sells roses by the dozen for $9.99 the week before the holiday. If you shop Costco, you’ll need to buy two dozen roses because they don’t sell them by the single dozen. But I swear your partner will not hate this. Two dozen Costco roses are $18.99.
Related: Buying Costco Flowers? Here’s How to Pay Under $1 per Stem
Where to get cheap and free food on Valentine’s Day
Yes, you read that correctly. Free food on Valentine’s Day. Watch for Buy One, Get One Free deals at Auntie Anne’s pretzels, 50% off Starbucks through UberEats, free Cinnabon delivery, BOGO 50% off Jimmy John’s, and more.
Heart-shaped food will also make it’s annual appearance, so expect to see deals on heart-shaped pizza, and Chick-fil-A heart nuggets.
I’ve also got tips for finding Valentine’s Day Squishmallows, Conversation Hearts, and Valentine’s for kids.
2. Stock up on linens, and buy large appliances and furniture during Presidents Day Sales.
Presidents Day weekend is always just before the third Monday in February. In 2023, Presidents Day weekend is Feb. 18 – 20. Not that you’ll need to do this every year, but if you’d like to replace big ticket items like refrigerators, washer and dryers, and the like, Home Depot and Lowe’s Presidents Day sale is the time to do it. Don’t forget about Amazon’s Presidents Day sale, too.
For furniture deals, shop Wayfair and Overstock’s Presidents’ Day sales. As for the towels and sheets you got for your wedding eons ago, the time to replace them is now. Buy these items in February during Home Depot’s Presidents’ Day Sale. You’ll save up to 40% on sheets and up to 25% on towels.
A year ago, we found the StyleWell Brushed Soft Microfiber 4-Piece King Sheet Set in Washed Denim, King for just $19.18 (originally $31.97, 40% Off). It shipped free with orders over $45 and, of course, store pickup is free. And, if you can believe it, the same deal is still on in 2023.
We also saw the StyleWell 6-Piece HygroCotton Bath Towel Set on sale for $21.98 down from $38, and that sale is also on this year as well for a 42% savings.
3. Fill your freezer with cheese thanks to National Cheddar Day (Feb. 13).
Guess what? Lucky for us, retailers don’t totally care about the cheddar part. Lots and lots of kinds of cheese will be on sale this month. Aldi went totally cheese-crazy in February 2022, with savings of up to 30% off cheddar, goat cheese, provolone, and Swiss. Stock up when you see these sales.
4. Shop winter clothing clearance sales to save up to 75% off.
Expect to see discounts on all winter apparel in February. Stock up on jackets, boots, and clothes for next winter at 75% off original prices.
For example, watch for Nordstrom Rack’s “Clear the Rack” sale in February where you can save 50% – 75% on winter clothing. Technically, the sale is “Extra 25% off clearance prices,” but with previous markdowns, it’s pretty easy to get up to 50% off.
Another option is to shop for cheap winter clothing during Dick’s Sporting Goods Winter Outerwear Clearance sale.
This sale actually starts in January and runs through March, but February is the best time to shop because discounts are steeper than they were in January. Plus, inventory isn’t too picked over like it will be in March. You’ll find outerwear from top brands (like Columbia) for 50% – 60% off.
See all the Dick’s Sporting Goods deals available now. Some deals we saw at Nordstrom Rack in 2022 included kids’ puffer jackets as low as $11.22 (marked down from $40, that’s 72% off). In addition, there was a Kate Spade Hooded Faux Fur Quilt Jacket, originally $238, priced down to $73.09. That’s 69% off a designer brand.
Related: 33 Cold Weather Hacks For Winter
5. February is National Snack Food Month, so it’s a great time to load up on snack foods.
One of the best things to buy in February is snack food, thanks to National Snack Food Month. (Also thanks to the Super Bowl, let’s be honest.)
Stock up and use this ultimate how-to-freeze guide to see how long your items can go. Use whatever you don’t eat for later in the year during backyard BBQ season and summer snacks for the kids. That is, if snacks like chips can live for longer than a week at your house. No way they’d make it to summer in mine! Here’s what we saw in February 2022:
- Doritos or Sun Chips at Target on sale for $4.75 per bag when you bought two.
- Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats were $1.49 per 8-count box at Kroger.
6. Buy canned foods like soups, vegetables, and fruit because it’s National Canned Food Month.
February is National Canned Food Month, so look for big savings throughout these 28 days (29 in a leap year). Stock up when prices hit about $1 per can (sometimes you can get Campbell’s soup for less than this).
Make sure to buy beans, canned fruit and vegetables, along with soups, when you see this price. Fill that pantry!
Download Ibotta for rebates and coupons on canned food, and the Krazy Coupon Lady app for food deals.
7. Stock up on heart-healthy products during February — it’s American Heart Month.
Look for sales on all things heart health in February. I’m talking about oatmeal, supplements and vitamins, low-cholesterol oils, and spreads.
Most retailers are getting in on this, but don’t forget about the drugstores. Shop the drugstores, people. Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid have shown strong savings in the past and you can stack manufacturer, store, and store loyalty rewards on top of sale prices. Also, keep your eyes peeled for mail-in rebate offers that make these products free or even moneymakers!
Look for manufacturer coupons on brands like Quaker, and use them on products at the dollar store to get them for much cheaper, or maybe even free, Looking back to last year, these deals were poppin’:
- Amazon sold Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummy Vitamins for 40% off.
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal was on sale at Dollar General for $1.60; that’s only $0.23 per packet.
8. Or, go for the bacon and waffles — no judgment! It’s also National Hot Breakfast Month.
Don’t need to worry too much about your ticker? Well, then look for deals on waffles, syrup, pancake mix, bacon, sausage, and hash browns. Especially when you use coupons at Publix, Kroger, Target, Walmart, and Safeway. Or head to Aldi! You can’t use coupons there, but their sales are often so good you don’t need to. Here’s what we saw in 2022:
- A 10-count box of Breakfast Best Frozen Waffles was only $0.89 at Aldi.
- Kroger sold pancake mix and syrup for $6.98 each.
9. Stock up on dirt-cheap toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Be on the lookout for toothpaste coupons on brands like Colgate, Crest, or Arm and Hammer. Combine sale prices with rebate offers and manufacturer coupons for the biggest savings.
Amazon has some awesome discounts when you buy in bulk, which is exactly what you want to do in order to stock up.
Oh, and don’t forget to shop Dollar Tree. They sell name-brand products like Colgate for $1.25 every day, and you can use coupons, making products super cheap (use one coupon per item at Dollar Tree). Aim to spend about $0.50 or less for toothbrushes and $0.25 or less for toothpaste. Like these deals we saw in 2022:
- Four tubes of Crest toothpaste for $0.24 ($0.06 each!) when you stack multiple coupons with sales at Walgreens.
- Amazon sold four 6-packs of Oral B toothbrushes for $11.97 (or $0.49 each).
10. Take advantage of tax season sales and get software you’ll need while it’s cheap.
Tax software gets more expensive the closer we get to the April deadline, so February is a great time to buy.
Groupon often has coupons for tax prep services, so check their site first. Then, compare prices to the discounts you’d find for software available for purchase in-store.
In February 2022, Target offered TurboTax for a 37% discount, which was over $10 cheaper than it was on sale everywhere else.
TIP: If you earn $56,000 or less, head to IRS.gov where you can choose a local tax-prep service to visit in person for help preparing and filing your taxes for free.
February Honorable Mentions
Game Day Sales
Most of us don’t need to stock up on TVs, but February can be a great time of year to buy a new TV, thanks to Big Game Day TV deals. This year, the Super Bowl is Feb. 12 and I’m giving an honorable mention to Target for TVs on sale up to 50% off. The other best time of year to buy a TV is…you guessed it…Black Friday.
Home Depot Kids Workshop on Feb. 4
Check with your local Home Depot to see if they’re offering the in-store Kids Workshop event. This month, kids will make a Valentine’s Vase. Register as soon as you can in order to secure a spot.
National FroYo Day is Feb. 6
Who says you can’t FroYo in the winter? Every day is a good day for frozen yogurt and especially on Feb. 6, National Frozen Yogurt Day. Look for deals like your first six ounces for free at TCBY, BOGO frozen yogurt at Menchie’s and more.
National Pizza Day is Feb. 9
In 2022, I saw BOGO pizza offers on National Pizza Day, which is Feb. 9. Chuck E. Cheese, Schlotzsky’s, and more offered this perk. Other pizza joints (like Bravo! Italian Kitchen) offered 50% off all pizza purchases.
National Pancake Day is Feb. 21
Note: IHOP will be celebrating on Feb. 28, 2023: Just walk in and get one free short stack (three pancakes) per customer for National Pancake Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
National Margarita Day is Feb. 22
In 2022, I saw $2 off the El Jefe Margarita at Abuelo’s and two margs for $15 at Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar. Oh! And National Margarita Day blessed us with $5 margaritas at Bahama Breeze, too.
