Begin keeping your eye out on all the things in the end of winter clearance sales – and ask yourself…can they help me be better prepared? What can I add to my emergency preparedness stockpile?
It’s January, and all across America, there are all sorts of clearance sales going on to get move out winter stock and prepare for next Christmas (joking, but only a little. Retailers are a wacky bunch!). While you’re looking at freezing temperatures and snow on the ground, retailers are already beginning to stock Valentine’s candy and gardening equipment.
Like you did for after-Halloween sales, post-summer sales, and Back to School clearance sales, make sure you are using those sales cycles to help you plan for your emergency stockpile.
Build Your Emergency Stockpile with End of Winter Clearance Items
CLOTHING
- Coats and hats and gloves, Oh My! – we picked up a great workman’s coat from a local farm store for about 75% off the original price. It’s so warm, with tons of pockets, and we grabbed it not because we work on a ranch or in construction – we grabbed it because there may come a winter when our heating is out and we need extra protection, or we do have to be out during really awful weather and need to be warm! And for $22.75 – it was a HUGE bargain!
- Shoes – this is also the time of year many shoe retailers will be clearancing out big heavy winter boots and work boots to make room for summer products. This will also include socks.
- Hunting gear – We were at a large sporting goods store this weekend and couldn’t believe how much hunting gear they had out on clearance. And it was so inexpensive we were tempted to pick up a few things just because! Bib overalls, jackets, pants – so much camo!
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
FOOD
- General Food – You might begin finding things on the clearance racks that are seasonal – especially pertaining to heavier foods, food storage and more. Always check the back sides of aisles in stores like Target, Walmart, and Meijers for those areas where they tuck away the food clearance items. Great bargains can be had.
- Food Storage Items – because it’s the end of the hunting season, you’ll need to keep your eye out for food storage items marketed towards winter storage: jerky equipment, food vacuum systems and the like. Sales trends show those sell more during the winter because of the hunting season and putting that food by. We saw seasonings and a few odd items at our local big box sporting goods store, but check out smaller stores who can’t carry that much stock year round – you’re bound to find some great bargains!
- Baking & Christmas deals – you might find a lot of post-Christmas foods available on deep discounts. Bulk food items purchased for Christmas and not eaten like party trays make great dehydratable choices for vegetables, and you can often freeze the cold cuts for later use. *Don’t forget to shop the non-food sections for clearance kitchens supplies!
EQUIPMENT
- Heaters – everywhere we’ve gone, we’ve seen the portable heaters, patio/outdoor heaters, fireplaces and the such on clearance. No one wants to stock those things over the long summer break.
- Hand Warmers – seeing them EVERYWHERE. I used to think $1 each was a pretty good stock up price, but the .50 price we saw at a local sporting goods store this week had us tucking away about $15 worth!
- Snow Gear – snow blowers, shovels, and other snow removal gear will depend on if a store has room for storage until next year and can handle carrying that inventory on their books or if they want to get rid of it and order new. Take advantage of the HUGE price breaks on some great equipment.
- Winter Car Gear – this will include emergency car kits, and other implements to keep you warm and safe over winter. Except for ice scrapers which you may only need periodically, retailers forget these are great items to stock all year, and tend to do more during the winter. So check out your big box stores, DIY stores as well as auto shops for great bargains for your car.
- Gear Bags – you’ll find these can be quite seasonal just by color choices and size for what they think you’ll be carrying in the winter.
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
HOME
- Winter bedding – this is the time to pick up heavy comforters, flannel sheets, blankets and other winter wear for your home.
- Window Treatments – heavy curtains, window films, and kits – those things used to help keep the cold out will now be clearanced to make room for those things that help cool you down!
- Home Items – paper plates, napkins, dishes, serving equipment – those things with snowflakes and snowmen may be great for a winter’s theme dinner, but think how great those things are stocked in your pantry for coming down-grid events. Wouldn’t it be awesome not to worry about finding water to wash with during the spring storms when power and water may be out in your area from tornado damage? Having all those really inexpensive snowman paper plates will REALLY come in handy!
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
CAMPING
Sleeping bags – even though retailers are gearing up for camping season, you’re likely to find the heavy-duty weather items clearancing out to make room for the more generic camping gear. We saw big savings on the really expensive deep winter sleeping bags at our local sporting goods stores over the weekend.
Winter gear – you’ll also see things like generators, camping clothes, ski clothing, boots, gloves, hats, and more, geared to the outdoor activities fans. Don’t forget to look to places like Cabelas, REI, Bass Pro Shop, and other outdoor/sporting equipment stores for these great buys.
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
GENERAL
Keep an eye out for anything that might be marketed as a winter item – stores don’t like to keep anything out of season around, so are willing to let it all go at incredibly cheap prices! Last year we found fire logs at our grocery store for $1 and stocked up!
What will you be looking out for in your stores (or what have you already found?)
Use Sales Cycles to become better PREPared!
- Use Sales Cycles to Be Better Prepared
- Post-Valentine’s Day
- After Winter Sales
- End of Summer Sales
- Back to School Sales
- After Halloween Sales
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
No products found.
Photo credit: Nikolayhg
Becky is a wildlife enthusiast and pet and livestock care expert with a diploma in canine nutrition. With over a decade of experience in animal welfare, Becky lends her expertise to Simple Family Preparedness through insightful info about pets, livestock, bee keeping, and the practicalities of homesteading.
Last update on 2024-09-11 at 00:32 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API