Sale Items to Watch for: October

Its October and where I live that means the first snow fall, Canadian Thanksgiving, and, of course, Halloween! With these come an opportunity to find some awesome sale prices and to stock on up things. So what things should you look for this month?

1.  Yams

Yams are a traditional thanksgiving food so naturally they are on sale in time for Thanksgiving.  Usually they can be found for good prices 2 weeks before to 1 week after Thanksgiving.  Yams are one of my favourite foods so I like to use this opportunity to buy them and freeze enough to last through the next several months.

2. Turkey

Another Thanksgiving favourite, turkeys are on sale.  If you have room in your freezer grab an extra one.  They are great for making tons of dinners you can freeze, such as Turkey Pot Pie and Turkey Soup.  Don't have extra room?  Don't worry - they will be on sale again around Christmas.

3. Pumpkin

Doesn't matter if you buy it fresh or canned, both are usually on sale. I like to use canned pumpkin in pies, cheese cake and muffins.  The canned variety last a long time so you can buy what you would use in the next year or so.  One word of advice (from experience) is label your containers in your fridge - otherwise another family member could mistake it for sweet potatoes!

4. Cranberries

What is turkey without cranberries?  Whether you buy fresh cranberries or canned, both are on sale.  Fresh cranberries can be dried or used in many recipes.  I love cranberry sauce on turkey sandwiches.

5. Stuffing

If you like stove top stuffing, this is another thing to pick up. It makes an easy side any time of the year.  

These are several items to consider stocking up on now.  Remember little savings add up - 50 cents off a pound of turkey is 10 dollars off a 20 pound turkey! Make sure not to buy more than you can use before it goes bad.  Spend some time planning what you are going to use each thing for and when you are going to use them.  No sense buying 20 pounds of yams if they are going to sit and go bad in your fridge.

Watch for other sale items as well - apples are commonly on sale this time of year but that depends where you live. Try your local farmers market.

Happy Thanksgiving!