The more perishable holiday foods were marked down to clear in the first week of January. Foods like eggnog and refrigerated holiday cookie dough were deeply discounted by the 5th of January in my stores. Those items are obviously holiday foods and not as interesting to many consumers once the holiday season is over.
However, there's another group of "holiday" foods that are very useful year round. These foods could be used at any time of the year. They're non-perishable and, in most cases, don't look so holiday-ish. Most of these items do not have images of snowmen, Christmas trees, or Santa on the package label. It's their use on holiday menus that associates them with the entire holiday season.
By the middle to the third week of January, I find these food items on deep discount in my stores. As non-perishables, they often have expiration dates over a year away. And they're all foods that I could use in my menus almost all weeks of the year.
So, this is what I found last weekend at Walmart:
- jarred turkey gravy for 50 cents -- great not only on turkey but also for chicken or to have over mashed potatoes or rice. Exp. date: March 2021
- Libby's canned pumpkin for 75 cents -- pumpkin bread, muffins, soup -- YES!! Exp. date: Sept 2021
- Great Value turkey stuffing mix for 30 cents -- can be used as a quick side with many dishes, not just turkey. Exp. date: May 2021
It's amazing how far into the future some of the expiration dates are on these items, yet stores don't want to keep them on their shelves any longer. This just means more great deals for me and my grocery budget.
When I was running errands on Saturday, I also stopped by an import store that carries a food line. In their holiday section I found the above holiday-themed pasta shapes for 74 cents, or 67 cents/lb. The expiration date on this package is in 2022. While the price per pound is a good price for pasta for everyday meals, I think I'll hang onto this package for next Christmas, either for my small family or as part of an Italian gift basket to my son and DIL.
The deals are still out there!
