The Post-Valentine’s Day Clearance: How to Save 70% on…

The Post-Valentine’s Day Clearance: How to Save 70% on These 5 Items

February 15th is widely known in the frugal community as the real holiday because the prices drop so dramatically. Grocery stores are desperate to reclaim their shelf space for upcoming Easter merchandise, leading to aggressive markdowns on anything red or pink. You can find premium items for pennies on the dollar if you are willing to ignore the heart-shaped packaging. It is the single best day of the year to stock up on specific pantry staples that usually cost a fortune. Here are the five items you need to hunt for the morning after Valentine’s Day.

1. Premium Steaks and Seafood

Grocery stores stock up heavily on expensive cuts like filet mignon and lobster tails for romantic home dinners. If those items do not sell by the evening of the 14th, the meat manager has to move them immediately to avoid spoilage. You will often see bright yellow clearance stickers slashing the price by half or more on the morning of the 15th. It is the only time of year you can fill your freezer with luxury protein on a hamburger budget. You should buy as much as you can afford and freeze it for summer grilling.

2. High-Quality Baking Chocolate

Baking aisles are flooded with premium chocolate chips and bars packaged in festive red bags for the holiday. Once the date passes, the store treats this inventory like perishable produce and marks it down to clear the shelves. The chocolate inside is identical to the standard packaging and has a shelf life of over a year. You can freeze these bags to extend their life even further for all your future baking needs. It is a smart way to prep for Christmas cookie season in February.

3. Floral Bouquets

The floral department is perhaps the most overstocked section of the entire store, leading up to Valentine’s Day. On February 15th, you can find massive bouquets of roses and mixed flowers for a fraction of their original price. While some might be slightly past their peak, many are still fresh and beautiful for your home table. It is an affordable way to brighten up your kitchen during the winter months. You can also dry the flowers for potpourri or crafts if they are too wilted.

4. Soft Plush Toys

Stuffed animals are a staple of Valentine’s gifts, but they take up a massive amount of storage space in the back room. Retailers discount these plush toys by seventy or ninety percent to get them out of the building. You can buy them for next to nothing and remove the red ribbons to make them look like standard toys. They make excellent donations for toy drives or affordable gifts for birthdays throughout the year. It is a great way to be generous without spending much money.

5. Boxed Cake Mixes

Red velvet cake mixes are shipped in bulk for the holiday, but demand for them plummets immediately afterward. You will find stacks of cake and brownie mixes on the clearance rack for under a dollar. These boxes are shelf-stable for a long time and are perfect for emergency pantry storage. You can ignore the picture on the box and simply enjoy a cheap and delicious dessert. It is an easy win for your grocery budget that lasts for months.

The Sweetest Savings

Shopping the day after a major holiday is one of the easiest ways to hack your grocery budget. You get the same high-quality products without paying the “romance tax” that retailers add in early February. It requires a little bit of flexibility, but the savings are undeniably worth the effort. Your pantry and your wallet will look much healthier after a quick trip down the clearance aisle.

What Did You Score?

Do you have a tradition of shopping the clearance sales on February 15th? What is the best deal you have ever found in the meat or bakery department? Share your haul stories in the comments below.