February 15th is widely known as “Half-Price Chocolate Day,” but the deals go much deeper than that. Grocery stores are desperate to clear out anything red or pink to make room for Easter merchandise. This creates a unique opportunity to stock your pantry with high-quality items for pennies on the dollar. You just have to look past the heart-shaped packaging to see the value inside. Here are the eleven items you should grab while they are on clearance.
1. Baking Chocolate
High-quality chocolate chips and bars are often packaged in red bags for the holiday. Once the holiday passes, these are marked down to fifty or seventy percent off. The chocolate inside is the same as the regular bags in the baking aisle. You can freeze it for up to a year without any issues. It is the cheapest way to stock up for your holiday baking next December.
2. Steak and Lobster
Grocery stores stock up on premium steaks and lobster tails for romantic dinners at home. If they do not sell all of them on the 14th, the prices drop like a rock the next morning. You can often find filet mignon or ribeyes with “Manager’s Special” stickers on them. You should buy them immediately and toss them in your freezer. It is the only time of year you can eat luxury meats on a budget.
3. Red and Pink Sprinkles
Baking supplies with a Valentine’s theme will hit the clearance rack hard this week. Red and pink sprinkles are perfect for birthday cupcakes or Christmas cookies later in the year. The sugar does not expire, so it will last in your pantry indefinitely. You can pour them into standard jars, and nobody will know they were holiday-themed. It is a smart way to build your baking supply kit for cheap.
4. Boxed Cake Mixes
Red velvet cake mix is a huge seller for Valentine’s Day, but demand dies instantly afterward. You will see boxes of cake and brownie mix marked down significantly to clear the shelves. These mixes are shelf-stable for a long time and are great to have on hand. You can ignore the picture on the box and just enjoy the cheap dessert. It is an easy win for your emergency food stash.
5. Sparkling Cider and Wine
Many people buy sparkling drinks for their romantic toasts, leaving stores with a surplus on February 15th. You can find bottles of sparkling cider or specific wines on clearance end caps. These are great to save for New Year’s Eve or special anniversaries. Alcohol and carbonated juices have a long shelf life. You can look like a big spender later for a fraction of the cost.
6. Nuts and Dried Fruit
Gift sets filled with roasted nuts and dried fruit are popular Valentine’s gifts. These sets are often taken apart and sold individually on the clearance rack. Nuts can be expensive, so getting them at half price is a steal. You should store them in the freezer to keep the oils from going rancid. They make for excellent high-protein snacks or salad toppers.
7. Cheese and Charcuterie
Fancy cheeses and cured meats are brought in for those romantic charcuterie boards. Any inventory that did not sell will be marked down in the deli section. Hard cheeses and cured meats last a long time in the fridge. You can enjoy a fancy snack plate for lunch all week. It is a great way to try expensive brands you usually skip.
8. Candles
While not food, candles are often marketed heavily for Valentine’s dinners. You can find unscented or pleasant-smelling candles on deep discount right now. These are essential for your emergency power outage kit. Buying them now is much cheaper than buying “survival candles” later. It keeps your home warm and lit during winter storms.
9. Canned Fruit
Cherry and strawberry pie fillings are popular for Valentine’s desserts. Stores often over-order these items and have to clear them out. Canned fruit lasts for years and is a great morale booster in a pantry. You can use them for pancakes, pies, or just as a sweet topping. It is a cheap source of calories and flavor.
10. Paper Goods
Napkins and paper plates with hearts on them are useless to the store until next year. You can buy high-quality disposable plates for pennies if you do not mind the print. Your kids will not care if they are eating pizza off a heart plate in July. It saves you from doing dishes on busy nights.
11. Teddy Bears
Small plush toys are often attached to chocolate boxes or sold separately. You can buy these for next to nothing and save them for toy drives or gifts. It is a great way to be generous without spending a lot of money. You can remove the heart ribbon, and it becomes a standard teddy bear.
The Clearance Harvest
The day after Valentine’s Day is one of the best shopping days of the year. You can fill your freezer and pantry with premium goods if you are willing to ignore the pink foil. It is about seeing the product, not the packaging. Your future self will thank you when you are baking cheap brownies in July.
What to Read Next
6 Things to Buy on Valentine’s Day for Deep Discounts
8 Pantry Staples That Get the Deepest Discounts After Holidays
10 Amazon Ideas for a Budget-Friendly Valentine’s Day Date at Home
Grocery Chains Are Repricing Family Packs After the Holidays
Why You Should Never Eat at These 5 Chain Restaurants on Valentine’s Day
The post 11 Items to Buy After Valentine’s Day for Your Pantry appeared first on Grocery Coupon Guide.
