Some Tips On Holiday Shopping

This is the time of year when I hear the most complaints from shoppers. The stores are busier and shopping takes longer. Some shoppers have even tried to think of ways to avoid going into a supermarket before Jan. 2.

But this can be one of the best times of the year to go grocery shopping. Supermarkets use this season to break from their traditional assortments. They stock extraordinary quantities of food and nonfood holiday products.

Many supermarkets also use this high-traffic time of year to experiment with new products before they commit to putting them on the shelves. The theory is that if it doesn’t sell now, it never will.

So it may be worth your time to experiment. Shop early or during off-peak times. Ask the store manager or customer-service manager about the best times to shop.

Shoppers who plan ahead can stock up on seasonal specials and save lots of money. Look for fruitcakes (which have an extraordinarily long shelf life), imported cookies in decorative tins and Italian panettone cakes, all at discounted prices.

Holiday baking staples as well as spices are common sale items too. Check the shelf life. If you believe you will use these products over the next few months, buy them now. Even perishable seasonal products can be stored in the freezer (over-wrap them in a freezer bag or tightly wrap in aluminum foil).

One of the best values this time of year is turkey. Many supermarkets discount the price of turkeys below their cost to attract shoppers for the holidays. Now’s the time to buy and stock up (assuming you’ve got a large enough freezer). Ask the meat manager about proper freezing, storage and preparation.

And once Christmas is past, “day-after” sales on products such as holiday cards and decorated paper goods are usually marked down to half-price (sometimes even less) and are a great buy - just remember where you store them.