The Prepper Shopping List: 5 Deals To Look For In October

By Sara Tipton

Seasonal items tend to be at their best prices when they’re out of season. While many are holding out for Black Friday deals next month, October is still proving to be a decent time to shop!

Don’t wait if you are looking for deals, because with soaring inflation and promises of more government spending, the prices will likely never be lower than they are now. Here are some great deals to look forward to this month. Be on the lookout for Columbus Day sales as well, because you may get even more savings on certain items at certain stores!

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5 Things You Can Buy To Stock Up On Your Preps

We should all be evaluating and reevaluating our preparedness supplies right now. Times are chaotic and uncertain. Buying items during certain months of the year will allow you to buy at discounted prices so you can stock up and save big time. You just have to know which items are best to buy. For October, look for the following:

1. Grills – This is great to have on hand in case you need an off-grid cooking alternative. Keep in mind that if you choose a propane grill, you need to keep the propane tank filled to utilize during emergencies. If you choose a grill where briquettes are needed, make sure you have extra bags of briquettes. Check your superstores and hardware stores for some great savings. You could even stock up when briquettes are available on sale in bulk at online retailers like Amazon. Local hardware stores often have sales on their grilling supplies in October, so take the time to check those out!
2.  In-Season Produce – Now’s the time to stock up on cheaper in-season fruits that are perfect for jams and preserves. You will be impressed with deals on apples, cranberries, grapes, persimmons, and pomegranates. As well, in-season veggies like acorn squash, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, parsnips, pumpkins, rutabagas, spinach, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, turnips, and winter squash should also have some great deals. What I like about these vegetables is most of them have longer storage times. I have a fruit orchard, but ours is not old enough to actually produce fruit…yet. I recently purchased a bunch of organic gala apples on sale to can into brandied apples. I bought almost 20 lbs of them! Focus on what you like and what your family will be willing to eat over the summer!
3. Jeans – Retailers want to sell off back-to-school denim and make room for the winter trends that will appear on gift lists, so keep your eye out for October deals on jeans.
4. Camping Gear –  With summer hikes and campouts edging into memory, camping gear will go on sale this month. Find cheap and discounted sleeping bags, tents, and other camping equipment. Our local stores have over 50% off sales on tents, sleeping bags, lanterns, and flashlights right now. Find items that could boost your preparedness supplies. If your tent is defective in any way, now is the time to grab a new one for a discount!
5. Gardening/Outdoor Tools – Along the same lines as the air conditioners, stores stock up on lawnmowers, weed eaters, gardening gloves, tools, and planters… but once the snow starts to hit, nobody will need those. Stores always put all of that on sale during the month of October to make sure that they have room for their winter products. Not only will the gardening equipment be on sale, but check for organic heirloom seeds! Local stores put seeds on sale, and most will germinate next year! Focus on seeds that will thrive in your area and learn how to save your seeds once you purchase heirloom seeds. You can also look for things to help you with your greenhouses, such as plastics for the greenhouse or even watering hoses!

One other thing you should do is fill your propane tanks if you haven’t already! Prices for propane tend to rise over winter as demand kicks in.  Ideally, you’d buy all your propane in May or June, but if you haven’t yet, do it now before those prices go up!

Don’t let the supply chain issues or inflation get you down! Take advantage of deals and grab those things you can use no matter what! No matter how prepared we all are, we could always do just a little bit better. And another advantage of doing better is that you can help others who may not have had been propelled to prepare quite as much. We never know when things could get worse, so it’s always best to prepare well in advance.