What to Buy in January: Best Ways to Save in 2026

The 11 Best Things to Buy in January 2026

Fitness equipment and household linens are worth a close look, but there are many more items to save on during the first month of the year. Read on to learn more about the January deals and sales you can expect to see.

1. Holiday Leftovers

By holiday leftovers, we don't mean the weird salad your great-aunt brought over for the holiday dinner. Instead, we're talking about holiday-themed items that retailers haven't been able to sell off during After Christmas sales. For instance, in previous Januarys we saw Advent calendars for $30, plus holiday-themed items for up to 50% off at Ghirardelli.

2. Small Kitchen Appliances

You can score surprisingly good deals on small kitchen appliances from top spots like Lowe's at the start of the year. Chances are, the discounts are at least partially due to New Year's resolutions around eating healthier or dining more at home, rather than relying on takeout. Expect to see a variety of small kitchen appliances for $15 each, including food steamers, personal blenders, and rotating waffle makers.

January could be a great time to buy small kitchen appliances, which went for as little as $6 previously.

But even lower prices may show up, with select small appliances going for as little as $6. In previous years we saw mini waffle makers drop to exactly that price. Those are great for making a quick waffle or two or "waffling" a sandwich for a different take on a lunch staple. Who needs a panini press when you have a waffle maker?

Look for January sales on small appliances to be decently popular, as well. For instance, we previously saw Home Depot taking up to 67% off small appliances, while Wayfair knocked up to 45% off select Samsung and and LG appliances.

SEE ALSO: The Best Things to Buy in February 2026

3. Fitness Equipment and Clothing

Some of the most common resolutions for the new year relate to getting in shape. That means January is an excellent time of year to shop for fitness gear of all kinds. However you prefer to exercise, the odds are good you'll find a discount on the equipment you need such as sneaker discounts from StockX and heavily discounted woman's leggings and tank tops from SHEIN.

4. Gym Memberships

If you don't have room for exercise equipment at home — or just prefer a gym for your workouts — the good news is there should be specials on gym memberships in January. You'll need to keep certain things in mind when trying to save on gym memberships, but the first month of the year often brings lots of different promotions. Look for gyms to offer discounted rates, waived sign-up fees, or even bonus perks such as free access to other areas of the gym.

However, beware of any "perks" that aren't available yet. If a gym promotes a feature they haven't built or implemented and there's no concrete date in place for it, then you may want to cross that gym off your list.

5. Beauty Items

Resolutions around the new year also focus on other types of self-care, which means retailers discount a variety of beauty and personal care items to entice shoppers. On top of that, stores may also try to get rid of lingering gift sets from holiday sales, so January could be a good time to stock up. You could also see an Ulta sale on beauty items that takes as much as 65% off, and Belk could cut up to 15% off select beauty products like fragrances.

6. TVs

Black Friday still reigns supreme when it comes to shopping for new TVs, thanks to the huge volume of deals and wide range of prices available to suit any budget. But if you missed the Black Friday boat, Samsung's promo codes offered this January such as 25SOPDEC10 and EXTRA50 are here to help you save on TVs, Galaxy phones and more.

7. Soft Home Goods

January is when white sales pop up at many retailers, including department stores like and Kohl's. While these events may be mostly known for discounted bed and bath linens, you can find savings on a ton of soft home goods. Look for deals like the following:

• Bath towels from $3
• Microfiber sheet sets from $11
• Fleece throws from $14
• 6-piece comforter sets from $25
• 4-piece wedge pillow sets for $70

8. Valentine's Day Flowers

If you want to buy traditional Valentine's Day gifts like flowers, January is the time to start looking for deals! In early January of previous years, we saw early floral offers pop up, when 1-800-Flowers offered the following:

• Assorted tulip bouquets from $40
• Two dozen red roses from $43
• Red rose and calla lily bouquets from $45
• Kaleidoscope roses from $55

In general, expect sites like 1-800-Flowers to offer modest to decent savings on traditional romantic arrangements. We've seen them take up to 40% off select flowers and gifts and even sell select items for less than $25 throughout January. But shoppers who wait until the end of the month to buy could score up to 50% off Valentine's gifts.

9. Winter Clothing

Winter is in full swing by January, and plenty of discounts on cold-weather apparel show up during this time. We saw more than 140 coat deals during a previous January, though only about 13% of them qualified as Staff Picks.

You'll be able to save on more than coats, too. Sweaters should also be on sale, and you can count on prices being seriously low. During previous Januarys, we saw women's and men's sweaters start at just $12 from Old Navy. Gap should have men's pants for up to 40% off, and we expect The Children's Place to once again take 75% off via its winter clearance event.

10. Laptops

Black Friday and Back to School season are typically the best times to shop for new laptops. January may also provide some great deals, however. In a prior January, we saw refurbished Chromebooks for as little as $50. Watch for Best Buy to knock up to $600 off Windows laptops and Lenovo to cut up to 66% off gaming PCs in January.

11. Seasonal Produce

In the middle of winter, you might not think fresh produce is a good buy. But January features plenty of fruits and veggies to build meals around. Look for citrus to be in season, especially lemons, oranges, and grapefruits. January is also good for root vegetables, including beets, turnips, and celery root. Aside from these items, look for excellent prices on in-season cabbage, kale, collards, broccoli, and cauliflower, as well as winter squash varieties.

And 1 Thing to Consider Buying in January

Holiday Decor

We see After Christmas sales kick off in late December, and those tend to bring massive price drops on holiday decorations. But lingering items could get even deeper discounts in January. In previous years, JCPenney knocked up to 85% off via a holiday decor clearance, and Etsy cut up to 80% off Christmas decor and trim items.

6 Things NOT to Buy in January 2026

The Bottom Line: Shop Smart All Month Long

January is a unique balancing act in the retail world. While it is easy to focus solely on New Year's resolutions or recovery from holiday spending, the smartest savings often happen during the "White Sales" and winter clearance events early in the month. By taking advantage of deep discounts on linens, organizational gear to declutter your home, and fitness equipment to kickstart your goals, you can refresh your lifestyle without overextending your budget.

As we move deeper into the month, remember that the landscape shifts quickly. Keep your eyes peeled for clearance on remaining holiday decor and monitor the price of large-screen TVs as Super Bowl sales begin to ramp up—especially with newer models being announced at CES. Ready to tackle the first big shopping month of the year? Consider signing up for the DealNews Select newsletter. It drops a collection of the absolute best, handpicked deals into your inbox every weekday. And if you have a specific item on your Lowe's shopping list, you can set a deal alert for it on our site. We'll send you an instant notification the moment it goes on sale, so you'll never miss a price drop.