March is a kind of in-between month—not quite spring, not quite past winter—when, apart from a little St. Patrick’s Day merchandise, retailers have nothing urgent to woo you with. So, many offer a few freebies and slash the prices on some non-seasonal items.
From consumer advocates and career bargain-chasers, here are a few March deals to look for now:
- Free Pancakes – March traditionally rings in National Pancake Day at IHOP, but social distancing this year is flipping the day on its head. Sign up at IHOP.com/freepancakes by March 31 and get an IOU in your inbox, good for a short stack of buttermilk pancakes to be redeemed any day between April 1-30. You can also get a free short stack on your birthday.
- Free Italian Ice – Every year, the folks at Rita’s Italian Ice and Custard Treats celebrate the first day of spring—this year on March 20—by sharing complimentary Italian ices with their customers. Visit your local store and let them put a smile on your face.
- Reduced-price Winter Sporting Goods – As ski and snowboard season winds down, retailers want to get rid of leftover stock, making March a good month to find bargains on winter gear, down jackets and more.
- On-sale Summer Durables – Unsold inventory left over from last year must be cleared out for the new models. To drum up demand, retailers are cutting prices now, so be there or pay full price later.
- Frozen Foods – Someone, somewhere dedicated March as Frozen Foods Month, so check your local grocery store ads and freezer cases to fill your own freezer with frozen pizzas, fish, veggies and more, all at value prices.
