When is the best time to do Christmas food shopping? (2024)

FAQs

When is the best time to do Christmas food shopping? ›

On his blog, chef Rick Stein recommends: "Get all your food and drink shopping done by December 22nd – that way you can avoid a last-minute trolley dash around your local supermarket." He also recommends "checking you've got enough oil to cook with and plenty of salt and pepper for seasoning."

Heading out to do the Christmas food shopping haul a week in advance will mean there is plenty of time to get the goods in without having to deal with last-minute panicked shoppers, said Tosh. This could be the ideal time to purchase the turkey and any other essential items which can be frozen or easily stored.

The best time to start Christmas shopping will vary depending on your schedule, the variety of gifts, the amount of recipients, and how much money you have set aside. Nonetheless, the best time to start your shopping is in early September through October, November, or early December.

“If you're trying to get last-minute gifts for Christmas, Super Saturday may be your best bet,” said Ramhold. “It's the last Saturday before Christmas, and it's a time when retailers offer up savings to entice shoppers, often in the form of one-day sales.”

Plenty of shoppers like to do their big food shop on Monday or Friday as it's typically the “start” or “end” of the week. Getting to stores when the doors first open also increases the chance of fewer shoppers and there will be a greater amount of items available as the night staff would've replenished the stock.

But for the more frugal or budget-conscious shopper, waiting until after the holidays are over to purchase certain items is a more financially sound plan. This is because some items benefit from steep discounts when purchased at the end of the year.

A Christmas stocking is an empty sock or sock-shaped bag that is hung on Saint Nicholas Day or Christmas Eve so that Saint Nicholas (or the related figures of Santa Claus and Father Christmas) can fill it with small toys, candy, fruit, coins or other small gifts when he arrives.

Chain Store Age (CSA) says, according to an analysis from the retail traffic consulting and analytics group of Sensormatic Solutions, the busiest days of this year's holiday shopping season will likely be (in order) Black Friday (November 24), Super Saturday (December 23), and the third Saturday in December (December ...

Starting Christmas shopping early allows consumers to take their time, avoid stress and spread out the cost. Setting a Christmas budget can be helpful, as it will reduce the temptation to engage in excessive spending. Research has found making presents can be more personal and loving.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), the average American plans to spend $826 in 2022 on Christmas gifts, food, and decorations. Of that $826 dollars, around 500 are spent on gifts for family members. The most popular of these gifts are clothing, toys, and gift cards.

What's the best day to go grocery shopping? ›

Time of Day Matters When It Comes to Scoring Deals

Wednesday is the best day of the week to go grocery shopping because stores are usually less crowded mid-week. For the freshest items, time your shop for store opening or closing.

Sunday Is Also the Worst Day to Go Grocery Shopping

Not only are you dealing with the crowds of people who didn't go Saturday because they wanted to avoid the crowds, but you're also battling with the people who just plain forgot to do their shopping and have suddenly realized that the weekend is about to be over.

1) Black Friday

Black Friday kicks off the busiest shopping period of the entire year, with 30% of all annual retail sales occurring between Black Friday and Christmas. 40% of online Black Friday purchases are made on mobile phones.

Experts say that the best day to buy groceries might depend on your local grocery stores—some have sale cycles that begin and end on certain days of the week. Zakaria says that most sale cycles tend to begin on Wednesdays and end on Tuesdays, and suggests timing your shopping trip around the sale.

Displays of fresh fruits and veggies will quickly dwindle during the grocery store's peak hours, usually the afternoon on weekends and early evenings on weekdays. So, if you want to ensure you can find what you need (and have options available), shop in the early morning or late evening.

Samantha Landau, consumer expert at TopCashback USA, said, “Monday and Tuesday mornings are great times to shop at Walmart. Many Walmart stores receive new shipments and restock their shelves over the weekend.” She said this makes the beginning of the week a preferred time to shop.

THE FIRST DAY OF ADVENT

For many Christians, it's traditional to start putting up Christmas decorations on Advent Sunday, i.e. the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day (in 2023, this will happen on Sunday, December 3rd). Advent marks the start of the new liturgical year and a time of expectation and hope.

2 OR MORE MONTHS BEFORE CHRISTMAS (October 20th - 31st)

Create a Gift List: Start thinking about gifts early in your Christmas prep. Make a list of everyone you want to purchase gifts for, and then brainstorm ideas for each person. Planning your gifts ahead will help ensure that you have enough gifts for every person.

USPS states on its website that Dec. 16 is the last day to ship with their ground shipping and “First-Class Mail” service to “allow for timely delivery of cards, letters and packages by Dec. 25.”

Wednesday is the best day of the week to go grocery shopping because stores are usually less crowded mid-week. For the freshest items, time your shop for store opening or closing.