When To Shop For Christmas Dinner To Avoid The Crowds
One Christmas dinner mistake to avoid is putting off shopping until the last minute. While Christmas dinner evokes serene images of families gathered around a table enjoying holiday staples like ham and mashed potatoes, shopping for this feast is considerably less relaxing. In 2024, store traffic increased by almost 60% on the last Saturday before Christmas. Rather than waiting for the weekend rush, try getting your shopping done the Monday, Thursday, and Friday before the holiday.
By Saturday, waits will be longer, and there's a good chance vital items will already be picked over. Going during the week reduces the risk of encountering out-of-stock essentials for your favorite holiday recipes. Plus, you'll dodge the crowds. You can be somewhat strategic in your approach, too. Getting every single item at once can be overwhelming. Even on off-days, stores are busier around the holidays, so try making two trips: one toward the beginning of the week and one near the end.
Monday is a great day to stock up on non-perishables and foods that can be frozen. You can snag canned foods, spices, and meats like turkey and ham that you can pop in the freezer for a few days. (Just make sure to remove bigger items ahead of time, as meats like turkey can take a few days to fully thaw.) For foods with shorter shelf lives — like produce and baked goods — aim to get your shopping in on Thursday or Friday.
The time of day is as important as the date
Everything is a little more hectic around the holidays, including supermarkets. Rush hours are usually around 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. While going during off hours does not work for everyone's schedule, if you're able to shop during the morning or afternoon, this can save you a major headache in terms of evening crowds.
Very early in the morning is probably your best bet. Getting in as soon as the store opens is ideal, but this is obviously not feasible for everyone. You can also aim to get in mid-morning or early afternoon. Any time before 5 p.m. is a good idea. as you'll miss crowds flocking in after work.
However, there's no surefire way to completely avoid the holiday rush. Plus, busy hours can vary greatly depending on your location. If you're nervous about crowds, take advantage of online tools like Google maps, which have features that report how busy a location is in real time.