When to do the big Christmas shop?

[pinkpetal2]

Hi would it be too early to do it this Friday (19th)?
I'm worried fridge and fresh won't last. Not bothered about frozen or cupboard but would rather it was done in one hit.

When do you do yours?

Goodies and non perishables done.
Freezer and booze delivery coming Wednesday
Meat ordered
I'll go out to do the fresh food on 23rd as I couldn't get a delivery slot :( so will brave the shops!

First Xmas hosting and I am hoping to be organised and not stressy!

Weds for is but tbh a lot of it wilp be frozen or cupboard stuff. dh works at a supermarket so anything fresh I need he'll pick up for me.

Shops are only shut for two days at most. Do you even need to do a 'big shop' I would ask?

I usually get bits as I go along but this year I haven't bought anything.
I'm going on Friday to get booze and non perishable and freezer stuff.
I'm going to pick up the fresh stuff on the 23rd and the turkey on the 24th between 8 and 9 (why I booked a slot that early I don't know!)

I know everyone on here seems to get stuff delivered. But for me with a car and close to loads of shops it's not worth the hassle of not having stuff delivered etc. Our last working day is Tuesday 22nd so we'll go late r on that day about 7 or 8pm.

We normally go about this time a few days before. We're not hosting though so if they don't have one thing we'll just buy another.

I have confirmed with the local fruit and vegetables market stall that they will be there on 24th. I am getting everything I can from them then to support them as a local independent trader.

I did one today (all the tins, nuts, pickles, freezable meat/fish eg chipolatas, smoked salmon, tubs of chocolates and foil, bin bags, foil roasting trays, booze).

The one for fresh stuff will be at some point on the 23rd. We’ll collect meat from the butchers then, I’ll go up to town to pick up the cheese (part of DH’s present) and at some point we’ll nip to the supermarket for veg, milk, bread, cream, custard, fruit and things like pâté. The supermarkets aren’t usually busier than on a normal Saturday.

I’d prefer to keep Christmas Eve free for a country walk, and on a non-COVID year, church.

Frozen and cupboard shop is being delivered on 18th
Fresh stuff on 23rd.

The past few years I've got up stupidly early on Christmas Eve to get the fresh stuff. All done before anyone else wakes up so I go back to bed!

Tesco delivery in the 23rd. Forgot sweet potatoes and pigs in blankets and undecided about dessert so will pick them up next week.

@nosswith

Shops are only shut for two days at most. Do you even need to do a 'big shop' I would ask?

Possibly not this year but in normal years people might have lots of people staying fro Christmas which would necessitate a ‘big’ shop just for 2 days. Other people might not want to schlep to the shops for a while so stock up before Christmas so they can then spend twixtmas in their pjs getting drunk on baileys and eating their body weight in chocolate, Pringles and left over cheese.

We have our normal delivery on Friday and everything that will keep is on that one, meat & cheese delivery on the 22nd, fresh veg and various normal shop bits on the 23rd 8-9am. Anything missing we will pop out later that day for.

I’ve already got all my non perishables and I’ve got a few bits in the freezer.
I’ve got my normal weekly delivery coming at the weekend, that won’t have Christmas bits in, it just our normal foods to get us through to the 23rd.
I’m picking up meats and desserts from M&S on the 22nd.
I’ve got a click and collect booked quite early for the 23rd which is fresh fruit, veg and salad, bakery foods, dairy and chilled.

@VenusClapTrap

Christmas Eve. We are not so rigid that it matters if they’ve run out of something though. No sprouts? Oh well. We’ll have kale instead.

So it wasn't you in Asda, 5 minutes to closing on Christmas Eve, screaming at the poor staff who'd been on their feet since silly o'clock complaining that there were no fresh sprouts, Don't you blankety blankety blankers know it's Christmas?? I was so tempted to break into the song and I think most of the people around would have joined me, judging by their expressions.

No. Not me. I was in Waitrose calmly plonking kale in my trolley instead.

Grocery delivery on 19th. Will make a trip to cheese shop on 19th as well. Veg and fruit boxes coming on the 20th. Turkey and gammon being picked up from farm shop on 23rd. I’ll pick up any last minute things from there as well.

[quote Megan2018]@tinselfest not here it doesn’t, despite best efforts of the cats anything outside gets got at by mice. Joys of living in the back of beyond
It was particularly galling in lockdown 1.0 when they got to the chocolate 🤦‍♀️[/quote]
Oh what a nuisance. We get mice too, but they don't seem to bother all that much. Mind you, our shed is new and I don't think they've found a way in there yet!

Gutted about the chocolate

I’ve got my usual delivery slot Saturday for general food and then a delivery on Tuesday (at 10pm!) for my turkey, veg, desserts etc. I’m hoping the dates should be ok then. If not I can pop out on 23rd, I didn’t want to go anywhere near a shop on Christmas Eve.

Non perishable stuff has been done for weeks. We’re going out for fresh stuff and collecting pre ordered stuff on 23rd. DH works in a supermarket and will buy anything else we think of, or can’t find on 23rd on 24th before his shift starts then squirrel it away in a cold place until home time.