Does everyone wait till last minute to do their Christmas food shop?

[Diedre44]

Over the years I've gone to do my food shop at different times and days before and on a few occasions I've turned the car around and went back home as cars were queuing for miles (not literally but sure you know what I mean) like 30 plus cars waiting to get into car park. I've tried going at ridiculous times like 3am, 5am and even attempted a 2pm trip one year and each and every time has been ram packed everywhere. The only one year was semi stress free we went and stood in a queue from about 8.45am Christmas eve in 2017 waiting for shop to open at 9.30 we done a scan and shop and were home by 10.45 was bliss.
I really don't like doing an online shop at all, I never seem to get any decent dates on fresh items.
Just interested when does everyone else do their "BIG" shop if like me don't do online?

We will probably try Christmas Eve…I don’t want veg that’s been sat around going mushy for a week if I buy it now!

I’ve got all the main bits already sitting in the cupboards and the freezer. I’ll have to go out and get fresh veg but I’ll go around 8pm on Friday.

I don't bother with a "big shop", I buy bits through the week. Usually I go at about 9am on Christmas Eve for veg, and its fairly quiet.

The only thing I leave for last is the seafood shop on Christmas Eve. 6.30.a.m. to beat the queues.

We used to do online but couldn’t this year.
We do all the non-fresh in the weeks leading up to, then the fresh on 23rd or 24th depending when Xmas falls in relation to work which is usually quite a small shop. It’s not all that busy here though. I mean it is busier than usual and a bit annoying but no serious queuing involved. Our supermarkets are small and only open till 10pm though, no 24hr here!
This year we intend to do a run on the 23rd and follow up on 24th if needed.

We don’t buy a massive amount ‘extra’, but we go first thing in the morning on Christmas Eve to a farm shop for the veg and cheeses. Beef is ordered from a butcher so will pick that up on the 23rd. Wine is already bought, and apart from fresh cream I’ve got everything in I need to make the dessert.

I've got most things in, I've been topping up each week. I generally will only need veg, deli bits and pieces, bread etc. It does generally end up being a big shop. I really am trying to make an effort not to go overboard though.

I don't do any of it until the last week.. I prefer my stress to be contained into the minimum of days ..

Tree today.. (4 days of 5 compressed work so don't work Mondays.. ) so tomorrow is making wreaths for the front door and fireplace.. lights up outside the house.

Wednesday is Christmas shopping for presents . (Late night in our nearest town 6-9..I need to buy 15 presents)

Thursday is food shop (we are hosting 15) .. after work 6-9pm

Friday is sort it all out day .. (have taken annual leave for this)

Saturday , kids (who don't all live here ) arriving with partners . (Early 20s kids so partners leave to be with their own families) but we have present exchange with them..

Christmas Day .. DH cooks lunch with eldest and I host rest of family .. lunch at 1pm..

Boxing Day .. left overs that kids sort out..

27th DH and I piss off abroad for New Years and lea e them all to it..

3/1 we return and only Uni aged dc/sdc around .. house will be immaculate. Thanks to cleaning obsessed DD2...

All managed in ten days.
Can't imagine stretching all that out for weeks .. trees in November ?? would do my head in.

IMHO it feels really Christmassy actually doing this at Christmas. Rather than weeks before .

I’m doing mine Friday morning at 6am.

Do all of mine online. I'm a single parent and I don't have a car so there's no other way.

Christmas Eve afternoon best time to go, l always do mine then, a lot quieter, dates are better and can always get what l want.

2020 I had covid so my first allowed day out was Christmas Eve. I went to Aldi 7am got what I needed. I'll do 23rd this year as that's the only day I can. 8am. Fingers crossed its OK.

I'm fairly chill though as there's only our household to feed, and if there's no turkey we will just have something else.

It depends on what day of week Xmas falls and how busy I am at work
This year I’m doing the main shop for things that will keep tomorrow (Monday) evening and will collect meat order and anything that needs to be fresher on Friday evening
Xmas eve is for anything last minute I’ve forgotten!

I'm getting mine delivered. Really can't be bothered to go shopping when I finish work

We play M&S roulette. 4pm Xmas Eve and get yellow sticker Xmas food. Never failed yet. Last year I got 3 turkeys, 4 packs of stuffing, 6 packs of pigs in blankets, 3 packs of roast potatoes, and load of other fresh stuff for about £50.

5 years ago we did it on the 22nd when I was in early labour. Don't recommend that.

Where do you live? Somewhere with few shops or a big population?

We always do our fresh food shop at some point on the 23rd; never had a problem, never been ludicrously busy or out of anything bar satsumas.

I'm doing ours on Thursday so 22nd normal day for groceries. Dc have broken up for school so I will have to drag them round. 🙄We will be up early ish. Hopefully out by 9. Thankfully we have most stuff in so will just be fresh things.

Before online shopping my husband and I did a big Christmas shop. We were in the checkout queue for 45 minutes and then it took over AN HOUR to get out of the parking lot. Never, ever again.
I booked and ordered my food for collection back in October for this Friday. Then I'll just have a few bits to top up. No stress.

I’ve got local independent green grocer/bakery x 2, a butchers, an M&S simply Food and a wine mark plus plenty of other shops all walking distance from my house, so no hassle of a ‘big shop’ needed.
I fid nip to M&S in the last hour it was open on Xmas eve last year for something, can’t remember what, and was very impressed by all the yellow stuff, and that people had held there nerve and were cleaning up.
I think I got milk and coleslaw for 27p or something. 😂

I don't do a big shop. I have most of the stuff already so just need veg, stuffing and pigs in blankets which I'll get on the 23rd. I used to do a big shop and found it so stressful so now I buy anything I can before.

@JackieDaws I'm tempted to try that. I've been in to eye up what I'd like from M&S but thr dates don't work for me. Was planning a weds or Thurs trip...but your idea sounds better.

@Hadtochangeforthisone please tell me the secret, how do you buy 15 presents in 3 hours?!

I've been stressing about Christmas presents, decorations, tree, kid's Christmas clothes for special days at school, bedding for guests, food.... SINCE EARLY NOVEMBER and I'm still not done!

I'll be going to Aldi at 9am tomorrow with DD to do the big food shop. DH will do a booze run later this week, I've never experienced terrible queues in the 12 years I've hosted Christmas.

I am lucky . I live near a small market town with loads of boutique shops .. incredibly easy to find good and unusual presents to suit my lot..

It perhaps help that I don't do special Christmas clothes as they have plenty from their wardrobe to choose from..

I don't subscribe to Christmas Eve boxes or any of that nonsense as we go Carol singing around the village then.. and mine are more than chuffed with a hot choc with marshmallows when we get home ..

Just keep it basic and do not subscribe to nonsense.. x