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?

The shops will be closed for one day, is it really so hard to buy in sufficient food to cover a sunday?

I buy things that last, so biscuits/crisps/nibbles in October. Cold meats and cheeses last week, and grocery delivery on 23rd.

I’ve always done that to spread to cost and avoid the melee.

It's not Christmas eve at my house unless my mum has sent my dad to the shop at least three times for "one more thing". (Which two out of three times will be more cream. Don't ask me.)

I did it on Saturday. Everything that can be frozen has been, all other stuff lasts beyond Christmas Day.

If I did my weekly shop on a Saturday I'd still be eating it 6/7 days later.

Nothing is going to go off. A bag of carrots is good in my fridge for 10 days.

I love your approach and totally agree, although small children means I do end up doing tree earlier. I’ll never understand those people who start their Christmas shopping in October and get their tree in November - why spread the stress!!

I buy cream, milk (and cellotape) on Christmas Eve.

The meat & fish have been in the freezer for two weeks, I bought the veg and cheese yesterday, they are in the fridge

I get paid tomorrow so getting a delivery on Wednesday morning from Asda. I tend to use frozen vegetables so will just be some fruit that is fresh really.

Just hope I get most of that I have ordered or will be out after work for a few days. Not the worst as I wfh and do 7-3 but no big shops in walking distance

Nearest supermarket is 5 miles away and it gets rammed at Christmas so I always have an online Ocado delivery on 23rd.

DS is working the holidays at the one 5 miles away this year the evening of 23rd so will have him pick up anything that’s missing from the online shop. Often DH is working in London on 23rd so I’ve had him pick up turkey from shelves the day before, but we have chicken this year so just added to online shop.

I've picked up stuff with the usual weekly shop and went on Saturday to get the bulk of it, but there will be things to get nearer the day due to freshness and availability.
Main things still to buy are prawns and red cabbage! Also need to work out what I'm baking this week and check I have the ingredients - cake, mince pies and yule log I think!

I also need a few little stocking fillers so will pop into Poundland!

I always spend Christmas with my parents and I am forever thankful my mum works at a Supermarket, they have a staff hour early on Christmas eve where only staff can shop and I sit in the car to ferry her home (she doesn't drive) with the more perishable Christmas fare we couldnt buy earlier.

I then do a roulette trip to the nearby retail park at about 4pm for M&S yellow stickers party food and reduced Boots and Superdrug gifts.

Have got some of the longlife and frozen stuff in already. Big online shop Wed eve. Haven't decided when to buy veg and the few "forgotten" items - might manage them at a local shop; we have loads of tiny ones here which do decent fruit and veg.

DH doesn't hate shopping as much as I do, so if there is something he specially wants he will brave the crowds and I could ask him to pick up one or two forgotten items while he's there. (If it were left to me, I'd go without, because I am not a perfectionist even at Christmas.)

Can't you get most of your shopping delivered and just top up with fresh items in person every now and again

I've done 5.30am Christmas Eve, that was fine, mostly zoned out women pushing an overexcited toddler in a trolley

I have an online shop delivery evening of the 22nd. Anything missing, plus all meat, cheese, some fruit/ veg, we’ll get from the independent butcher or greengrocer in town the following day.

If it can’t be delivered or gathered on foot we’re not having it as I don’t want to spend AL queuing when I could be baking mince pies with a tiny person headbutting my knees and brandishing a jingle bell.

🎄Update🎄

I went to Sainsbury for 6am - really quiet. Loads of veg at 19p a bag with BB dates of 26/27th. Fresh Turkeys and Chickens with BB dates of 25th.

Also called at Tesco for other bits n pieces, veg still 19p if you've a clubcard with dates of 24-26th.

Morrisons veg more expensive, I think they're bigger bags, dated 27th+.

Going out early meant the carpark was dark (except Tesco as it's under the store) and so was the drive when I got home. 🤦‍♀️
But, there were loads of spaces near the entrance and very few other shoppers and all the stores had checkouts operated by a person which makes a change. Oh and it's really quite warm out there too.

Or just stay in bed and get it delivered

Very low maintenance here. I've already got the stuffing, gravy and frozen Yorkshire puds. Going to get potatoes today as they'll be fine in a dark cupboard until Xmas. Will get chicken on the way home from work on Thursday.

I'm doing a click and collect on Friday and it's next to a retail park so itl be hell. When I lived at home my mum would go at midnight on the 23rd so morning of 24th

Last Monday I got the m and s bits we like for Christmas (sadly our food hall is tiny and nowhere near a carpark so it's difficult to properly shop there).

Thursday our fill freezer shop came from Iceland as we had run it and the cupboards down to pretty much empty over November and first fortnight of December to use all the old food and then defrost it (chest freezer so it likes to cling onto the frost at the top) so now once Christmas is out the way I can start to batch cook again in January

Thursday our online shop will come with Christmas things added. Friday if anything fresh is needed due to dates or if anything doesn't come with the online shop I shall do a small shop via the scan and go and get the last bits.

If we start too early it would all have gone by now.

i really want to wait until christmas eve but do not have the nerve

Why? We’ve been on the morning of Christmas Eve every year and the shelves are as full as they usually are. It’s usually quieter too as everyone else has already been.

It's been rammed at 3am and 5am? Nah

That is literally my ideal Christmas.

When we are doing a proper Christmas at home, I organise most bits in an online shop the week before (non perishables, veg that lasts, frozen stuff etc). Then I only need the turkey, milk, bread, cream etc (and anything not available in the online shop) so it's far less daunting than needing 2 trolley loads.

I often end up bag packing for our Scout Group on either (or both) the last Saturday before Christmas or Christmas Eve. Dh has to drop me off Ont he other side of the dual carriageway as the car park is so nuts (there is a crossing point) and it is mayhem for the 2 hours on duty. So I have vowed to try and avoid those main times in the main stores.

One of the big supermarkets locally used to operate 24hrs, and still does in Christmas week. So late night (about 11pm/midnight) tends to be good as it's full of shelf stackers so plenty of stock but not too manic with shoppers.