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?

Because to me it’s just another roast dinner, that I’m not a fan of anyway. If there was nothing left, it wouldn’t bother me. But Christmas means nothing to me and it’s just me dh and the children. So there’s nothing to go overboard on food wise.

Dh likes it. So he does the cooking and shopping for it, but only goes 23rd otherwise veg goes crap. He’s not a fan of turkey, so he gets beef and the rest of us aren’t keen on meat anyway.

Still got cauliflower and sprouts to get. Will get them Thursday or Fri.

Yes. I haven't bought anything yet!

I always buy my veg 7-10 days before from a reputable farm shop. Pick the tightest sprouts and they will last. We grow our own potatoes so have sacks in the shed and I pop the veg in there. It's never been an issue.
This year Sainsburys have theirs on offer at Aldi prices, so if we had one more convenient I'd perhaps have gone there to save. I used to pass a Sainsburys at a previous job and thought their veg was fine. Lidl isn't brilliant IMO and neutral on Aldi.

I started ours in June! I get things like pickles, crackers (the edible ones, not the pull ones!), cranberry sauce etc as they come into a good use by date through the year.

Then I order the meat from either the butcher or our local supermarket as soon as the slots for that opens and we collect on Christmas Eve so I don't have to find space in the freezer.

I got chocolates and mince pies as soon as they came into the store and the use by dates were OK - I just put them in a box in the spare room and forget about them.

I got the Christmas pudding at the end of November.

Just adding a jar or packet to the weekly/fortnightly shop.

That way, this week, all I've got to get are the perishables. Like cream or fresh veg. I picked up cream and extra bread today as the use by date on the cream was after Christmas so that's fine. I was in and out in 10 minutes.

the chickens/turkeys are too big to keep in the fridge or freezer currently

I have a Sainsbury's slot booked for delivery today.
I've not set foot in a big supermarket since March 2020 due to my agoraphobia (never got my confidence back after the first lockdown).
It would be a complete nightmare for me to brave it at Christmas. I would struggle even with the quieter times. I'm a single mum, one of my children being severely disabled and I don't drive.

However, there are around 20 substitutes with my order that are completely different to what I ordered and none of us like them so they will have to go back. They are all the main items (think pigs in blankets, chocolate yule log, mince pies etc).
I have Sainsbury's every week and this is the first time I will be returning substitutes (I'm not fussy in general).
With the unwanted substitutes my order is actually more expensive than it would have been if they had everything in, so I need a refund.

I'm not usually an ungrateful person, and feel bad for having a moan as I know there are people a lot worse off, but I feel really disappointed if I'm being completely honest.

that is another reason i dont do online,
so many substitutions, you end up having to go to the shop anyway!

No supermarket around me is open after 11pm! Ive never shopped after those hours.

i went yesterday to aldi and marks. It wasn’t particularly busy. Aldi like any other Saturday morning.

im working today and i never shop on Christmas Eve. Its a family day (as its a Saturday). Were off to a lovely pub for a meal and a walk.

i spend £150 including 1 vodka and 3 wines. We’re not big eaters nor drinkers. The wine will probably be left in the fridge!

Every year there are stories of people who have had these subsitutions, green and smelly turkeys yet many still do it! I know that for those who are housebounds etc there's little alternative but I went down to Tesco at 6am today to get the 'forgotten things' list sorted and I could have done a complete shop in half an hour, very few in. I don't think I would trust deliveries if it's so important.