I had a great comment from a PPP reader yesterday discussing when is the best time to shop, and it got me thinking that there are definitely better times to shop than others! Â While I know all of us have gone through (or are in the middle of!) stages of our lives when shopping at naptime with a tired toddler is the best we can do, working to try and plan our shopping around our peak times at the grocery stores can really make life easier for us. Â Here are a few tips, and I'd love to know when you shop too:
- If you're planning to shop Walmart or other big box stores, try to shop off hours. I typically make my Walmart trips on the way home from the gym (which is usually before 6 AM – yikes!), but there's always a cashier present, I don't have to fight any crowds, and I can usually be in and out within fifteen minutes. For me it's worth waking up 15 minutes early in the morning to save me 30 minutes of stress in the middle of my day!
- If super early doesn't work for you, even getting up and shopping before 8 AM will hugely decrease the traffic in the store, so try to get up and out if you can.
- Avoid shopping close to naptime if you have little ones, and during the evening rush hour if at all possible. ‘Nuf said.
- Not a morning person? Try shopping in the late evenings once the crowds have died down (and your kids are in bed . . .) and enjoy a little peace at the grocery store!
Don't forget to also check out these tips on making your cashier “happy” as you shop, and let me know what other tips you have. Early mornings work great for me, but I'd love to hear your suggestions too!
Getting there when the items are in stock is definitely helpful… I know certain stores re-stock on certain days (especially the drug stores) so knowing when can make life so much easier!
I will go to bilo at 8 pm…on Thursday they usually have plenty of sale items.
But do not do Walmart around midnight. They shut the registers down to run daily totals.
Really Janell? I didn’t know that – thanks for letting us know!
I love Publix on Sunday evening between 8pm and close. I have done this the last few weeks on our way home from my mother in laws and it is not crowded at all.
Sunday nights are great – especially if you have a well stocked store. I love going when it’s quiet there!