Do you tend to shop all at once to gather items for holiday meals such as for Thanksgiving or Christmas? In my area, many of the common items will go on sale at various times just before each holiday. I try to pick up as many items as possible during those sales. Only the perishable items need to be purchased close to the actual date. I think I save a lot more money doing this, instead of trying to buy everything at once and at the last minute.
I always get everything on one big shopping trip, usually on the 23rd December. I always get up at around 6am to be at the supermarket for 7. It's a little quieter then! Christmas is the one time where I don't pay so much attention to the prices of the goods. usually, I'll visit up to three different supermarkets on shopping day, to get the best prices but that can go stuff itself at Christmas. I just want to be in and out before the crowds build up. I always do this shopping trip on my own too - my OH is a pain in the butt when it comes to supermarket shopping at any time of year and I can't deal with him when doing the Christmas shopping. He does his bit by cleaning out the fridge and the cupboards ready for all the food - a job I detest.
Me too, I shop over time for the holidays and buy what's on sale. I make a tentative menu for the holidays and hope the sales coincide with my menu plans for the year and shop accordingly when things are on sale. Everything except fresh produce and fruits do I buy before hand and wait for the fresh produce to by the week of the holiday event to buy it. Love the holidays! Happy early Thanksgiving everyone!
I try to buy the smaller items first so I don't end up forgetting about them when the holiday is nearer and I'm more stressed and panicked. That way I could just focus on the big items later on and I don't have to worry about the perishable meat items. I like to buy the smaller ingredients like spices and broths, and other items I can easily just store or refrigerate and won't take up too much room in my pantry or refrigerator.
I stock up as I go along generally because of space. I know people are afraid that the stores will sell out and that is a factor as people panic buy, but it's only food and you will survive. I am more laid back about things because I don't take them as seriously. People tend to shop later because the items will be fresher and that's what counts, plus making sure there is enough food for afterwards. Cakes is my thing and everywhere ran out of a chocolate log roll when I left it too late to buy one.
We have no choice but to go to the market on the early morning of December 24th to buy fresh ingredients for cooking our Christmas food. There is no other way because we do not stock on the meat especially with fish and seafood. It is the freshness of the food that is our priority. The ordeal of marketing on December 24th is repeated on December 31st for the New Year celebration.
I usually buy all items I'll need for holiday meals at once, a week or so before the big day because in our home town they tend to hike up the prices a little before the holidays because they are sure no one will be traveling out of town to shop. While yes I might be forced to buy one or two things which don't cost much a day or two before the holiday, I always try to avoid that because like many other people apart from the savings [which I must think of], I also hate shopping with the crowds.
I generally prefer to shop over time rather than leave everything to the last minute - as apart from the fact - that where I live everything costs more - as food prices usually more than double a couple of weeks prior to any holiday - if I leave it to the last minute - not only is it a particularly unpleasant experience that takes way, way longer than normal, due to the volume of people - but more importantly - as stocks are usually starting to run low at that time - I normally land up having to comprise on what I was originally planning to buy. Also as I prepare everything we eat from scratch - it allows me to have the bulk of the cooking done in advance - so that I too can enjoy the festivities - without having to spend long hours in the kitchen preparing food and clearing up.
I would be concerned with bringing too much stuff with me to the point that I won't be able to carry all of them, so I would just rather shop bit by bit even if I do not get to avail of the other deals available.
I I try to buy the items I need when I see them on sale or for a good price. That reminds me, when I go in the area next week, I need to go to Aldi's to see what they have and the prices. I know I saw a pecan pie in their for not much money the last time I was in the store. It might be good to purchase one for Thanksgiving.
This year I will be stocking up as I go along, everyone is making something for the meal to make it special. In the past I did everything in one big shopping day.
I try to get everything all at once, just to get it out of the way... but it never fails that I'll forget to grab something or I'll change my mind on what all I want to make, so I end up going three or four times to pick things up.
This is another really good point. I make a lot of stuff from scratch as well, and I like to do as much in advance as possible. Some things are better if I wait, but anything that can be done of ahead of time will be done ahead of time. Saving time is saving money too, right? If I'm really organized, I even get the serving pieces and everything out and ready to go. I like to be able to get out of the kitchen too, so I can enjoy the time with my family as much as possible. It should be a holiday for everyone, including the cook.
We shop all at once during the holidays and this is what we have been doing for the past few years. This is our practice because we want to save money and also avoid the rush of the people in the store, especially on days where Christmas Day is almost near. Stores usually have discount and promos when buying in large amounts so we choose to buy the ingredients of meals in bulk so that it will be more cost effective and convenient to have all the products stocked at home in time for the holidays. We have experienced having to rush with a lot of people during the holidays, who also are buying for food ingredients, and we do not want this to happen anymore, so this is also a reason why we buy the food products all at once.
I typically break my holiday shopping trips into a couple of trips because ingredients go on sale at different times. I always stock up on certain things during the holiday season because they go on sale for very cheap. I purchase quite a few boxes of things like stuffing and then use them throughout the year. You can save up to 50% on items when you buy them in bulk during the holiday season.
