Operation: xmas food shop

[mountainboo]

Yes I know it's early but through years of being packed into the supermarket like a sardine, fighting over the last brussell sprout with about 5 other people and constantly crashing into other peoples trolleys because the entire population of the area is also there doing their xmas food shop, I've had enough so this year I am approaching it like a mission. So, I need to know how you all do your xmas food shop successfully? Can you tell me A. What time I should go to the supermarket but more importantly how I avoid the mass of people? B. How I still get a full choice of food? I dont mind going late at night or very early in the morning, TIA

[redcrx]

This year we are going to the in-laws for 4 days so i wont have to do the food shop with a bump and a toddler.

Other years ive tried:

shopping after work on my last day - manic

shopping late in eve (10pm ish) quiet but not much fresh veg about

buying some veggies frozen early and only going last minute for cheeses etc - elbow wars at cheese counters

getting all food a week earlier apart from veg and then getting up early xmas eve and going to market for veg - was fine but then i was rtoo tired to enjoy rest of day lol

Its really going to be a case of get what you can when you see it really and be prepared to go shopping with just a few hours to spare.

try and find out when the shelves get stocked of fresh veg and go at that time. If a delivery arrives at 7am, go at 7.30.

Just get as much of the long life stuff in the weeks before so you dont have too much to buy in one go.

[sleepyj]

on line shop ....

[mountainboo]

Thanks redcrx, yet again you have come to the rescue. I will call tescos nearer the time to find out what time they're deliveries are and when they stack the shelves. Have fun at the in-laws.
Sleepj, I regularly do my shop on the internet, unfortunately I regularly get 'substitutions' and are usually things I don't want and also they only pick the first thing they see, which alot of the time is stuff with a short sell by date etc. So you can appreciate why I wont be trusting them with the most expensive food shop of the year!

[redcrx]

wonder what the substitute for turkey would be? lol

Had i been stopping at home for xmas Id have probably considered getting all the heavy bottles and tins of chocs etc early and via online ordering, but i wouldnt trust it with my veggies, milk, cream, hams and cheeses.

[annie0000]

You can pre-order things from Marks & Spencer and then collect before Christmas. Expensive, but then you are guaranteed to get your turkey!

[leelapops]

You guys go all out at Christmas! It's like a military operation!
We don't have kids, so this year my partner and I will be at home for Christmas with the dog, and then we are all going up to my parents' for the New Year period (just so
we get to see them-NY isn't a massive deal to us).

My partner works at a big supermarket, and he's just received his discount card, so when he gets paid this month, we will go and get all our heavy and long-life stuff. Meat we can buy at the beginning of December and freeze, veg we can get the weekend before. I think queues are one of those things that are really quite inevitable at Christmas, which is why I have done all my Christmas shopping now and will be living like reclusive hermit until December 23rd!

But evening shopping, or better still, early morning if you can make it, is always a good idea. Just takes a bit of planning and some graduating of stocks.

10-4 mountainboo, Roger and out... x

[Reverandfunk]

Why is a Xmas shop so different to shopping at any other time? Ok maybe a bit more stuff but its only like a sunday dinner lol

And of course dont forget the shops dont re-open til at least boxing day lol

[mountainboo]

lol leelapops, and thanks.
reverandfunk, thats the trouble, people always act like the shops are going to be closed for a week. We always spend double on our xmas food shop than on our weekly shop because we get everything we shouldn't.
I have the turkey covered as I get that from the butcher, its all the other stuff. Cheers for your input everyone

[whiffey]

Order in bulk King Prawn phall now, enough to serve the entire family. Freeze it down. Problem solved.

Christmas Day is the one day of the year when it is ok to serve Brussels Sprouts (20 per head) with a phall. Microwave Uncle Bens basmati, a bottle of port, and off down the yellow brick road with Julie Andrews, or The Great Escape.

Big round things to the Queen's Speech.