Christmas food shopping - when do you?

I tend to do perishables on the 23rd with the idea that I can always dash out on Christmas Eve if I forget anything. Nearly 20 years ago when our local Sainsbury's had started 24hr opening I went along one night after visiting DH in hospital. I thought it would be a good chance to get all the Christmas vegetables and save time next day. I was greeted by rows of empty shelves and had to shop next day anyway!

I may possibly join you then. I am on my own and have dry goods in but like yourself, I need fruit, veg and bread but in smaller quantities. I also want to choose my own because I do not trust supermarket "pickers" from past experience. I have not even decided what to have for my meal, possibly a sirloin steak or maybe a boiled egg? I am not bothered.

Family arriving from uk on Saturday- so will do big shop on Thursday- to avoid crowds, and cook a stew, and maybe a bolognese on Friday and finish the cleaning and make beds on Friday- mince pies on Saturday.

Then will do another shop with daughter on 23rd- with other daughter arriving on 24th at Geneva airport, which will be mayhem (1h30 mins from here)- DH will go perhaps with Sil, whilst others do cooking and look after kids.

I get up at 3.00 am in Christmas Eve and head off to our local Tesco (cos they're open all night).

No traffic on the road.

The car park is virtually empty.

There's only the shelf stackers and a couple of check out staff, myself and a couple more lunatics one or two others with the same idea, in the shop.

The staff are friendly.

The shelves are full.

I do my shop, there are no queues at the till.

I head home. Unpack shopping. Have a quick cup of tea and go back to bed for a few hours.

Job done.

We have our local market in our small nearby town on Tuesdays, so will pop in there, as we also have to collect the pre-ordered meat from the local butcher at the same time.

The butcher is going to be closed on the Saturday before Christmas! He won't even say why. It's odd, isn't it? About four of them work in there. I'm wondering if they have picked Saturday for their Christmas party or something!

I am planning to go on Tuesday.
Not as early as 6am though, more like 8 or 9am.

Presumably they restock overnight Monday night?

What is your thinking about 6am. Are you trying to avoid traffic?

I only need to shop for the perishables now. DD will be providing the turkey as she is given one from work every year. The freezer is full to bursting with mince pies, sausage rolls, fancy bread, brandy butter etc. The veg is also coming from DD's work.

DD has Mondays off so we'll be heading out very early to get all the last minute stuff as DD2 and the DGCs will be arriving on Tuesday. DSIL left for six months in the Falklands last Sunday so we'll be missing him

DS and family are coming for New Year so off we'll go again.

I have always shopped for perishable at about 7am on Christmas Eve. I go then to avoid the crowds and because there is always plenty of fresh veg. I think they stack it up over night ready for the rush but I get there before that.

I have been buying other food stuff for weeks. Had to clear out the freezer to make room for the turkey, ham etc. couple of weeks ago.

Starting at the beginning of November, I buy one or two items per week, leaving just fruit, veg, and salad stuff to get on Christmas Eve, plus collect mince pies from the bakery, these are freshly baked on the premises, and taste just like home made, saving me a job, cos I hate making pastry!

I juts have my usual delivery from Sainsbury (never had trouble with the quality) on Thursday with some extras in and then pick up pre ordered Turkey etc from Sainsbury on Monday.
Last year I went into Sainsbury early but not too early on Christmas Eve all the shelves were fully stocked also with turkeys and all Christmas produce and the store was empty - they say their big rush is the day before Christmas Eve.
we are lucky enough to have a fresh food market here on Christmas Eve.

When my local Waitrose opens around 7.30 am on Tuesday I will be there. I expect to be out of it by 8.15. I will then drive round to the local turkey farm to collect my turkey and imbibe a glass of mulled wine. From there I will go to my local farm shop to collect gammon, sausage meat and a few other things, all pre-ordered and with a bit of luck I will be back home 9.00ish and by 9.30 I expect to be relaxing in the kitchen over breakfast and the newspapers.

I will then, hopefully not go near another shop until at least 29 December when DH and family descend from the north like Vikings.

Soon - my thinking of 6.00 am is that my local supermarket gets quite busy on an ordinary day by 8 or 9, so heavens knows what it will be like next week. Hopefully I will beat some of the crowds with such an early start. Fingers crossed.

Husband announced yesterday that he has taken the day off today and on the 'to do' list is food shopping for Christmas - he kindly offered to accompany me!! (wish me luck)

One of my daughters insists on accompanying me when I do mine. She goes around with a seperate trolley to pick up her wants! Then I put a few of her items back on the shelves again!

I am picking up my fresh meat/fish veg and salad shopping and all extra's on Christmas Eve from M&S we are booked in for 6.15 am collection at our Just Food Store we will no doubt add to our order when we are in store,I don't like leaving it this late but that was only slot available when DIL did the booking.

I'd normally go early on Christmas Eve, but since this wretched lack of mobility and the pain, I have been ordering fresh stuff on my weekly Sainsburys online order, and it has all been very good quality. So I have a delivery booked for Monday. Also, I have DD close by and she is cooking on Christmas Day.

(Was due for the hip op today - postponed until Jan.7th but because of emergencies, which I do understand.)

Oh, ariadne what a disappointment re the postponement, sorry you're in pain

Thank you! It will be my most organised Christmas ever, because, of course, every present is wrapped, every card written....hey ho!

Ariadne How awful for it to be postponed but as you say emergencies come first,it sounds as though you have everything in order though I have always found Sainsburys online ordering does deliver good quality produce and have never been disappointed with my orders. Take care x

Ariadne - how awful for you to be all psyched up and then for your op to be postponed. Let's hope you can take advantage of your advance planning to take it easy.

Hope you feel better soon Ariadne.

Dragging DH to Sainsburys 6 am Monday for perishable stuff, least he can do as everything else (I think) sorted. He's complaining already (oh joy!) will definitely need more than one by end of Monday!
Decorations to put up this weekend when he hopefully will do the outside ones -just hope lights still work!

When I did the whole big Christmas bit, with up to 12 people arriving, I always had an M&S order in to be collected on Christmas Eve -Turkey, prepared veg etc. but I completely refused to go and collect it, sending DH and whichever grown up child or partner had already arrived. This was in the days of working full time and commuting.

I'm very lucky. My youngest daughter says Christmas is 'pay back time' for all the child minding we do throughout the year. We stay at her house and just play with the children and have everything done for us!