The Best Time to Go Grocery Shopping for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is full of family bonding opportunities, including that stressful pre-feast trip to the grocery store. But figuring out when to go to the grocery store for your Thanksgiving shopping can be tricky—at least if you want to maintain your holiday cheer.

Fortunately, data from Google Maps can help. Keep reading for the best and worst times to go grocery shopping to prep for Turkey Day, plus a few extra shopping tips that just might save you time.

When to Shop for Thanksgiving

If the Monday before Thanksgiving is not ideal, depending on your schedule (and when you want to start Thanksgiving meal prep), consider shopping any of these times during the week of Thanksgiving:

• Monday, an hour before the store closes
• The Saturday before Thanksgiving, right when the store opens
• The Saturday before Thanksgiving, an hour before the store closes
• Tuesday or Wednesday right when the store opens

No matter what day you end up going, we recommend shopping either first thing in the morning or late at night to avoid the crowds.

The Worst Times to Go Thanksgiving Shopping

Don't plan on going the morning of Thanksgiving without confirming your store will be open first. We ranked the worst days and times to go shopping the week of Thanksgiving from the absolute worst to still pretty bad:

• Thanksgiving Day all-day
• Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon
• Tuesday and Wednesday evening
• The Saturday before Thanksgiving during the afternoon
• Tuesday and Wednesday mid-morning
  

Thanksgiving Shopping Tips

Plan Ahead

The key to avoiding crowds and having the best possible Turkey Day is to plan ahead for your Thanksgiving dinner. Make your grocery list, pick a quieter time to go grocery shopping, and make an efficient trip. If you're ordering food from a local restaurant or dining out for your feast, see if you can put in your order or make a reservation now—the last thing anyone wants on Thanksgiving is a sudden change of plans because of overcrowding.

The absolute best time to start shopping for Thanksgiving actually begins weeks ahead of the holiday. Shop in advance for non-perishable items and anything that will stay fresh until Turkey Day.

Here's a list of Thanksgiving groceries you can purchase way ahead of time to prepare for the big feast:

• Seasonings and spices
• Canned pumpkin
• Pie crust (if you don't plan on making it yourself)
• Marshmallows
• Cream cheese
• Fried onions
• Butter
• Canned cranberry sauce
• Flour
• Sugar
• Chicken broth
• Oil
• Meat thermometer
• Cookware
• Foil
• Beverages

Utilize Curbside Pickup

Nowadays, curbside pickup is just about the easiest way to get groceries, and many grocery stores offer this service for free. Simply add what you need to your online cart, checkout, and then drive up at the time designated for your order. Then, the grocery clerks will bring all your groceries out to your car.

If you are one who does not enjoy the crowds, this may be the best option for you. Plus, with this option, you can better keep track of what you have in your "basket," and even see your running total—so you won't have any surprises at checkout.

Stock Up on Extra Ingredients

To avoid having to make multiple trips to the store, buy a few extra ingredients. There's nothing worse than realizing you have one too few pie crusts or are short a few eggs. Consider getting additional ingredients such as an extra gallon of milk, a few more sticks of butter, and another tin of fried onions. It never hurts to have a few extra ingredients in your fridge and stocking up on them can save you a stressful trip to the grocery store the day before the big feast.