Even though people are seemingly busier than ever before, most people still try to find the time to carry out a big grocery shop once a week. There are online options and there is an opportunity to pick up things every day on a need to buy basis but there are too many benefits that arise from a big weekly shop to make any other option viable. The weekly grocery shop provides people and families with the chance to save money by buying in bulk and it allows people to see the quality of fresh produce.

With the benefits of the weekly grocery shop being apparent, it is obvious that people need to think about what time is best for them. The pressure of work and home life may not provide much spare time to carry out a weekly shop but if you have some flexibility, there is a lot to be said for shopping at a time that provides you with benefits.

If you are on a budget or you want to find the best possible value, you should look to shop in the hour or two before a store closes. This is because many grocery shops will reduce the price of certain products so as to minimise the amount of stock they have left or the amount of waste they accumulate at the end of each day. This can provide the frugal shopper with great quality food at a much lower price than would have been paid if they had shopped a few hours earlier. Some of the produce you can find at lower prices includes bakery produce, meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. All of which means you can eat healthy for a healthy price if you carry out your grocery shopping late at night.

Fresh produce can be found early in the morning

Of course, for some people, fresh produce is more important and this can facilitate an early morning grocery shop. There are benefits to be gained from shopping at a quiet time, providing you with more space and comfort to carry out your shop in peace. However, by shopping early in the morning, you will gain access to bread and rolls that have just been baked. If you appreciate a nice roll in the morning or for your lunch, shopping early in the morning can have its benefits.

Know the times you shouldn't do your grocery shopping

When working out the best time to carry out your grocery shopping, there will be times you will want to avoid. Late afternoon when parents are returning from the school run and looking to shop before heading home should be avoided. Kids and parents are inevitably at their most tetchy post school but before dinner, so you can expect to hear a lot of noise and be subjected to a busy store. If you prefer to get in and get out, this is not the time for you.

The same can be said for the period directly after standard office hours because this will inevitably be a busy period. You may find that there is a scramble for the best food, the individual fish, meat, bakery, pizza and chicken counters are likely to be busy and the queues can put you off going shopping in the first place. Unfortunately, many people have no option but to carry out their grocery shopping at this time but if you have the choice, you should always look to shop elsewhere. Weekends can also be busy for grocery shopping but again, the same basic principles apply. Go early or go late and you can avoid the crowd and benefit through freshness or financial savings. There is no great secret or surprise about finding the best times to shop but with some common sense, you should be able to make the shopping process slightly easier.