The Absolute Worst Day Of The Week To Go Grocery Shopping

It's been a long week, and you've finally made it to the weekend. After meeting up with friends, spending time with the family, or catching a movie on Friday night, Saturday morning rolls around — and you suddenly realize your refrigerator needs a fill-up. Unfortunately, other people are having the same realization at the exact same time — it's the end of their work week, and they need groceries. Invariably, therefore, the masses are converging on the supermarket at the same time, making Saturday the worst day of the week to go shopping.

To narrow it further, Saturdays between the hours of 10 a.m. and 1:59 p.m. are when grocery stores are busiest, according to Drive Research. So, if you must hit the supermarket on a Saturday, you should try to get there early in the morning. (Don't want to get up early on a Saturday? Neither does anybody else — that's why the store is less crowded.) Later at night is also better — and this holds true on any given day, though you'll still encounter more people on a Saturday evening than you would on a weeknight.

Weekday evenings anywhere in the 5 p.m. vicinity are also less desirable for hitting the market — the bulk of people are getting off work and stopping to shop on their way home. Just as you want to avoid the freeways during rush hour, you also want to steer clear of the grocery store.

To avoid crowds, Drive Research reports that Tuesday nights after 8 p.m. are when grocery store traffic is lightest. Mondays also rank as a lighter day (with the exception of that dreaded rush hour when people are getting off work). On any given weekday, going earlier in the morning or later at night is a safer bet for encountering fewer people.

There are reasons you may want to venture out on a different weekday, though. For example, many stores debut their weekly sales on Wednesdays, so shopping as early as possible on that day helps you get a fair crack at the sale items before they're gone (you can always ask for a rain check, but keep in mind it isn't always possible to get one).

It's additionally worth asking workers in your preferred store when certain items are stocked, helping ensure the products you need are available when you shop and that you're able to pick the freshest produce (Sundays are generally known to be the worst day for buying fresh fruit, for instance). Every store has a different schedule, and popular grocery chains have differing optimal shopping days, tied to their promotions and other factors. So, the best course of action is to just ask — employees and managers are generally glad to help.