The Absolute Worst Day Of The Week To Buy Groceries At Walmart

Despite the rise of grocery delivery services, most of us — 74%, in fact, per Drive Research — are still hitting up physical grocery stores to stock the refrigerator and pantry. Walmart is currently the largest grocery retailer in America, and more than 255 million of us are spending at least some of our grocery dollars at the chain each week. With such a large customer base, it makes sense that store gets crowded from time to time, but smart shopping strategies can help you make the most efficient, convenient, and pleasant grocery trip possible. 

It turns out when you shop at Walmart is just as important as other grocery shopping hacks. Avoiding Walmart on its busiest day of the week — typically Saturday — can seriously cut down on the time you spend there. If you have to go grocery shopping on a Saturday, considering the time you hit up the store can make a difference. The most popular time for grocery shopping in America is Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., so try for an early morning, late afternoon, or early evening grocery trip if you have to pick up groceries on the weekend. If you can swing it, visit on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, the least busy times to shop at Walmart. Mornings also tend to be less busy than afternoons.

Carefully choosing the day and time that you go grocery shopping isn't the only thing you can do to make your weekly trip to the store less chaotic. Avoiding typical grocery shopping mistakes — like forgetting to check the amount of space you have available at home before purchasing bulk items, falling for this trick while walking down long aisles, and buying pre-prepared food — can help to save you time and money. Creating a super-detailed shopping list can also help you stick to your budget and cut down on the amount of time you spend in the grocery store, making it less likely that you'll be tempted by items you don't need.

If you're trying to decide whether it makes more sense for you to do your grocery shopping online, keep an eye out for sneaky ways it could cost you more money. While some grocery stores and delivery apps offer the same prices in-store and online, many charge higher prices in addition to delivery and service fees, which can seriously ramp up your grocery bill. The time you save may be worth the extra cash you'll shell out (especially if your schedule only allows you to get to the grocery store on super busy Saturdays), but grocery apps may not be the best idea if you're trying to save money.