What's The Best Time Of Day To Find Grocery Store Deals?

As Americans continue to face sticker shock at the supermarket and prices seem to keep going up, people are looking for ways to save money. After doing things like sticking to meal plans so you buy less, choosing more affordable foods, and cutting back on splurge items, is there anything more you can do? One way to snag the best deals is simply by choosing the best time of day to shop, which means getting to the grocery store early in the morning, as soon as possible after it opens.

When you shop that early, you have the best chance of finding items whose prices have just been reduced before or at opening because they're nearing their expiration dates and the store wants to sell them. Shopping early also gives you access to freshly stocked food, helping ensure better quality for items like meat and dairy, which means you're getting a better product for your money.

If you can't shop that early in the morning, a possible backup time is later in the afternoon, evening, or night on Sundays, when products that didn't sell over the busy weekend may be discounted. Monday can also be a good day to shop for the same post-rush reason.

The day of the week you shop can help cut your food bill, too. Grocery stores' new sales periods often go into effect on Wednesdays, making that the day when the greatest selection of freshly reduced products is available. The weekend effect that leads to Sunday afternoon and Monday markdowns can also bring lower meat prices on Thursday and Friday. As new inventory comes in for the busy days ahead, the price of older meat that's still perfectly fine may be lowered to clear it out. Speak to the workers if you can to confirm whether these sale cycles and markdown days apply at your store, and find out the schedule if they don't.

Other timing advice is more about you than the store. The old adage about not shopping while you're hungry because you'll be tempted to buy more is still around for a reason. The same is true when you're tired, as you may be more likely to be tempted by items you didn't plan to purchase. Don't shop until you've written a shopping list, or, better yet, try ordering online, which can help you save money because you can see your running total.

A few final tips are to download your store's app and join its loyalty program if it has one, which may provide the deepest discounts. Shopping while wearing headphones can also help because some music, including what's playing in the store, may encourage you to spend more.