This Is The Worst Day To Shop For Thanksgiving Dinner

A lot goes into preparing for Thanksgiving, especially if you're the one hosting dinner. To have a smooth and successful dinner that both you and your guests can enjoy, it's important to have a solid strategy every step of the way. Not only does this include knowing what to shop for, but it also means knowing the best time to do the shopping.

How to Cut Your Thanksgiving Grocery Bill in Half

According to "Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America" by Michael Ruhlman, the absolute worst day to go to the supermarket for the ingredients for your Thanksgiving side dishes and your turkey is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. This year, that falls on Nov. 26.

"Everyone thinks that on Wednesday they will contend with nightmare crowds, so they all try to beat the rush by shopping Tuesday," Ruhlman wrote in his book.

That turns Tuesday at your local grocery store into a nightmare, while Wednesday is relatively relaxed, although still not a great option, considering a lot of the best options are gone or thoroughly picked through.

The best time to buy your turkey and all the other necessary ingredients is a week or so before Turkey Day, if not earlier. Knowing the right time to hit the grocery store is just one of many tips and strategies for easy Thanksgiving shopping.