7 Thanksgiving Grocery Items You Should Buy Weeks Before

It’s officially less than three weeks until Thanksgiving! Can you believe it?

And guess what?! You can get almost *all* of your food shopping for the big day out of the way now!

“One of the worst times to go shopping for Thanksgiving is in the days before when stores are a madhouse,” says Pamela Salzman, author of Kitchen Matters. “One thing that I like to do is not only get to the stores like three weeks early, but I also like to go really early in the morning.”

Here is her pre-Thanksgiving shopping list (BONUS: buying some of these items early = saving $$):

1) ROOT VEGETABLES
Root vegetables are designed by nature to hold their shape and consistency, so three weeks out is the perfect time to stock up on onions, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and parsnips. Store them in a cool, dry place.

2) NUTS
“Whether it’s pecans in my pie, nuts in a salad, or on my cheeseboard, all of these can stay totally fresh for three weeks,” explains Salzman. The same goes for any dried fruit!

3) BUTTER
The main ingredient on Thanksgiving! Whether you use it in your mashed potatoes, gravy, pie crust, or just as a topping on your dinner rolls, you can never have too much. Plus, it keeps forever in the fridge or freezer.

4) DRINKS
Stock up on sparkling water and wine. Salzman says she also uses loads of bourbon in her desserts—we’re partial to this Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Slab Pie! (This is also great time to purchase any other liquor you might need for the big day.)

5) SPICES
Spices go on sale this time of the year! Even if you don’t need any, it’s a great time to stock up and save money.

6) FROZEN ITEMS
Three weeks out is prime time for stocking up on ice cream and any other frozen foods you need. If you make your cranberry sauce from scratch (and you should!), you can buy frozen cranberries and make your cranberry sauce to keep for up to a week in the fridge. Or make your fresh sauce and freeze it!

7) TURKEY
No, you’re not going to take home the big bird three weeks out, but ordering a turkey in advance saves a lot of stress and headache. By reserving your turkey, you’re guaranteed to get the size you want.

And you don’t have to stop at shopping early. You can also get started on cooking weeks before with Pamela’s Make-Ahead Freezer Stuffing!