You Might Be Shopping At Dollar Tree At The Worst Possible Times — This Is The Best Time To Go

Sometimes Dollar Tree is full of great deals and an ample selection of condiments, spices, kitchen supplies, drinks, cereal, must-grab Dollar Tree snacks, and more. Other times you walk into the store to find half-empty shelves and scattered products. What's available largely depends on the day of the week and time of day, and going at inopportune times can ruin the shopping experience.

In general, Saturdays and Sundays are bad news — lots of people have time off and use those days to get caught up on errands. Expect crowds, long lines, and sparse inventory. Weekday afternoons after about 3 p.m. also tend to get quite busy as folks do some last-minute shopping on their way home from work.

While these time frames may also be convenient for you, it really is worth carving out another moment. You're going to want to stop by Dollar Tree during off-times if you actually want to get your hands on those hidden gems that'll make a delicious meal for less. Many people say that weekday mornings are your best bet, especially before 10 a.m.

Aside from timing your visit, for the most abundant selection, the absolute best time to shop at Dollar Tree is after delivery trucks come in with new inventory. However, there's no hard and fast rule as to when that happens. Many stores are restocked by Thursday or Friday to prepare for the weekend. Some say that the trucks don't arrive at stores until Friday, and others noted Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays as delivery days — if you didn't catch it, that's almost every day of the week.

Ultimately, like with so many of life's great questions, the answer to when you should shop at Dollar Tree is ... it depends — but there is a solution. "You might want to ask the employees of your local store to see when their shipments come in," shared a Facebook commenter. But remember, just because you know when the trucks arrive doesn't mean the shelves will immediately be full. "Delivery dates vary, and depending on staffing and time of day, delivered inventory may not be put on shelves as it arrives," advised another Facebook user. It typically takes about a day for everything to get unloaded and shelved, but it's always best to get the inside scoop from employees.