Pushing a large, loaded shopping cart through Costco's crowded aisles and around their many food sampling stations probably isn’t anyone’s idea of the perfect weekend activity. If crowds aren’t your thing or you simply want a faster shopping experience at Costco, these are the most strategic times to visit the warehouse chain.

According to Laura Lamb, the creator of Instagram’s @CostcoHotFinds, the least crowded times to shop are between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, which is after the lunchtime crowd and before the evening crowd. However, if you can't shop on a weekday afternoon, you don’t have to sacrifice yourself to the crowds just yet.

In general, shopping at Costco any time Monday through Friday will be less busy than the weekends, but Fridays and Mondays can be a bit busier due to customers stocking up for the weekend or for the week ahead. However, if trying as many samples is your goal, then plan to visit between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on the weekends.