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Quite simply, my "best by" date is my nose. It's best by the date that it smells bad.
Freezer-burn? Trim it off.
Sour milk? Use it for baking, or on cereal, which has plenty of sugar.
Dried out cheese edges? Chew them up and eat them while watching TV at night.
Bugs in meal? Protein.
Stale bread? Croutons or bread-pudding, or french toast.
I literally go weeks or months without throwing away anything besides banana peels and egg shells. If in doubt, eat it.
I have a bottle of ranch dressing I use occasionally. It's in the cupboard, room temperature, half used. Dated October, 2009. I used some a couple weeks ago. What could possibly be wrong with it? There are a dozen preservative chemicals in there to give it a shelf life of a hundred years.
Do you do it for frugal purposes or as a lifestyle choice? It seems like you're trying to pinch every penny.... but I can't imagine it's justified with the availability of affordable food in this country.
Do you do it for frugal purposes or as a lifestyle choice? It seems like you're trying to pinch every penny.... but I can't imagine it's justified with the availability of affordable food in this country.
Good question, and motivation for frugality is not often talked about here. My parents were married in 1930, so I grew up in household with a depression era mindset. My mother did not throw anything away, and I grew up with the same frame of mind. When I eat an apple, I have nothing left but the stem. That's just how things are done. It's my "religion" because I grew up that way, even though it may be just as irrational and illogical as your religion that is yours because you grew up in it.
It hurts me to see food (or anything else) wasted, the same way it hurts other people to see a dog kicked or a flag burned. It's a personal value that is wired into my psyche.
I've been debt free since I made my last car payment in 1972. That is wonderfully comforting. Most people I know are literally living their lives in a debtor's prison, in fitful misery and anxiety over their personal finances. My frugality has paid off in contented freedom. I can walk through a shopping mall, and not see a single thing that I want.
Good question, and motivation for frugality is not often talked about here. My parents were married in 1930, so I grew up in household with a depression era mindset. My mother did not throw anything away, and I grew up with the same frame of mind. When I eat an apple, I have nothing left but the stem. That's just how things are done. It's my "religion" because I grew up that way, even though it may be just as irrational and illogical as your religion that is yours because you grew up in it.
It hurts me to see food (or anything else) wasted, the same way it hurts other people to see a dog kicked or a flag burned. It's a personal value that is wired into my psyche.
I've been debt free since I made my last car payment in 1972. That is wonderfully comforting. Most people I know are literally living their lives in a debtor's prison, in fitful misery and anxiety over their personal finances. My frugality has paid off in contented freedom. I can walk through a shopping mall, and not see a single thing that I want.
You sir, are a non-conformist barbarian! In a world that trains people to buy-buy-buy you are the pariah that Wall Street hates to see.
1. How do you determine when to throw away fresh produce, like onions, lettuce or apples?
if its brown, mushy, or I get intoxicated from the produce, then its time to go.
2. Why can't you use the same method to determine when to throw away something that has been processed and prepackaged?
I have to agree, there are too many close "expiration" dates on products these days. I mean really, does hair gel go bad in a year?
What is it with expiration dates on NON-food items? I have bought deodorant, shampoo, and other items that were marked 50% off because they were past their use by dates. I even bought some PAPER CUPS one time that were past their "sell by" date.
What is it with expiration dates on NON-food items? I have bought deodorant, shampoo, and other items that were marked 50% off because they were past their use by dates. I even bought some PAPER CUPS one time that were past their "sell by" date.
the only time I ever questioned whether a product was good beyond the expiration date was when I opened up a bottle of lotion and water poured out followed by a big glob of goo...of course it was a bottle I bought 13 years ago.
the only time I ever questioned whether a product was good beyond the expiration date was when I opened up a bottle of lotion and water poured out followed by a big glob of goo...of course it was a bottle I bought 13 years ago.
Ok, I'm pretty casual about "use by" dates, but I think I'd be drawing the line with two year old unrefrigerated salad dressing - with or without the preservatives.
I do this with dried beans. In fact, I'm pre-cooking some kidney beans right now for tonight's chili. I'll put what I need into the chili and freeze the rest for a future meal when I won't have time to pre-cook them.
I have never bought a can of beans in my life - only the dried ones.
The one time that I tried to cook raw beans was impossible. Someone told me that I must have purchased very old beans. I think I read somewhere not to put anything in the water(salt?). I think I cooked them for half a day and they never softened.
Speaking of bugs, my brother's friend used to work in a bakery. He opened the cake mix one day and told his boss there were bugs in it. The boss said, "sift them out". So he did.
I knew a guy whose dad owned a local popular bakery that supplied local markets. He said in the morning they would fish rats out of the left over batter and then just add the new day's batter to that.
Then I worked with a fellow who had had a summer job while in school with a popular ice cream manufacturer. He said if some ice cream vat burst or some large amount fell on the floor it was swept up and put in the chocolate.
They seemed sincere, but it is hard for me to believe. However, this was years back before all the government regulations.
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In a world that trains people to buy-buy-buy you are the pariah that Wall Street hates to see. 
