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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

DH has done it again...

89 replies

fourmileswide · 07/07/2018 13:35

Aaarghhh!! He's been shopping and come home with heaps of stuff that has today's or tomorrow's date on it.

AIBU to expect him to use his common sense and check the use-by dates when he does a food shop? I've asked him over and over and over again to check and buy whatever has the longest date, and every single time he comes home with stuff on its last legs.

Why can't he look at the date? Is it really so hard?
(and before anyone says I should feel lucky that he does the shopping at all, I usually do most of it, and yes, I have fed him out-of-date things before but he has a cast-iron stomach and it has no effect).

What can I do to change him?

OP posts:

Ethylred · 07/07/2018 14:13

YABU to pay any attention to those dates.
They have no meaning, they're just put there by the food industry to justify throwing stuff away and thereby keeping their prices up.

phlewf · 07/07/2018 14:16

I can’t remeber ever looking at the date of a product in the supermarket. I only look if someone has gone bad and I know it was bought recently. I’m going to check the date on the bread when I get home because I have literally never looked.

FindoGask · 07/07/2018 14:16

"Please tell me people don't really throw food out based on the date, rather than by the look / smell of the actual product?"

Obviously you must know that lots of people do this, unless you live in a cave (which happens to have internet access just so you can post on mumsnet)

As it happens I mostly agree with you, except I'm more conservative with meat. The 'sniff test' is limited at detecting harmful bacteria.

AmericanEskimoDoge · 07/07/2018 14:18

Not sure what to do about the salad, but bread can be frozen.

We do it all the time. Some bread, we find is actually "fresher" if it's frozen right away and defrosted (less than half a minute in the microwave, a piece or two at a time, as needed) than if we leave it out for a few days, which makes some bread dry out very quickly. Just be sure to use freezer bags or at least double up on regular food storage bags-- and don't wait too long to use it up or it will get freezer burn or start to taste "freezery".

Fivelittleduckies · 07/07/2018 14:18

Seems a pretty pointless question to ask then Adora - why do you do grocery shopping?

Fernie6491 · 07/07/2018 14:19

I must be fortunate - my DH actually lifts up the baskets in the fruit and veg sections to get at the fresher stuff underneath. And he'll always go right to the back of a shelf in the chilled section to see if he can find something even just one day better than that at the front!

toolazytothinkofausername · 07/07/2018 14:19

My DH did the same twice. I no longer allow him to do the fresh grocery shop.

WigglyBlossom · 07/07/2018 14:26

My DH did the same twice. I no longer allow him to do the fresh grocery shop.

Win, win situation for him then.

Branleuse · 07/07/2018 14:35

im terrible for buying reduced cabinet things and not managing to get through it all.
Have you got a freezer?

I dont find i need to eat bagged salad on the date. It still lasts for a good few days. Most vegetables last loads longer - weeks even. Sandwiches last a few more days.
Anything meat or fish based, id freeze

JennieLee · 07/07/2018 14:38

With bagged salad the sensible thing is to empty the bag rinse it all out and pick out any leaves that are past their best. Given the price reduction, it is more likely that overall money will have been saved - not wasted.

It is a good day for eating salad, and left over stuff can be put in sandwiches...

I also very much like using slightly older bread for bread and butter pudding or eggy bread. (Breadcrumbs - which can be frozen - are also a useful ingredient for many dishes.)

HeebieJeebies456 · 07/07/2018 14:39

It's stuff like salad and bread

....which will still be edible for a few days after the sell/use by date-plus you can freeze excess bread.

Iloveacurry · 07/07/2018 14:41

He probably does it so you don’t send him shopping again!

cordeliavorkosigan · 07/07/2018 14:43

Rinse the rocket and sniff again. It's probably fine. Don't throw away good food for a date in the package.

Crinkle77 · 07/07/2018 14:43

I don't really bother with the dates on stuff although I do find bag lettuce goes off quite quick especially once opened so I always dig to the back to find the best date. Fresh bread baked in store does not tend to keep as long so I would also look for the longest date but you can freeze it.

HazelBite · 07/07/2018 14:44

Your mistake is sending him out on a Saturday I've noticed that a lot of the Supermarkets, don't top up their shelves on a Saturday wanting to get rid of products that have been hanging around a while.

You get better use by/sell by dates if you shop on a Sunday if you have to shop over the weekend.

Yorkshirepudding1987 · 07/07/2018 14:46

Don't think I've ever looked at the date on bread or salad

Faez · 07/07/2018 14:47

I'm happy to rely on my senses to tell me what has spoiled and will often eat food that is way past it's date but Tesco is terrible for fruit and veg being on its last legs while still on the shelves. Half of the reduced section is usually manky stuff.. I'm sure it's not just my store.

Hawkie · 07/07/2018 14:50

Do you know where people who are experiencing homelessness tend to hang out on a sunny Saturday where you live? I'm sure they would appreciate some free bread and salads if you cannot use them all.

MissCharleyP · 07/07/2018 14:50

Not his fault completely. I’ve noticed lately that hardly anything is dated longer than 4/5 days. We bought bread today, all loaves were dated tomorrow, longest date I found on cream was the 11th. Very hard to get stuff that lasts a week. I don’t mind eating stuff past the date, but DH is immune compromised at the moment so we have to be more careful with his food.

Oakmaiden · 07/07/2018 14:51

Unless you are shopping in a very small supermarket, or using unusual types, then there is unlikely to be much difference in dates if you dig through. Bread certainly will only have a day's difference max (so best before the 15th or the 16th) because it moves so quickly.

Clutterbugsmum · 07/07/2018 14:54

I never look at dates when buying food.

Salad bits get washed and put in fridge and original packets get thrown away along any other packets if I have ham for sandwiches etc get stored in air tight boxes.

Blushroses · 07/07/2018 14:56

I notice a lot of shoppers just grab stuff without looking at a date. I always check and get the longest date possible. My local Sainsbury’s is known for selling out of date breads, fruit and veg the “fresh stuff “ is today’s date or going off the next day or two, because they over order. It’s also the reason I won’t get online deliveries.

Flisspaps · 07/07/2018 14:56

Why would you look at the date on bagged salad?

What would you do with loose veg that comes without a date on it?!

Munchyseeds · 07/07/2018 14:58

In this house if it looks, smells and tastes ok...it's usually ok
Use by dates are a bit of a con as far as I can see
Not sure if you will change the way he shops tho

PerfectSunflowers · 07/07/2018 14:59

Bread - Yabu.

Salad - how much can he have bought that means you can't eat it today and tomorrow?

If it was meat you could freeze it too, I'm not huge on best before dates, they are usually on the cautious side.

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