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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anyone says I should feel lucky that he does the shopping at all, I usually do most of it, and yes, I have fed him out-of-date things before but he has a cast-iron stomach and it has no effect).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:

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 07/07/2018 15:00

I wouldn’t eat the bagged salad if it smells funny. They can be a Salmonella risk.

The bread should be ok though. And you can always freeze that.

HyacinthsBucket70 · 07/07/2018 15:01

I can't believe that people still go into a supermarket. We've used online food shopping for years - it's such less hassle, and Ocado are brilliant for long dates on stuff as it's not displayed in a shop. 15 minutes and it's all packed away instead of a 2 hours doing it ourselves.

Get online OP and save your sanity.

MissCharleyP · 07/07/2018 15:05

HyacinthsBucket70 I have never found this with online. Most stuff is on/near use by dates. My old flat mate used to do it and he never once got everything he asked for, something was always substituted (I know you can ask for no substitution but then you’re left with nothing to eat) usually a ‘brand’ for the supermarkets own brand.

PattiStanger · 07/07/2018 15:05

Do the people who don't look at the dates shop every day or have rigid food schedules?

It's totally normal to have a flexible meal plan for the week and recognise that sometimes something you planned to eat one day won't actually get eaten until 5 days later, it's basic common sense to minimise waste by buying food with a longer time to use without having to worry about freezing and defrosting especially if you don't have much freezer space.

If your milk is going to last all week of course you need to check the dates, milk is about the only thing I find that you can't really use for long after the date.

HyacinthsBucket70 · 07/07/2018 15:09

The last substitute we had on our shopping was at Christmas. I think Ocado must be different to other supermarkets though (as in open to the public) as there is a clear stock level when you order?

PerfectSunflowers · 07/07/2018 15:12

Ocado is not cheap

RafikiIsTheBest · 07/07/2018 15:16

I always look at the dates when buying anything 'fresh'. Not so much in terms of I will have to use it before then but to try to buy the freshest so it will last the longest. Is that not the norm? Surely the later the date (even by a day or two) will last longer. I don't tend to buy fresh stuff with today's date on any more as it's always spoilt, maybe that's just my local supermarket.
With salad, fruit and veg I tend to look more at the actual food than just the date, something which DP doesn't do. If the salad bag says it will last until x date it will last until then, surely? Then he gets huffy if I point out that if he even so much as looked at the contents he would realise it's already rotting because it's been squashed.

LuckyLuckyWoman · 07/07/2018 15:19

I wouldn't be too bothered by the salad and bread items, although I have noticed the bread is going mouldy far quicker in this heat. We don't eat a lot though.

Online is the way forward, then neither of you have to go shopping

phlewf · 07/07/2018 15:22

I do meal plan but not for set days. So I just use what needs used first, fish and soft fruit, bread wise it’s never gone off before it’s been used. I’m not sure how else to do it.

SugarIsAmazing · 07/07/2018 15:41

I deliberately buy short dated items because it is cheaper.
I currently have 4 four-pint milk cartons in my fridge dated the 9th of July but they will last at least three or four days longer than this.
Same as meat and fish, or anything that can be frozen.
Plus I buy reduced veggies and salad too, and if thry do go a bit soggy before they're eaten my bearded dragons, tortoise and rabbits eat them.

LizzieSiddal · 07/07/2018 15:51

I think it's mean to suggest he does it on purpose.

If I'm in a rush, I often forget to check the dates. I don't do it deliberatly, I just have something more important on my mind!

Put the stuff in the freezer OP.

MissCharleyP · 07/07/2018 15:52

Clinicallysilly · 07/07/2018 15:56

Shove it in the fridge/freezer and hope for the best! that's what we do in this house!

SilverySurfer · 07/07/2018 15:57

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

You make it sound like a good thing that your DH is so incapable of doing a basic shop that you now do it all. I bet he's having a good laugh and thinking 'phew, got out of that'. You do realise these 'men' do it on purpose don't you? Can you imagine what the reaction would be in his workplace if he was so useless and pathetic?

seventhgonickname · 07/07/2018 16:01

I dont tend to look at sell by dates.We do a main shop on Saturday morning or Friday evening if I'm not working.We top up with milk,bread and veg during the week.
I only have a little garden but grow mixed salad leaves,rocket and little gem 8n summer,they're doing great guns ATM.

Stormy76 · 07/07/2018 16:18

My DH does the shopping and I don't care because I hate going food shopping, it's too noisy and busy for me and I get trolley rage lol. He does check dates though, which is helpful. My son doesn't he cooked and ate out of date sausages ....apparently they tasted 'minty' and he couldn't eat all of them. He told his friends that I had bought weird 'designer' sausages that tasted rank. When I pointed out that they were not designer sausages but in fact out of date and I had had left them in the fridge because the bins were going out the following day and with the hot weather I didn't want them rotting and stinking in the food waste. I was accused of trying to poison him by leaving out of date food in the fridge for him to eat hahaha I pointed out that he has eyes on his face and should use them to check the dates so he doesn't eat food that out of date.

I now put the food in the bin just in case because I am pretty sure it would happen again hahahaha

Original poster

fourmileswide · 07/07/2018 16:51

The whole point of buying stuff with a long shelf life is that you can finish it before it goes off, surely. Which is why I'm miffed because I hate wasting food. And no, I don't automatically chuck out everything past its date - only the stuff that's on the point of growing tentacles and escaping from the fridge by itself..

Well the bread is dated tomorrow and is fine today. It won't be fine for sandwiches on Monday - which it would have been had he picked some with several more days left on the label. Can't put it in the freezer, it is small and pretty full already.

As for reminding him, we've been married 20 years and I've lost count of how many times I've mentioned it

So - shall I pelt him with squidgy blueberries or belabour him with the flaccid cucumber - or does anybody have any other ideas?

OP posts:

LizzieSiddal · 07/07/2018 17:19

I’d squueze half of the loaf of bread in the freezer and take it out on Sunday night.

PerfectSunflowers · 07/07/2018 19:17

Of course it will be fine for sandwiches on Monday - put it in the fridge. 😂

QuackPorridgeBacon · 07/07/2018 19:22

The bread will be fine. I was very troubled by eating things past the date until I moved in with my partner. He just sniffs or looks at things. With most things I’m the same but growing up with a family member who wasn’t so hot on things being off I got paranoid. Your bread will be fine on Monday. The longest I’ve eaten bread is 4 days past the date. Only because my partner made the sandwiches and I didn’t notice anything bad at all and we only bought it a day ago. The shop is known for bad dates so now we check everything. The bread was fine though and still looked fine five days after the date, I didn’t want to push it though and chucked it. Keeping it in the fridge would even get you to Tuesday I reckon. The salad never smells great from the bag so I’d rinse and check again. Usually it’s off when it’s been opened and starts to go brown. Any meat can be frozen.

JennieLee · 07/07/2018 19:38

shall I pelt him with squidgy blueberries or belabour him with the flaccid cucumber?

What you get up to in the privacy of the bedroom is your business....

SleepingInYourFlowerbed · 07/07/2018 19:42

I never take any notice of the date on bread. Just checked the label on the one we have open and its 5/7. It's still fine and perfectly fresh. You can tell when bread is off.

garethsouthgatesmrs · 07/07/2018 20:06

Well the bread is dated tomorrow and is fine today. It won't be fine for sandwiches on Monday

Yes it.will.but otherwise separate some of the bread and freeze that. Surely you can make room for a few slices in your freezer.

Cismyass · 07/07/2018 20:19

Send the gormless lump back to the shop to repeat the process but with food which will last. At his expense.

Clandestino · 07/07/2018 20:24

Bread and veggies - I'm not even looking at the best due date. It's meaningless. I'd be worried about meat products but the rest is open season.

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