I was at a liquidator store a while back looking for some kids t-shirts for a girl-scout project and ran across a hefty grocery section. Normally, I’m not one to buy expired food, but I recently found a great web site www.stilltasty.com and can figure out the actual “spoilage” date versus the pull dates.

I found a really nice parmesan filled tortellini at the liquidator’s for about thirty cents a pound and picked up several boxes. The colors (tomato and spinach) in the pasta begin to fade after a year on the shelf, but the food is good for several years beyond that.

Cottage cheese can be kept many months beyond the pull date—just invert the container. Nobody knows why this works—it just does.

“Last day” items can be picked up and frozen for later use. Dented cans can be used so long as they aren’t broken or oozing or bulging.

Coffee’s pull-date is really a “for freshness” date. Coffee is a fine post-dated, but may not be as aromatic. (Try microwaving the beans or toasting them in a skillet before grinding).

There are a few things that you should never buy beyond their expiration dates.
Baking mixes mold but you can’t see or smell the mold. Once the mix is cooked, the food item can become quite toxic. Stay away from old baking mixes.

Dented cans can be used provided that the seal is still strong. Never buy a bulging or leaking can. The bulging ones are especially dangerous for food poisoning, but they also can explode!

This post is part of a series I’ve entitled “Frugal August” and is inspired by (though not copied from) the book The Complete Tightwad Gazetteby Amy Dacyczyn. My tips are meant to build on hers, but generally are not duplications.