Save Money: Check Expiration Dates

My how checking expiration dates seems like such a common thing you need to do while shopping. But even veteran shoppers/couponers forget to do this. It is a huge waste of time and gas to have to go back to the store to return expired products.

Just this week, I (Shauna), went to Kroger to get my free Friday download, Emerald Breakfast on the Go! I had other things I was purchasing, and was just throwing everything into my shopping cart without checking them. I finally get home and realize that my box of Emerald Breakfast on the go expired four months ago! Sure, the item was free but what good does that do me if it is expired? Luckily I had to drive back to the same Kroger to pick up a 5 gallon bucket (the Bakery saved me one of their buckets and gave it to me for FREE - I needed this to make my own laundry detergent) so I exchanged the Emerald Breakfast for a new box.

Also, many of us couponers tend to buy a lot of one item at a time if we have a coupon making the price low or even free. This is where checking expiration dates really becomes needed. I typically do not grab the items right at the front, I go for the products at the very back since they tend to expire later. Grocery stores rotate their stock and always put the soonest expiring items at the front since shoppers will normally just grab what's easiest to reach. However, if you work a little harder, you will see that you can get the same item that doesn't expire for another two months or even at times two years! By getting the items that don't expire soonest, your stockpile items will last you a lot longer.

As with any couponing trip, just spending that little bit of extra time and extra work will always pay off!