Money Moral Dilemma: Is it OK to fill my freezer with 'yellow sticker' bargains?

Counsellhouse

I often see people on forums saying "I've just bought 10 packs of xxxxx - what shall I do with it"  
In my opinion this is the wrong thing to do.  Buy what you need or can use, nothing wrong with buying an extra one or two for the freezer but don't be greedy.  Leave some for others who may be in need

mikb

Wizzbang said:

 I buy less and less yellow stickers, they're not good value because they're so close to their date, they go off in the freezer. I got sick of removing bread or baked goods, only to find the were covered in green mould. Or worse, smelly meat.

Two thoughts: Have you checked the actual temperature of your freezer? And did you check the yellow-sticker items for mould before it went in? If you "got sick of ..." it sounds like an ongoing thing.

If your freezer is properly cold (-18'C) then I wouldn't expect you to be reporting that outcome. However, there have been times I've rejected a yellow-sticker bread/crumpets/baked  "Buy It While It's Fresh" because it was actually "Hope You Don't Notice This Is Already Mouldy!" -- and they were still within Best-Before date.

Otherwise, when there's been a date-related clearout on bread/milk, if there's space in the freezer,  I take as many as I can fit in. No waste, because everything will get used eventually, I just stop buying whatever it is at regular price until the reserve has gone down!

fizzking

I would probably take some and leave some. Freezer space and whether I will like what I bought come into play. 20 is an awful lot. 2 or 3 is fine

lpgm

Clear the shelves of these critters. 

Wotnodeeds

Take the lot because if you don't someone else will . 

Wizzbang

mikb said:

Wizzbang said:

 I buy less and less yellow stickers, they're not good value because they're so close to their date, they go off in the freezer. I got sick of removing bread or baked goods, only to find the were covered in green mould. Or worse, smelly meat.

Two thoughts: Have you checked the actual temperature of your freezer? And did you check the yellow-sticker items for mould before it went in? If you "got sick of ..." it sounds like an ongoing thing.

If your freezer is properly cold (-18'C) then I wouldn't expect you to be reporting that outcome. However, there have been times I've rejected a yellow-sticker bread/crumpets/baked  "Buy It While It's Fresh" because it was actually "Hope You Don't Notice This Is Already Mouldy!" -- and they were still within Best-Before date.

Otherwise, when there's been a date-related clearout on bread/milk, if there's space in the freezer,  I take as many as I can fit in. No waste, because everything will get used eventually, I just stop buying whatever it is at regular price until the reserve has gone down!

Nothing wrong with my freezer - I have a separate thermometer that I check. The only problems items have been sandwich thins, crumpets, in-store bakery burger buns (all of which came out with green mould on them and clearly weren't safe to eat) and chicken (bought and frozen on use by date on packet, smelt funny when taken out and no way I was taking a chance). All looked fine before they went in. Crumpets do this regularly (perhaps there's something wrong with Sainsbury's crumpets, they are on the BB date).  How could you check items like this before you put them in, because they are wrapped and you don't open them! Perhaps they are like it in the shop (warm retail environments with too many lights). That's enough wasted money for me, after all you usually only save 20-30p per item and so I no longer purchase yellow stickers items unless I know I will eat them immediately and I generally prefer to purchase better quality, fresh food for my family now. Food that I have frozen when it is fresh, never ever ever has a problem - so clearly the problem is with the short-dated items. And as I have said, that's why retailers and manufacturers do not recommend you freeze this food.

Grassmonster

I work in a supermarket and do the mark downs most nights. The folk who take a fair amount are fine but there are two or three who come in nightly, well before the markdowns are done and are waiting to clear out everything. From the amount that they take, they must be selling it on because they would need a commercial walk-in freezer to store what they take in a week. Who can go through a dozen lettuces, 36 punnets of strawberries, half a dozen 16 portion cakes, every chicken, piece of meat, fish or burger ?  Customers who come in later on their way home from work don't have a chance unless I keep half the stuff back and put it out once they are gone. Same faces every night, seven days a week !  That isn't fair.

TheMrWobbly

Absolutely 100% not.  Everyone needs to share the bonuses that come along.  Greed is wrong.  I despise the people that take it all.  I am struggling to feed my children at Uni and I would still never take it all.

silvasands

It feels good to get a bargain. Spread the good feeling. Take some but leave a few.

gloriouslyhappy

Take what you can use, otherwise it's not very money-saving.