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

A_Nice_Englishman

If it's considered unfair for people to grab large amounts of YS stuff, maybe shops should limit each customer to a certain number of items or a certain monetary value per visit? I suppose the most persistent would just keep coming back though.

mendipgirl

Do as you would be done by - take some, leave some.  That's how some people survive...

mendipgirl

Wizzbang said:

This is hardly a moral dilemma! You are free to buy what you like, unless the shop imposes limits. However, I would urge caution - 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. It's not very money-saving and you really should freeze food when it's as fresh as possible, not on its last legs.

mikb

Wizzbang said:

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!

How could you check items like this before you put them in, because they are wrapped and you don't open them!

Me: -
"Help I'm Trapped In A Quoting Block" (new forum snag!) -- I check them IN-STORE through the clear packaging first -- if they are mouldy I don't buy them, but take them to a staff member. As to "you don't open them" -- actually I do. If they were sold as mouldy in a non-visible place, I'd return them, same as any other goods. I have freezer boxes that things get put into to re-seal them, and to prevent them getting crushed (for soft stuff) or to separate up multiple items of chicken/pork/bacon so they don't end up in a frozen lump.

Niftysaver

I agree with the more considerate forumites here - don't take everything. I've experienced some really rude people  - one woman taking stuff from a store employee's hand as soon as she'd marked it down - even though I was patiently waiting by for her to put the reduced items out! Same person went on to take the vast bulk of reduced items - she pretty much swept the store clean! The store didn't like it and neither did the other customers.
Everybody likes a deal - share the joy! 

ExFitty

I don't think that you should fight other customers over reduced food, but sometimes an offer is just too good to leave there.  Once I went into a large Tesco's after a very rainy Bank Holiday and they had a mountain of BBQ foods at ridiculously cheap prices.  I stood talking on my phone asking my mum, 2 sisters and several friends how much freezer space they had.  Having loaded my trolley fully went home to distribute it out. (There was still loads left in the store - the joys of poor weather) I had about £500 of sausages, burgers, chops, kebabs etc that had cost me around £40!!  On another occasion I got a £25 joint of beef for £2 seconds before closing as it had been missed when they were looking for items to mark down earlier in the day.   We had a large family meal with the beef, and loads of BBQ's both at mine and other houses and I do not feel one ounce of guilt for buying these bargains.  I will often think twice about an item that is reduced by only a small amount - preferring to buy a fresher one with a longer shelf life; but the big discounts just shout "buy me, buy me"  It is like a glut (or bargain) of fruit and veg, as well as freezing you learn to make a curry, stews, soups, preserves, pickles, chutneys, flavoured gin/vodka, wines, cook and try dishes that you have never heard of all to use up the excess. This can lead to us becoming better all round people.  Let's adapt Martin's Mantra.
Do I need it?                 Well its food so probably. Or is it a luxury food item
Can I Afford it?             Yes it's reduced (unless a much more expensive food item than you normally buy)
Will I use it?                  Is it something you normally buy? Do you know how to cook it? Will it rot at bottom of freezer?
Is it worth it?                 Do you have to buy other expensive ingredients to go with it?  Will you enjoy it - or suffer it?

elderly_steve52

I regularly check the reduced shelf. There are bargains to had, you can get sick and tired of the same thing day after day. I just get the ready meals and then only enough to last the week.

cowboybar666

It's your lucky day buy the lot !

Bacman

There is no moral conunderum with this issue, any more than getting items on the shelf.

pickledonionspaceraider

You are free to buy whatever amount you want. This is hardly a moral conundrum for me. 

If I thought I would use the lot,  I would buy it...and not think twice.