That uneasy feeling when you grab the almost expired dairy for a cheap recipe

I was at the store looking for stuff to make a creamy pasta dish without spending much. I found a tub of sour cream marked way down because it expires in two days. My brain went yeah, perfect for saving money, but then I thought about why it's so cheap. Maybe the store overordered, or the dairy farm has issues I don't know about. It felt like a gray area between being smart with cash and ignoring where my food comes from. I bought it anyway because my wallet was thin that week, and the pasta turned out fine. But now I keep wondering if my budget meal choice is okay or if I'm just avoiding bigger questions. Cooking cheap shouldn't make you feel bad, but sometimes it does, lol.

3 comments

3 Comments

sarahburns2mo ago

Ever check the smell and texture before using it? Stores overorder all the time, and that discount is just to move stock before the date. If it passed the sniff test and cooked fine, you're good. That guilty feeling is normal but you used it up instead of it getting tossed.

karen_perry382mo agoProlific Poster

But what if that sniff test fails AFTER you already cooked with it? I get what @the_morgan is saying about milk, but with meat or poultry I just can't take the chance. Those dates are there for a reason and my gut says to trust them. Saving a few bucks isn't worth the risk of getting really sick. I always say when in doubt, throw it out.

the_morgan2mo ago

Totally agree! I had milk a few days past the date last week. It passed the sniff test and was perfect in my cereal, so I felt good not to waste it!