# Buying meat from the "day old" bin at the grocery-creepy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434 "2013-12-04T03:20:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/1 "2013-12-04T03:20:40Z")
I was told it is. It’s not actually “day old” of course, but rather on or a day or 2 before its sell by date. I mean, it goes home and right into the freezer or is eaten that night, but my friend said she would NEVAH. Obviously if it’s green or something I pass, but does anyone else take advantage of those bargains? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/2 "2013-12-04T03:22:27Z")
a day before the sell date? absolutely nothing wrong with that your friend is irrational ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/3 "2013-12-04T03:29:45Z")
No problem. I’d use (or freeze) it right away, but I see no problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![corvidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@corvidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corvidae)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/4 "2013-12-04T03:37:30Z")
I buy (and cook and eat) that stuff all the time. We thoroughly enjoy our “last day of sale” stuff around here. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/5 "2013-12-04T03:40:22Z")
I seek it out! Perfectly fine. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/6 "2013-12-04T03:43:56Z")
BTW, Sell date isn’t the day after which the food goes into full botulism meltdown, it’s merely the day after which the food isn’t at its full taste and freshness. You should NEVAH talk to your friend about anything in the real world. Stick to homeopathy or Creationism. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/7 "2013-12-04T03:45:59Z")
Absolutely. One of the grocery stores around here has produce that’s on the bleeding edge of expiration. If I’m taking it home to immediately make a pot of chili, or spaghetti sauce, or whatever then I’m quite happy to reap the savings. ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/8 "2013-12-04T03:46:47Z")
Never had a problem. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/9 "2013-12-04T03:50:38Z")
Our local store often discounts meat a couple of days before expiration. Never had a problem of it. Expiration dates are not the time the meat self-destructs. It still perfectly fine a few days later, after which it will still not make you sick, though it won’t taste as good. Your eyes and nose are the best judges: if it looks bad or smells bad, it probably is. Otherwise, it should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/10 "2013-12-04T04:00:15Z")
I buy clearance meat at Meijer all the time. I seek it out, as they drop the price a lot. After Thanksgiving, I looked for turkey breasts. They were normally $18. They were on clearance for $14. At the checkout, they took 50% off and made them $7 each. They are in the freezer now and we will be enjoying a few lovely turkey dinners in the coming weeks. Yum. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/11 "2013-12-04T04:14:48Z")
I regularly stop by the supermarket and buy whatever is cheap for dinner that night. Since I can knock up a meal out of just about any protein, and like just about anything, it makes more sense than buying it for twice as much to use in 4 days time. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/12 "2013-12-04T04:27:11Z")
I buy it pretty regularly. If you don’t eat it later that day just freeze it. I don’t see the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/13 "2013-12-04T04:56:33Z")
Whenever I go shopping for food, the “reduced for quick sale” shelf is always my first port of call. I can often find good stuff there, sometimes for a fraction of the usual price. If I eat it, or freeze it that same day, it’s perfectly good. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/14 "2013-12-04T05:37:39Z")
I need to look for this shelf/bin. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/15 "2013-12-04T05:54:15Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Whenever I go shopping for food, the “reduced for quick sale” shelf is always my first port of call. I can often find good stuff there, sometimes for a fraction of the usual price. If I eat it, or freeze it that same day, it’s perfectly good. Yeah, because you tend to build your meal around the meat. Still, if you’re flexible, you can frequently get whatever is on the ‘Manager’s Special’ for less than two bucks a pound. That can land you the better part of five pounds of meat for the cost of a Burger, Fries and a Coke, Supersized. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/16 "2013-12-04T07:30:27Z")
Except for when I’m absolutely craving a particular cut, or there’s a loss leader sale going on, the discounted meat is the only meat that I buy. I’m a big fan of the discount sections- at my local grocery store there’s discount dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, more processed meat (bacon/Lunchables/hot dogs), deli counter, and frozen section, plus the shelves by the public toliets and community bulletin board with the random discounted non-perishable groceries. The meat and poultry sections are my favorites and make up a large portion of the protein consumed in my house- although when my mom’s chickens are laying the eggs take over a bit. There are some things on discount I’m less likely to go for- fish fillets mostly, since I’m not good at cooking fish. But shrimp? Heck yes shrimp. I could cook shrimp in my sleep and if I can get it for half off, why not? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/17 "2013-12-04T13:54:54Z")
I’d love to find shrimp and fish half off. I’d like to find any meat discounted. Hard to find around here, there’s only one grocery store that marks down, mostly breads and produce. On occasion there will be an orange sticker on a package of meat saying ‘manager’s special’, but it looks dark and…greenish. I wonder what they all do with their ‘day old meat’ - just throw it away? If it’s green, yeah, but surely there’s something they could sell at a discount. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/18 "2013-12-04T13:55:12Z")
Creepy? I cannot imagine the life someone must lead if they find reduced price meat creepy. On the rare occasion that I buy meat if it’s not during a really good sale it’s likely from the reduced section. Especially beef. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/19 "2013-12-04T14:18:05Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Whenever I go shopping for food, the “reduced for quick sale” shelf is always my first port of call. I can often find good stuff there, sometimes for a fraction of the usual price. If I eat it, or freeze it that same day, it’s perfectly good. Yep yep yep. In most well-run stores, the “reduced for quick sale” items are fine, just with a shorter usable life span. And if the store isn’t well-run, you shouldn’t be buying anything from it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434/20 "2013-12-04T15:00:40Z")
I ate about-to-expire meat exclusively for several years in grad school and crappy job land. Way better than the fast food consumed by so many of my peers. Like everybody else said, cook it sooner rather than later or freeze it. Regardless, that’s really stretching the definition of creepy. A fog-shrouded heath or an abandoned house may be creepy. Buying things on sale is frugal or sensible. Your friend is oversensitive and needs a dictionary. Maybe he’s afraid of appearing less than rich. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-meat-from-the-day-old-bin-at-the-grocery-creepy/675434.md?page=2)