CHECK THE DATE

One of the best things about couponing is that we can stock up on items our family uses the most for cheap. However, you need to make sure that you are keeping tabs on what you buy. Whenever, I am stocking up BIG on items like the Pasta HERE, I check the expiration date before purchasing large quantities. The expiration date on the pasta was 10/2012 so I felt good buying 24 packages. I hate when the items I bought on sale with a coupon have to be thrown out because I did not use it before the expiration date (we experienced some BAD corn bread the other day and it's no wonder, the expiration date was over 1 year old).

Here are some helpful tips that can help you keep tabs on your expiration dates

• Always rotate your pantry stock. When I come home with new canned items, like the Cream of Chicken Soup, I always take the time to put the newest can in the back and move all other cans forward. Yes - it can be a pain, but it helps me keep tabs on my expiration date.


• Know what is in your pantry before you shop. Just because the Peanut Butter is on sale for $1.00 doesn't mean you have to buy it. Especially if you already have 10 at home. Set a good limit for your stock and stick to it.


• Be smart about your stockpile. Make sure you only stock items your family uses regularly. It would not be wise to buy 10 bottles of a certain salad dressing that is only used in one recipe.


• Look at the expiration dates at the store. I try really hard to look at the date before I even put the item in my cart. This can help you determine if you want to buy more or less of the item. Back to the pasta example, I originally only had about 10 packages in my cart, but when I looked at the expiration date (10/2012), I knew that at $0.50 a bag I could stock up on more and be safe.