[SeanB (OP)]

Listening to this Tuesday's The Naked Scientist, on Friday 5 August, and am certainly doing my little bit to combat food waste. Just got in from the "last day" sale at my local branch of a large retailer, where I picked up a good chunk of vegetables in prepack, that are on the "Sell By" date. Very much reduced in price, and thus about to be tossed, but still good to eat for a while more.

So the mushrooms, chopped cabbage and stir fry vegetables are all in the freezer, because they do freeze well, and I can eat them later on, and use in stew or stir fry, with almost no difference in taste. The fridge is also full now, a pocket of oranges, grapefruit, onions, peppers, tomatoes and eggs, all of them reduced in price, from full price to 25p per pack. Well worth it, the fresh stuff will be used this weekend and during the week, the eggs are going to last a week or more in the fridge, and do taste nicer than the regular ones. Doing the best I can to eat healthier, so lots of vegetables, chicken and such, and cutting down on junk foods. Total was around 15 pounds, including some other items that I have been watching drop in price, so got some of them as well.

I decided not to give in to my sweet tooth, so did not buy any of those yummy cakes and puddings on sale as well. Will have to eat a grapefruit or orange instead, which I do really like, though the grapefruit outside is not showing any signs of bearing fruit this year, it makes sour grapefruit, which are really nice and tart. Even saved more money, walking to the shop and back.

[Halc]

are on the "Sell By" date. Very much reduced in price, and thus about to be tossed, but still good to eat for a while more.

Indeed. Too many confuse sell-by with eat-by.

are all in the freezer

But you can only do so much of this before the price of storage exceeds the savings you got buying it on the cheap. Things stored for months, unless unavailable later, are often more expensive that just buying at the current price and eating it fresh.

grapefruit outside is not showing any signs of bearing fruit this year,

Alas, my zucchini leaves are being eaten by something each night. They're not likely to ever bear me an actual zucchini.

Even saved more money, walking to the shop and back.

I've done it with a bicycle sometimes, but it's just too hot to do that with perishables right now.

[alancalverd]

Things stored for months, unless unavailable later, are often more expensive that just buying at the current price and eating it fresh.

It sometimes makes sense to buy  tinned or frozen stuff rather than what is on the open shelves. Green veg like spinach, peas and Brussels sprouts, are cleaned and frozen within hours of harvest (time is money, as are sugar and water content) so retain their vitamins and flavor and can be cooked without wasting outer leaves, shells etc (which were all composted or fed to pigs as close to the farm as possible) or inefficient hand washing.

If the freezer is full, the cost of running it is very low as you are really only chilling the stuff in contact with the walls.   

That said, if you are going to boil the bejasus out of your vegetables anyway, the cheapies make very good sense. I often pick up wilted asparagus at way less than half price and make a gallon of soup with some ancient potatoes and whatever onions are hiding in the corner of the cupboard. It's as good as the "gourmet" product in a plastic jar at 10 times the price.

[Deecart]

I prefer to buy food with the best (the nearest date) because i need to be sure i give the best food for my vulnerable animals.
By chance we can actually know the indication of date limit for every food.
But the politicians in France are thinking about suppressing this indication.
So as to lower the waste they say...
Let me laugth.

[JimmyW9]

The decision not to indulge in sweets shows good willpower. I can't do that yet.