This past Monday I happened to catch a segment on the Today show about expiration dates on our household items. The guest suggested that everything from pillows to shampoo has an expiration date. I found myself pretty annoyed as I watched. I don't know about you but I grew up not throwing something away until it was truly "ready." Growing up on a tight budget, I discovered most things were salvageable. Nearly every bottle of cleaning and beauty products could be saved until the last drop.

I confess that as I have become a savvy shopper, finding many deals in which I stock up on toiletries and groceries, the challenge has become how to use things up before the expiration dates. There is nothing more perturbing than throwing medicine, vitamins, or food away. Someone, somewhere could have used that... and is it really that bad? Even with all of the great CVS and Harris Teeter deals, throwing things away never gets easier. I've tried to give lots of gift baskets and donations as I can but it seems as though I am constantly throwing things away. This is a serious excitement killer to all of my deal finds. In fact, it makes little sense to find a great deal and stock up if we can't find use for what I buy.

Maybe I'm having a complex, maybe not.... my dear financial divas what do you say? How do you deal with avoiding those pesky expiration dates?