Understanding the dates stamped on our food is an opportunity for saving on our grocery bill. The “sell by” date is merely a heads-up for the manager.

Savvy shoppers take advantage when these price-reduced items go on sale. A store must keep certain items on the move before their expiration date and reduce the price to encourage shelf movement while items are still fresh. Many salad greens are reduced to half their original price in order to make older but still good items move more quickly. Always look closely at a sale item to see if it is what you want to use, or how quickly you will use it.

A “use-by” date is different and affords a different strategy for saving money. If the label states “best if used by this date,” it needs closer examination. Some items do need to be used by the date stamped, but others do not. If the item is perishable, it can be frozen when you get home and used as you want or need. After it is frozen, it will last for a month or even many months.

Condiments, such as ketchup, pickles, olives and vinegar-based sauces can be kept for many months. Meats, cheese and butter all can be frozen safely. Cheese tends to crumble more easily when sliced after freezing, but it is perfectly healthful.

Canned goods last for years as far a safety goes, but the longer you save them the more nutrition you lose. I would not recommend storing canned good over a year.

I also would be very careful about “use-by” dates on milk. It can sour very easily. Condensed milk will last a long time. However, sour cream has been known to stay well beyond the expiration date in my refrigerator as long as I have not opened it.

I would be cautious of oils that are on sale. These would need to be refrigerated and kept in a cool dark or even frozen state if you are not ready to use them. Oils can and do go rancid. Nuts act the same. Rancid oils are not only unsavory, they are harmful to your health.

Dried foods, like raisins, dates, fruits, rice and beans last a long, long time. Sometimes two years. Chips, crackers and other like snacks are good keepers but don’t usually last long before they are eaten anyway. If you save them too long, the stale taste will tell you it is time to throw them away and you will have lost your savings.

If you can, it does not hurt to buy food items ahead for your pantry — at least enough to last you a week or two. The secret is to use the foods you buy before they lose their nutritional value, so buy what you like to eat, not just because the food was on sale. Sometimes sale food looks like a good bargain. If it is something you think you might use in the future, but don’t know for what or when, resist the temptation to buy. You will save more money by keeping the sale price in your wallet. Many times, if you do the math, buying five jars of something to get one jar free, does not really save you money. If you only need one jar, but have to buy four more to get one free, you might find that the per-jar cost is only saving you a few cents and then you have all those jars of something to use forever.

There are such things as “loss leaders” on sale. A loss leader is an item or items that the store is selling to the customer for below the cost to the store. These are items that are perfectly marvelous and are there to attract new customer and keep loyal ones coming back. Those are always great money-savers. So never be afraid of “sell-by” dates, be wise about “use-by” sales.

Know you can save lots of money by being informed and acting on your knowledge. Treat the food well when you bring it home; freeze sale meats immediately or use the same day as purchased. Refrigerate “sell by” sale food and use within a week.

Happy hunting.

Inexpensive Beef Stroganoff

2 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 pound lean hamburger (instead of Filet Mignon)

1/4 cup butter

1 cup thinly sliced wild or domestic mushrooms

1/2 cup minced onion

1 clove minced garlic

1 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup

1¼ cups beef broth or 1 can consomme

1 cup sour cream

2 tbsp dry sherry

Place half the butter in a heated skillet then add the lean hamburger. Saute until it is broken up and is no longer pink. Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic. Cook three to four minutes. Remove from the skillet and keep warm. Add the remaining butter to the pan drippings. When melted, blend in the flour and salt with a whisk. Add the tomato paste. Very slowly pour in the meat stock as you whisk. Cook, stirring constantly with the whisk, until the mixture thickens. Return the meat mixture to the skillet. Stir in the sour cream and sherry and heat briefly. Serve over cooked wide egg noodles or mashed potatoes.