Such is the way with supermarket discounts; specifically the section that all supermarkets have where they put yellow discount stickers on their food because it is about to pass it's sell-by date. If you are shrewd about it you can actually save money and eat better. The key is not just glancing at what's on offer when you happen to stroll by, but finding out when the particular supermarket applies its final discounts.
The final discounts are applied on the last day the food is sell-able (the sell-by date), and are applied in the evening so as to get the most money possible before the items join the 500 million tons of food that is wasted every year. For example, in my local Sainsbury's, by trial and error I know that they can start to receive their final discounts anywhere between 6 and 8pm. Shopping between these times has lead to picking up a £12 joint of beef for less than £2, four pints of milk for 30p, Taste the Difference meals for under £2 and many other great bargains. In practice, you may find particular days are more productive than others also.
I know many are thinking how I eat that much in one night, but the answer is to immediately freeze what you buy. I was surprised that thawed out milk seems to last just as long as fresh milk, but should at least get you a few more days out of it once its defrosted. Drinking milk with a sell-by date of the 31st of December on January the 12th is an interesting experience!
If you time it right and factor it into your shopping budget you could find yourself eating well and saving money at the same time. Getting to know the staff member that actually does the discounting is always a bonus. Although normal regulations rule against discounting on request, I have found that being friendly to my regular 'discount pixie' actually allowed me to search the shelves myself and bring whatever I wanted for a quick price slash. Try it yourself and let us know what happens...
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