How to track food expiry dates without turning it into a chore

You open the fridge, find yoghurt two days past its date and think: “I bought this last week—how did I forget it?” Usually, the problem is not carelessness. Food disappears behind other food, plans change, and our memory is a poor inventory system.

Tracking dates can solve that, but only if the method is easier than the problem. A twenty-column spreadsheet may look organised and still fail because nobody wants to update it while unpacking groceries.

Start with the food that is easiest to lose

You do not need to catalogue every grain of rice. Begin with products that are expensive, highly perishable or easy to hide: opened dairy, meat and fish, berries, prepared meals, leftovers and anything bought for a specific recipe.

This “risk-first” approach gives you most of the benefit with much less work. Stable pantry basics can be added later if tracking them is genuinely useful.

Use a two-minute arrival routine

1. Put groceries away in their usual places.
2. Add only the items that need attention.
3. Record the date printed on the package, or a realistic use-by date after opening.
4. Set the reminder early enough to act—not at the moment the food becomes unusable.

For something you could use in dinner, a reminder two or three days before expiry is often more helpful than an alert on the final day. The goal is not to announce bad news; it is to preserve your options.

Separate “use by” from “best before”

Date labels do not all mean the same thing. “Use by” is generally about safety and should be followed. “Best before” usually relates to quality: the food may lose texture or flavour without automatically becoming unsafe. Follow local food-safety guidance, storage instructions and your judgement; never taste food you suspect is unsafe.

Review by urgency, not alphabetically

An inventory is useful only when it answers today’s question: what should I use next? Keep the soonest-expiring products at the top. Before shopping, check that short list and build one or two meals around it.

Keep the system forgiving

You will miss an item. Someone else will finish something without marking it. That is normal. Do a quick reset once a week: remove what is gone, correct quantities and move overlooked food forward. A system that tolerates imperfect input survives real life.

A simple weekly rhythm

• After shopping: add high-risk items.
• Before shopping: check what expires soon.
• Once a week: scan the fridge and update the list.
• When plans change: freeze, share or reschedule the food most at risk.

Still Good is built around this lightweight approach: one shelf for what you have, reminders before products expire and a shared view for the people you live with. The technology matters less than the habit it supports—making food visible while there is still time to use it.