How important to you is it to check/monitor best by dates on your travel goodies???cliff bars? Toothpaste? Sunscreen? And why are the dates so impossible to read... printed on the bit that is also embossed? So many products in the US also have a logo indicating to discard perhaps 6 months after opening.... how do those of you who decant into refillable bottles deal w mixing old and new?
Posted by
Idaho, USA
9586 posts
I’m one of those oldies who needs to pull out the items & a magnifying glass - LOL!
My main expiration concern are my two prescriptions. I load those ahead of time in two tiny “day-of-week” containers. When I return from a trip, I just continue to use those up for the extra week ir two that I brought on the trip.
Anything with sugar in it doesn’t need to worry that it won’t be eaten during the trip. ; ). i did just throw away some individual packs of almonds in my kitchen pantry because of old expiration dates. I check them when I am getting close to leaving on a trip to place a few in the prep box on my guest bed.
I don’t worry about toothpaste dates because I just refill the smaller tubes with new toothpaste. I rarely use sunscreen; my liquid face foundation does have sunscreen in it, and I do just mix old & new into the tiny sample jar.
Posted by
USA/SF Bay Area
217 posts
The expiration dates I keep an eye on are for my contact lenses solution and snacks. Those I will toss if expired. But sunscreen and toothpaste… do they even have expiration date?
But I go thru those often. If not on the trip, then I will use at home.
If I come home with any leftover (which is rare) then I just finish using at home. If I use a refill travel bottle like for shampoo and conditioner, I fill with fresh stuff from home big bottle.
Posted by
near San Francisco
6332 posts
Toothpaste - I finish up the travel ones when I get home. Or I might take 2 half empty ones on a trip.
Conditioner - as long as the big bottle at home lasts, I refill the travel one. Then I use it up, clean and refill.
Contact solution - like Joy, I'm more diligent about this, discarding the travel bottle contents when the big bottle expires.
Non prescription meds - this is the part I hate. I carry a starter kit of cold meds and pain meds to get me through a night or a weekend, until I can get to a local pharmacy. I used to buy these in bulk at Costco, but I hate discarding them. Now I use drug store coupons and buy the smallest size, so they're nearly free. I do cheat and will carry them a while past their expiration dates for an upcoming trip.
Posted by
Freedonia
18788 posts
I"m a big one on checking expiration dates.
Then I get out the "Sharpie."
If I decant pills into different size ziploc bags, I write the name of the medicaiton (prescription and non-prescription) on the bag and the expiration date.
Most toothpaste tubes have the expiration date embossed on the end.
For most refillable bottles/tubes, I use a small label that is attached to the bottle/tube and I write the name of what's inside and any expiration date if applicable.
As my vision is changing, I also carry a small magnifyling card to help me read those teeny tiny expiration dates. Something like this:
They are the size of credit cards and also come in handy with menus, maps, etc.
Posted by
Virginia
1346 posts
The only consumables I carry are products at the 2.4 to 3 oz volume and they are mostly consumed by the end of my travels. I return home, they get finished off and discarded. I'm not storing anything consumable or with expiry dates.