This is why I buy my own groceries. As for the coffee: I can taste outdated coffee, it's horrid. But in my house, coffee never goes outdated. I drink too much of it. I buy whole Kirkland brand beans (they're actually Starbucks) from Costco. I have four full bags in the house right now, plus a container that has the 5th bag that I've opened.

I realize now that it's probably not the guy's fault. It may be their website messed up and didn't process the refund not replacement thing right.

I have a bottle of OTC caffeine pills for the 'just in case' scenarios, I hate caffeine withdrawal.

Really? Wow, I never knew those existed. What a great idea.

I drink instant at home so my coffee taste buds have probably long deteriorated. I try to stay at least one tin away from disaster.

The grocery store I use the most told me they do not get new produce until late morning, early afternoon.

As for expiration dates, I am quick to toss things, however one of my sons was cleaning out the refrigerator and tossed a bag of carrots because they were out of date, carrots, out of date by a few days, c'mon.

Really? Wow, I never knew those existed. What a great idea.

Guess you never pulled an all-nighter in college. ;-)

No, I don't always toss things that are past their expiration date. I know some dates are necessary for the legal protection of the manufacturer, but I think many times they're a sales tactic. If you throw an item away you will usually buy another to replace it, right ? I know what foods will survive and be usable past their expiration/use by date, and which ones won't. I would imagine coffee beans would last a long time, if kept in a cool, dark and dry place.

PS Starbucks is on Uber Eats as a rule.

Bookwoman, I can still recall their smell.

I can still hear the corny jingle, "V-I-V-A-R-I-N. Give yourself a lift with Vivarin!"

I have some caffeine pills bought for traveling, in case I could not get coffee when needed. Never used them, and they are probably expired. I've since gotten myself off of coffee, as I did not think a caffeine addiction was practical. Too much trouble and feeling awful if I could not get my caffeine.

Used to take NoDoz when I worked graveyard shift as a teenager out at the onion deydration plant. I was usually the carpool driver so I had to be awake for the ride home. That's when I started to drink coffee too.

I quit my one cup of coffee in the morning before an upcoming surgery many years ago. I have many many adverse reactions to sedation and I quit all but my asthma medication. Not even one drop off liquor. EVERYTHING, a week before. I noticed that I slept better. One cup of coffee at 7am was keeping me awake even worse than I typically do. Crazy I know. Probably genetically predisposed to slow release of caffeine is my guess. He's the actual genetics of that works: https://www.parsleyhealth.com/blog/cyp1a2-effects-of-caffeine-on-the-body/

Speaking of which, three nights in a row of horrific sleep, dragging all day, but I have been asking my sister to go skating for two months now and it's this evening. 🙄 I'm so tired! Update: man I'm getting old. Out of practice. The music was really loud. Too many people. But I skated. More than once. Is it bedtime yet?

I prefer to buy coffee beans that are freshly roasted, and use them within a month (yes, okay, I'm a coffee snob) but they don't suddenly go bad after a " best before" date.  I wouldn't toss them if they still taste okay. 

As for a coffee addiction not being practical, I live in Australia and haven't been anywhere that you can't get a good cup of coffee, so it's pretty practical for me ;)

I dont drink coffee at all. Never have. But I do get caffeine headaches from time to time because I do drink lots of green tea and diet sodas. I just take a couple adv if I can't get to a diet soda.

I have never been a fan of instant coffee - nasty stuff!! - but Starbuck's VIA instant coffee single service straws are a handy and a surprisingly good last resort in an emergency. And I have never traveled anywhere coffee - and often very good coffee - was not readily available. Although I guess back packing across Arctic tundra might find it a bit scarce :-))

Like rob I went off caffeine due to surgery about 5 years ago. When I got home and had a cup of coffee I basically vibrated for the next 8 hours, so switched to decaf. I too am a slow caffeine metabolizer, and now find it easier not to need caffeine when traveling. Not because it's difficult to come by, but by not *needing* to have it, and with a spouse who doesn't drink coffee, I'm freer to just get up and go in the morning, especially if I'm in a different time zone.

Gardengal, I like Japanese Blendy sticks. There's also a Korean brand my exchange student brought with him that were pretty good too.

I buy whole coffee beans and store them in the freezer in a glass jar with a tight lid, and I grind them just before brewing. I think coffee is like spices, pre-ground doesn't stay fresh as long as whole.

And unless the stamp actually states 'exp.', those dates are just a freshness recommendation. Medications will expire, but most dry goods just get stale, and they do often last well beyond that 'best by' date. Waste not, want not is my motto 😃

"Lather, rinse, repeat"...they sell twice as much shampoo, right?

If I'm out of coffee (rarely happens), I'll jump in the car and drive to Starbucks drive-in in my bathrobe! I cannot go without my morning cup of coffee.

I agree, the worse if you have some medical procedure scheduled and cannot eat nor drink anything. When I had cataract surgery two years ago, I had my husband carry my coffee in a insulated tumbler to give me the moment I woke up!

Jane

Just to be clear, I didn't want anything to affect my body, while I was having sedation. I wanted the anesthesiologist to have as few problems to deal with as possible.

I just think if I had a headache from caffeine withdrawal I would take an aspirin or two. Wouldn't that work?

I have not been able to tolerate caffeinated coffee for almost 3 years. I feel so hyper and lousy when I drink it. Herbal teas are my beverage of choice (oh, and Chardonnay).

FWIW, I believe aspirin and other NSAIDs aren't recommended before surgery either - aspirin can contribute to bleeding.

Kath, you can always keep caffeinated coke or pepsie on hand.

I stopped caffinated coffee years ago, and a few years back, stopped decaf. I now drink black tea which has less caffeine but if I skip it, I don't get a headache.

Carol, were you talking to me?

My question about aspirin, was about people who have caffeine withdrawal headaches. Why not just get past the caffeine withdrawal and not deal with the issue, using pain relievers to end it. That is, uldn't you just take an aspirin and quit having the withdrawal headache, and not go through withdrawal anymore? Doesn't seem like it would be all that desirable to keep having caffeine if it causes that kind of issue.

As to surgeries, I don't take anything before I have a surgery. Nothing. No chances of issues I caused.

As long as I cut off coffee by 11am, I'm good. My husband can drink coffee at 10:00 pm, go to bed at 10:15 and sleep like a baby. Makes me so jealous. LOL

Same with me about caffeine sensitivity, pudgeder, but my hubby doesn't drink coffee. He only drinks iced tea.

And my apologies rob333, it appeared your response was to jane_ny's comment just prior about getting a headache because of having to abstain for surgery.

IMPE, taking a painkiller doesn't always work very well. Doesn't caffeine withdrawal involve expanding/contracting blood vessels?

^^^ one lab activity for my intro A&P class involved chicken embryos - where the beating heart and pulsing blood vessels were visible. We were given a caffeine solution and instructed to drop one drop (and only one drop) onto the embryo. We could see the blood vessels all hugely constrict followed by the death of the embryo. I wasn't a coffee drinker then, and wasn't inclined to start after that (even if I didn't dislike the taste of coffee as much as I did back then!)