My mom and I were just talking about this yesterday. As a rule I try not to buy products that are very close to their end-dates. I'm by myself, so I don't use things as quickly as a large family would. On the other hand, my mom purchased cottage cheese that was nowhere close to its end-date and still went bad within just a few days. If I know I'm going to use it up right away (such as before a weekend), I'll go ahead and buy even if it is close to the date on the package. My local Meijer sells bakery at a reduced price that is at or after its sell-by date. I have bought that too when I know it will be gone right away. But I try to be careful with the dates because it's just me.