I find it important to keep track of expiration dates. And so I regularly have the habit of flushing objects out of the house when the expiration date has passed. Of course, I don't believe that something would go bad one day after the expiration date, but at the same time, I don't think it's wise to keep on using a product that has expired months, if not years, in the past.
See, for the most part, it's typically visible on food when you need to throw it away. And mind you, I actually hate throwing food away, so I try my best to only buy what I need, and eat things in a prioritised order, e.g. focusing first on items that are about to expire. Because getting rid of expired food is not always nice, especially when there's already something growing on it.
Aside from that, I also know that things do change as time goes by. Balsamic vinegar eventually solidifies if you keep it for too long (yes, I know what jellied almost-solid balsamic vinegar looks like, and it's disgusting). So I suppose I go through this exercise of looking at my refrigerator, my cabinets, my cupboard, and seeing what items are about to expire. It's not just for food, but also for medicine, for example. I tolerate a few months, but when it's for example a year beyond the expiration date, then I definitely throw it away.
