At my local supermarket, meat that is at, or just before, its expiration date, gets a discount sticker. It's still fine if you're going to use it that day.
That's why we got a deep freeze. Put it in there, and it's good any time. Trouble is, my wife fills it with other stuff...
I buy my meat that way and just bring it home and freeze it until ready to use.
Something I recall from my Mom with canned goods. No dents, no dings, no bulges, and no leaks. Long before we had sell-by dates people learned to tell good from dangerously bad.
• Best if used by and use-by date: With emphasis on the best qualifier in this term, it means the product should retain maximum freshness, flavor and texture if used by this date. It is not a purchase-by or safety date. Beyond this date, the product begins to deteriorate, although it may still be edible.
• Expiration date: If you haven’t used the product by this date, toss it out. Other dating terms are used as a basic guideline, but this one means what it says.
• Sell-by or pull-by date: This date is used by manufacturers to tell grocers when to remove their product from the shelves, but there is generally still some leeway for home usage. For example, milk often has a sell-by date, but the milk will usually still be good for at least a week beyond that date if properly refrigerated.
• Guaranteed fresh: This date is often used for perishable baked goods. Beyond this date, freshness is no longer guaranteed although it may still be edible.
http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa102102a.htm