STEP THREE: Life Expectancy/Shelf Life
Keep in mind: each of these depends on how fresh each item is when you purchase it.
1. MEAT

Life span: Two days to a week
Raw v. Cooked

Chicken-

Raw: 1-5 days of refrigerated storage for raw chicken. It could last longer in a super chill drawer[1].  If the chicken is in the freezer it can last from 9 months to a year.
Cooked Leftover: Cooked chicken will last about 5 days in the refrigerator.  Or until it’s slimy and/or smells bad!

Beef-
Raw: 4-6 days of refrigerated storage for raw beef.  About 12 months in the freezer.
Cooked Leftover: 4 days
Pork-
Raw: 3-5 days in the refrigerator.  6 months if kept frozen. 
Cooked Leftovers: 3-4 days
Fish-
Raw: 2 days in the refrigerator.  4-6 months in the freezer.
Cooked Leftovers: 10-14 hours after cooking.

2. CHEESE  (stored properly!)

Life span:
The USDA recommends that you keep opened hard cheeses for no more than
3-4 weeks in the fridge. Soft cheeses should be kept for a little less
than 1 week.

Goat cheese: 2-3 weeks in fridge
Cheddar cheese: 2-3 weeks in fridge
Blue Cheese: 2-3 weeks in fridge
Swiss Cheese: 2-4 weeks in fridge
Crumbled Feta Cheese: 1-2 weeks in fridge
Fontina Cheese: 2-3 weeks in fridge
Parmesan Cheese: 6 weeks to 2 months in fridge
Mozzarella Cheese: 2-3 weeks in fridge

3.  CONDIMENTS

Life span: truly varies.  If your product is air tight and not refrigerated before opening, it will last longer.  This applies to all opened products.

-Ketchup: 8- 12 months; some even say it lasts up to two years.
-Modern mayo: 3 months
-Butter: 1.5-2 months
-Hummus: 1 week
-Cream Cheese: 2 weeks
-Ranch Dressing: 2 months
-Peanut Butter: 4 months
-Sour Cream: 3 weeks
-Jelly: 4-5 months
-Gravy: 3 days
-Whipped Cream: 2 weeks
-Vinaigrette: 2 months
-Olive Oil: 6 months
-Margarine: 6 months
-Honey: 8 months
-Sugar: 2 years
-Soy Sauce: 1 year
-BBQ Sauce: 8 months
-Syrup: 8 Months
-1,000 Island: 2 months
-Tartar Sauce: 3 months
-Vinegar: 5 years
-Worcestershire: 1 year
-Yellow Mustard: 8 months
-Honey Mustard: 2 months
-Horseradish: 8 months
-Peanut Sauce: 8 months

4. COOKED VEGETABLES AND GRAINS

Life span: Three to seven days for any cooked vegetable or grain.  Remember to keep these in the refrigerator!

5. ALCOHOL

Life span: Three days to decades. 

-Beer (always unopened; canned or bottled): *if kept in the fridge the entire time* 8-12 weeks
                                          *if kept in warm spot at all times (50-55 F)* 2-3 weeks
-Vodka: *unopened and kept at one constant temperature* 10-12 years

*opened bottle* 10-12 years

-Brandy: *unopened* decades
              *opened* decades (may evaporate)
-Whisky: *unopened* decades
              *opened* decades (may evaporate)
-Rum: *unopened* decades
              *opened* decades (may evaporate)

Vodka,
Brandy, and Whisky, Rum can last a very long time, they will not "go
bad" after opening, but if they do not evaporate, they will lose the
quality of taste…but that's about as far as it goes.

-Wine: *unopened* decades
              *opened* 3 days

6. CANNED FOODS

Life span: two to three years

**if a can has a bulged out top or bottom you may not want to use it.  This means air has got inside the can and cause bacterial growth.

7. FROZEN FOODS

Life span: One month to a year

**You can freeze almost any food. Some exceptions are canned food or
eggs in shells. However, once the food is out of the can, you may
freeze it.
-although foods may last much longer—follow this chart for best quality[2]:

-Bacon and Sausage: 1 to 2 months
-Casseroles: 2 to 3 months
-Egg whites or egg substitutes: 12 months
-Frozen Dinners and Entrees: 3 to 4 months
-Gravy: 2 to 3 months
-Ham, Hotdogs and Lunchmeats: 1 to 2 months
-Meat, uncooked roasts: 4 to 12 months
-Meat, uncooked steaks or chops: 4 to 12 months
-Meat, uncooked ground: 3 to 4 months
-Meat, cooked: 2 to 3 months
- Poultry, uncooked whole: 12 month
-Poultry, uncooked parts: 9 months
-Poultry, uncooked giblets: 3 to 4 months
-Poultry, cooked: 4 months
-Soups and Stews: 2 to 3 months
-Wild game, uncooked: 8 to 12 months

TIPS TO LOOK OUT FOR!!
**Any doubts about left-over’s…toss them!  Cheese, for example, if molded in even one small section is usually contaminated everywhere. 

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