If film is stored cool, it's fine. But we don't always know if it has been stored cool in the shop? The stuff I get from Boots is no more than a few months out of date, and it doesn't suddenly go bad at the expiry date. I've had no issues at all with film that is moderately out of date that I don't know the storage history of.
Film that I buy goes in my fridge, I keep a fridge for film, beer and wine
and I don't bother about dates at all, there's film in there that must be 4 or 5 years out of date now. I don't even look, I just throw it in a camera and use it.
Up until recently I got all my film processed at Tescos for 99 pence a roll and scanned it myself, but the lady who operated the machine has left and the new girl is useless, so I'm looking for a new processor. I've used Peak Processing for 120 film so they'll probably get the job.