Ok, it’s time for another confession… I have not one, not two, but THREE freezers. The frugalista in me loves to freeze all kinds of things to preserve them as long as possible, so I use them all constantly!
My three treasure chests include the standard fridge/freezer combo in the kitchen, another one in the garage, and a small deep freezer chest (similar to this one) I purchased about 8 years ago on a Brandsmart sale for about $100. (If you’ve never had a Brandsmart experience… It’s a wonderful place to find great prices on electronics and appliances, but be sure you are as relaxed as possible before entering the madness.) I’ve literally never met anyone who regretted buying a freezer, and here are my 5 favorite reasons why!
- Did you know you can freeze almost anything?! Gallons of milk, many fruits and vegetables, cheese,… the not-so-obvious list goes on! Here’s an awesome article on freezer storage techniques from Jenny at Southern Savers.
- Three words: monthly meal planning. That feeling you get when you know you’re done cooking for a MONTH?! It’s amazing! You’re going to need plenty of freezer space for all your hard work. There are lots of great recipes and plans for this on Pinterest, and if you’re a busy mom looking for an easy site that will compile everything for you… recipes, grocery list, cooking day instructions, labels, and more, be sure to check out Once a Month Meals.
- If you’re a savvy grocery shopper, you know that grocery items typically hit their lowest price point every 6-8 weeks. This means you need enough freezer space to store a 6-8 week supply of any frozen food items your family regularly consumes.
- I don’t know about you, but I have freezer inserts for SO many things that I keep frozen and ready to go. Frozen discs that go into little Tupperware containers to keep my kids’ fruit servings cold when we’re on the go, frozen boo-bunnies, frozen ice packs for coolers to store breastmilk, etc etc. I have found that I need a dedicated space for these items in my freezers.
- Speaking of breastmilk… Of course I have to designate plenty of freezer space to store the liquid gold! My favorite method of organizing the frozen baggies and maximizing space is to lay them flat to freeze and then line them up in soda boxes. This keeps the dates easy to read, and it maximizes storage space in my freezers!
Freezer
One last usage tip for freezers… I am loving the Anylist app for many different functions, including freezer inventory! I started an inventory list for each freezer, subdivided by shelf, and I reference it any time I’m meal planning or grocery shopping. I never have to guess how many pounds of chicken or ground beef we have on hand. Boom!
Anylist
