8 Ways your Freezer Can Help you Save Cash

If you don’t have a freezer, it’s one of the best ways to save HUGE on your budget each month.

We went for 2 years without one, and finally took the opportunity to invest IN one and it was one of the best decisions we have made in terms of our eagerness to save money on groceries.

Couponing is one avenue to saving ~ but there are MANY other ways to save on your budget without even clipping a coupon (read our last post for more about that!)

Your goal in your kitchen should be to create a SOLID variety of Entrees, Sides and Kitchen Staples that can essentially save you time, money and lots of effort.

Here are 8 Ways you can use your Freezer to Save you Money on your Groceries:

Make Double 

NOTHING is more easy than doubling a recipe that you are making – Soup, Meat Sauce, and more.    You can even make Pasta ahead of time, too!

 

Freeze In-Season Fruit

Fruit gets pricey when it’s out of season – so use the chart HERE to determine the Fruit that is in season for you at the present time, and stock up on that fruit.

Dice, Peel, & Freeze it ~ Freeze your Strawberries when they are in Season, so that you have them mid-winter.  Freeze cheap Blueberries so you can use them when they shoot up in price.

Not only can you use them for muffins and breads, you can also use them for Smoothies, too.    Read some tips HERE to properly prep & prepare your Fruits for the best freezing experience.

Freeze Veggies

Stock up on cheap Veggies at your Ranch Market or by price matching. Take advantage of saving LONG term by freezing – the nutrient value (Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper and Fiber) stays conserved (for the most part).  Some vegetables require blanching before freezing. 

Some of the BEST vegetables to freeze are Potatoes, Sweet Corn, Onions, Cucumbers, Celery, Broccoli, Peppers, and more.  Peppers are great to keep for future Stir Fry night!

Pull Out the Ice Cube Trays

They are a GREAT way to freeze Broth, Wine, and even Additions like Cilantro – – if you buy too much, or open a container that you can’t use quickly. Once frozen, pull out the trays and toss in a clearly Labeled Hefty OneZip

Freeze Marked Down Meat 

Visit the grocery store in the morning, and you may come across some steals in the Meat Department in the form of reductions on Meat & Seafood. Those opportunities are the perfect option for freezing … you can ALSO go a step farther and prepare the meat with seasoning/marinade before freezing.

Tip:  I like to purchase Ground Beef 3-4 lbs at a time and brown it all at once. Then divide into (4) even Freezer Bags and add Tomato Sauce/Paste(for Sloppy Joes), or Season and Bag plain for Taco Salad. To warm up, throw in a pan with 2 Tbsp Water.

Freeze Cooked Rice

Rice and Potatoes are cheap Meal Stretchers!    Cook your Brown Rice in Bulk, then cool & separate into Freezer Bags. Do larger bags for a family size meal, and do smaller portions for nights that you are home alone (or, perhaps with your spouse). 

Tip: When freezing your portions, lay them flat in the freezer to save a little space.

Freeze those Items that make Great Side Dishes

Potatoes, & Pasta – are cheap meal stretchers. But if you can stir up the energy on a Sunday afternoon, you can blow through an hour and plan EASILY for weeks ahead by Cooking & Freezing various types of Pasta. 

Potatoes freeze better when you Cook them first – boil, or bake (or use your Crock Pot), and dice or shred to load into Freezer Bags – see our last post HERE on freezing potatoes.

Tip: Use your Frozen Pasta to put together easy, inexpensive meals during the week for work – combined with Marinara Sauce, it’s less costly to plan ahead and take your OWN meals than pay $2.50 for a microwave pasta meal at the store.

Freeze the Unexpected

Take advantage of having a freezer & freeze the unexpected items ~ Milk, Guacamole, Eggs, Flour, Cheese & More… see our last post for MORE items you may not have realized you can toss in the freezer.

I can’t even tell you how much Guac is in our freezer – I think I still have about 9 – 10 packs. It thaws up great, and works well for Taco Night.  

Ice Cubes work great for Eggs (read more about freezing eggs HERE), and a good sale on milk is the perfect way to freeze some for later too (read more about freezing milk HERE.)