As prices on groceries (and everything else) keep increasing, many families are searching for ways to save money and reduce expenses. If your monthly grocery budget no longer buys enough food to feed your family, investing in a spare freezer might help you feed your family despite inflation.
Five Ways an Extra Freezer Can Save You Money
- Stock up when staples are on sale: The extra space you gain with a spare freezer can save you a significant amount of money if you buy and freeze strategically. Look for sales on staples like ground beef, chicken, steak, and ribs, and divide the package into the portions you’ll need for your favorite recipes. For example, if you buy two pounds of ground beef on sale and typically fix one pound for your family’s taco night, divide the package into two one-pound Ziploc bags and freeze them flat in your chest freezer.
- Buy in bulk for extra savings: Grocery stores and wholesale clubs like Costco, BJ’s, and Sam’s Club often offer significant discounts if you buy in bulk. When you have a spare freezer, you can buy bulk items like frozen hamburgers, frozen desserts, and frozen breakfast items like waffles, sausages, and biscuits at a discount. You can also buy large quantities of sandwich bread, bagels, and muffins when they’re on sale and freeze them to maintain freshness until you’re ready to eat them.
- Freeze leftovers to reduce food waste: Food waste is a problem throughout the United States, and it can be particularly harmful to your wallet if you frequently throw away food. If your family members complain when you try to serve leftovers for the second day in a row, freeze individual portions in Ziploc bags or reusable containers. One night when you don’t feel like cooking, you and your family members can choose from the delightful selection of frozen leftovers, and since you froze individual portion sizes, each person can enjoy a different meal.Â
- Freeze more than just last night’s leftovers with a spare freezer: If you frequently end up with half-full jars of moldy spaghetti sauce or you throw away the last cup of chicken stock because your recipe only called for three cups, freeze the unused portion in ice cube trays, plastic bags, or reusable containers. You can return the item to its original liquid form quickly in a saucepan or microwave.
- Stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables: You can help your family meet their daily minimum requirements without breaking your budget by stocking up on frozen vegetables like broccoli, green beans, and Brussels sprouts and frozen fruits like berries, mangos, and cherries. On top of the cost savings, you’ll minimize your food waste and won’t have to deal with slimy produce in your refrigerator’s vegetable drawer.
Two Ways an Extra Freezer Can Save You Time
- Reduce Prep Work: With the additional storage space in your spare freezer, you can save ingredients that you’ve prepped but don’t need in your current recipe: Freeze extra portions of chopped onions, bell peppers, carrots, taco seasoned ground beef, and more so you can just grab the prepared ingredients from the freezer next time. Measure the extras and write the quantity on the frozen container so you can use it in future recipes.
- Cook Dinner Less Often: If you freeze leftovers in individual-sized portions, you can offer your family a smorgasbord of options while you enjoy a break from cooking.
If you rarely have time to cook during the week, cook multiple meals on the weekend, divide them into portions that will be easy to thaw, and freeze them in airtight containers so you and your family can enjoy home-cooked meals even on the busiest work nights.
If you’re looking for ways to save time and money on your family’s meals, come check out the freezer selection at Garner Appliance & Mattress. We have chest freezers, column freezers, upright freezers, undercounter freezers, and freezer drawers, so stop in today, and we’ll help you find a spare freezer that will fit in your allotted space.