Save Money and Use Food by Cleaning Your Freezer Every Six Months
Filling your freezer with ready-to-eat meals and leftover food that you would otherwise have thrown away is a great way to save time, energy, and money. Make sure you are actually consuming these foods by cleaning your freezer at least twice a year.
With a little careful planning and a well- stocked pantry, you can use this cleanser to cut down on your grocery bill over the next few weeks and clean your freezer at the same time. Jessica Fischer of The Kitchn shares four steps she follows to clean the freezer:
- Take inventory: see what’s in your freezer and check the dates on each item in case you need to throw it away right away – write “expiration date” on it with a marker before putting it in the freezer. For foods you can use, write down what you have in each of the main categories, such as protein, vegetables, fruits, starch, etc.
- Plan Your Upcoming Meals: Use your inventory to plan your meals for the next few weeks. Pay attention to which dishes can only be used from what you have already eaten, and which dishes may require a couple of items from the store.
- Set a goal: Make the process a little more interesting and challenge yourself. For example, prepare meals for 3 weeks and not spend more than $ 100 on additional items to complete the meal.
- Get creative: At this point, you should be thinking about something you can easily use in place of another item, such as swapping frozen cabbage for spinach in a pasta dish. You might even want to do a little research to maximize the contents of your freezer.
When your freezer is empty, you can better organize it so it’s easier to find (and use) before cleaning the next time. To learn more about this method, check out the full post at the link below.
How I Save Money By Eating A Freezer | Kitchen