Are you hoping to learn how a freezer will help you save money on groceries? My freezer is the most-used kitchen tool I have that helps with my grocery budget. Seriously, I use it every single day. We make breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the foods stored in our freezer.
There are many different ways to save money on groceries … and it’s worth your time to check them all out. In this article I’m going to share with you one of the very best ways to save money on your groceries when you have a tight budget — and that’s to have a freezer.
If you’re like most people, you have a freezer connected to your refrigerator. And, that’s helpful.
But it’s nothing like having a big deep freezer or extra upright freezer.
Does a Deep Freezer Save You Money?
A big freezer will save you tons and tons of money.
When you start grocery shopping the smart way, you’ll be saving every single month on every single meal.
Read 10 Killer Ways to Save Money on Groceries to see the awesome ways that we buy groceries on a budget every month.
I know some people who have 5 or even 7 freezers. That may be a little excessive, but with the right management and under the right circumstances … that just might be what a family needs.
How to Save Money on Groceries with a Freezer
Stock Up When Groceries Are On Sale
You can use your freezer to stock up on food when it’s on sale. There are so many different foods that you can buy ahead and keep in the freezer. Here is a list of just some of the things we keep in our freezer.
- Bread
- Flour
- Milk
- Cheese
- Hot Dogs
- Bacon
- Lunchmeat
- Sausage
- Meats: chicken, beef, pork, etc.
- Frozen Fruit
- Frozen Vegetables
- Ice Cream (Mmmmm, who wouldn’t want that?)
Buy in Bulk
A freezer allows you to buy large quantities of items that are a great deal. Sometimes food goes on sale so low that you’d really be missing out if you can’t get a lot of it.
This happens with chicken breast a lot. It will occasionally go on sale for under $1.50/lb. Which is a savings of $2-3/lb! And, that makes it the perfect time to buy a bunch. I’ve bought 40 lbs. of chicken breast like this.
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Make-Ahead Meals
When you have meals made ahead of time then you have something to eat in an emergency. What kind of emergencies? Like when you won’t have time to cook during busy sports nights or when you forgot to go grocery shopping.
- Freezer Meals – are a very cheap and efficient way to make meals ahead of time. Make meals based on one type of meat that is on sale. Maybe all chicken meals or beef meals. This is the freezer meal service I love.
- Make-Ahead Convenience Food – you could make your own pizza, chicken nuggets, french toast, breakfast burritos, the list goes on. These will save you money when you’re in a rush.
Here are 7 Freezer Meals You Can Make Under $60 and an article explaining why Why You Need a Freezer Meal Plan.
Reduce Food Waste
Having a freeze will help you save food from going bad. We all have those fruits or veggies that start to get soft because they’ve been in the fridge for far too long. You can cut them up and freeze them instead of throwing them away.
Frozen Fruit can be used to make all kinds of desserts. You could also use them in smoothies, yogurt parfaits, muffins, on hot cereal, in pancakes, and more.
Frozen Veggies can be used in smoothies (spinach, carrots, kale), soups, and casseroles.
Save Leftovers
Many times there will be just enough leftovers for one portion. These are great to put in a single-portion freezer container and save. You could then take it to work for lunch, eat on a night you’re alone, or have a leftover night on a night you don’t have time to cook.
Batch-Cook
You can cook large batches of meals or side dishes and freeze them. Did you know you could freeze cooked pasta and rice? You Can! And you’ll be so happy you did.
You don’t only have to batch-cook when you have a bunch of time (like that ever happens). Start by just making a double batch of whatever you’re making for dinner.
Making Rice? Cook a whole bunch, then divide it into freezer containers for another night. Same thing for pasta, chicken breast, steak, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, you name it. I like these containers because they can go in the freezer, oven, and microwave.
Here’s a list of 10 Foods You Should Never Freeze – In this article, they suggest slightly undercooking pasta if you plan to freeze it.
Buy Mark-Downs
Find where your favorite stores put their markdowns and check every time you go shopping. Here’s a list of great mark-downs to freeze:
- Baked Goods: Muffins, Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Donuts
- Meats: Chicken, Steak, Roasts, Pork Chops, Bacon, Sausage, Hamburger
- Berries: Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries
Keep a Freezer Inventory
Be sure to keep an inventory of what you put inside your freezer. Review its contents regularly so you don’t waste all that good food that you’ve been saving.
Food stored in the freezer can go bad and you’re not saving anything if you have to throw it all away.
Should I get a Deep Chest Freezer or an Upright Freezer?
According to my research, a deep freezer or chest freezer has many advantages over an upright:
- less energy to use
- less air circulation, so food stays fresher
- if there’s a power outage the food will stay frozen longer
- have more usable space
- they’re less expensive
Did you know you can get a freezer from Amazon?
Here are a few to choose from:
Try a new freezer idea this week and see just how much money you can save. You can implement a new idea one by one until you’ve put them all into practice. Pretty soon, you’ll be saving so much money on groceries that you can reduce your grocery budget substantially.
