When my family members moved into their new abode, they purchased a new stand-up freezer right away. They’re both avid cooks. Having a freezer meant they could take advantage of sales on meat, frozen vegetables, bread, etc… It cost them a pretty penny at the time but it seems to have paid off for them.
Even if you’re a Single, I want you to consider whether a stand-alone freezer would be wise for you.
I’ve talked before about the money-saving magic of my kitchen. Truth be told, I should have also been talking about how much I love my chest freezer. (It came with my house!) My fridge’s freezer is usually filled with my stash of emergency dessert, ice cream, coffee, and baking ingredients that last longer when frozen. My chest freezer is where I load up on things like bread and meat.
See, I’m a huge fan of Costco. However, it cannot honestly be said that Costco’s food sizes were intended for those of us who live alone. Costco designed their food’s sizes with the family in mind! For single folk like me, grocery shopping at Costco only makes sense if I use my freezer. Every three months or so, I make the trek so I can load up on my proteins. Then I come home, portion everything out into amounts that will tide me over for 2-3 days, and put those portions in my freezer.
It’s awesome! When I’m ready to do my meal prep on Sundays, I can just pull something out to thaw and then I create delicious meals that will make enough leftovers for lunch during the week. Getting myself organized and using my freezer has helped me to save money while expanding my culinary repertoire. I enjoy my own cooking far more than whatever I can buy at the food court.
You might want to consider doing this too. And if your current fridge’s freezer is too small, think about whether a portable freezer would be of use to you. One of the hassles of being an adult is cooking every single day! I really think that’s a huge reason why people love to eat out. However, we all know that eating out isn’t cheap or necessarily healthy. I found thata, after awhile, it all started to taste the same. Cooking your own food is cheaper (so long as you don’t let things spoil), much healthier, and always seasoned to your particular taste.
So many things can be frozen ahead and used later! If all goes well, my rhubarb patch will come back this year. I’ll be able to eat some of the stalks over the summer and freeze the rest to enjoy during the winter. If you’re a berry fan, then the freezer is a friend of yours. Strawberries, blueberries, black berries, raspberries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, pears! All of these wonderful fruits freeze beautifully until you’re ready to use them. The same goes for whatever vegetables tickle your fancy. Use your freezer!
Maybe you’re a fan of making your own bread? I’ve made loaves before and I have to be honest. There’s nothing quite so heavenly as fresh-baked bread! Yet, I’ll admit it was a challenge to eat the loaf before it went stale. My mom suggested that I slice the bread then thaw as many slices as I needed on a given day. Great idea! Perhaps you’re fond of homemade tortillas? They freeze beautifully. Pancakes and waffles are delicious! Make a full batch, eat what you want, and freeze the rest. There’s your breakfast throughout the week. When coffee goes on sale, I buy extra jars and store them in my freezer. I never have to pay full price and I’m not stopping at a drive-thru on the way to work every morning. Every morning, I enjoy a cup of go-juice from my very own kitchen.
When used properly, a freezer will help you save money on food. It can also cut down the amount of time you need to spend in the kitchen every day to feed yourself. Cooking and freezing leftovers ensures more opportunities for you to eat what you enjoy the most. And if you need ideas of what to cook, the internet is at your fingertips. There’s an entire subreddit about meal-prep, often with mouth-watering photos. It’s so easy to find many, many recipes that can be prepped and frozen ahead of time for cooking in a slow cooker or the Instant Pot. Personally, I love watching YouTube videos of people meal prepping all sorts of different things – like this one or this one.
Use your freezer. Cook at home and keep more of your hard-earned money. You’ll eat better and you’ll feel better too!