Using Your Freezer to Save Time and Money! $$$

If you’re looking to cut your grocery costs and simplify meal time, taking some time stocking and organizing your freezer is key!

There are so many great ways to do so very simply, here are my favourites:

• Start saving your veggie scraps to make stock – label a Ziploc bag and any time you chop or peel veggies, throw the extras in there. Great if you have stuff going bad too and won’t have time to eat it. Then, you can make your stock for free, and freeze that too!
• Look for sales and stock up on your favourite frozen items – especially things like butter, cheese etc.  Buy it when it’s low and save it for when you need it. Nice to not run out of items too. Cheese can be crumbly after you thaw it, so you can preshred it even. I buy huge blocks (size of half my leg) at Bothwell and freeze it – just set ahead some time to shred it and organize it.
• If you go through a lot of meat, start looking for bigger amounts. You can buy it from a farmer and save a lot in the long run, and have lots of great cuts you choose right at home.
• Freeze what you can get free or cheap in the summer – ask around if people have too many apples, zucchini etc – or look at local farmers markets at the end of the season of certain fruit and veggies for big sales. They’re sold for a fraction of their price, and you can prep and freeze them. Then have it ready all winter long – great for soups too in winter, nothing beats a good butternut squash or pumpkin soup when it’s cold.
• Start freezing leftovers, or do batch cooking. If you’re making stew, chili, pasta sauce and so on, make some extra and freeze it for a busy night. You can even portion out your own style of tv dinners. Huge savings – keeps you from getting takeout and can also be great lunches too.
• To save time, you can precook and freeze ground beef. Super handy, and makes for quick meals. Just buy large packages and then cook it right when you get home.
• Get together with friends and trade some freezer foods – whether it’s a cookie trade or a meal trade. Can even get together and do a bunch of frozen meals in ziploc bags that are ready to go. Save by buying larger portions of meat and all the ingredients you’d need for them.
• If you have extra wine or herbs, freeze them for flavouring up some meals! Even an ice cube or two of wine and some herbs in a store bought spaghetti sauce makes a big difference for a fast meal.

What are your favourite ways to save time and money using your freezer?