How to Save a Fortune With an Extra Freezer

Making the initial purchase of an extra freezer may seem like an expense at first but in the long run this will actually benefit your budget. We’ve brought you some great tips on how an extra freezer will save you money.

Buying in Bulk

The number one way to save money on meat is to buy it in bulk. You can buy large quantities of meat from your butcher or from wholesale stores. It is even possible to head to your butcher and buy half or a quarter of a cow. The price will be for the flat meat in general regardless of the cuts you get and will save you money compared to supermarket steaks and roasting joints. A quarter of a cow is around 150lbs of meat so you definitely need an extra freezer to store it all. You can also buy other freezable goods in bulk such as fruits, vegetables, milk and bread. If its on offer then its worth buying in large quantities and storing in the freezer for when the prices return to normal price.

You Never Need to buy ice

This may only seem like a small saving but by not buying ice you’ve already covered the cost of the energy required to run an extra freezer! On a more serious note, freezing empty containers with water helps to make your freezer more energy efficient. The emptier the freezer the less efficient it is because there isn’t anything cold enough to help cool the temperature of the freezer down.

Cooking in Bulk

Bulk Freezer MealsNot only can you buy in bulk; you can cook in bulk too. A good idea is to cook an extra portion when you make dinner and freeze one portion for another day. If you make double portions every time then eventually you will have enough food in your freezer to live off for the week and you will be able to skip the weekly grocery shop altogether! Check out our article ‘Cheap Freezer Meals’ for some great meal ideas that can be prepared on a budget. 

Buying on Sale

Visit your local supermarket near to closing time and try and snap up some bargains on meat nearing its sell by dates. Meat is often reduced in price and having an extra freezer means you can stock up on these greatly reduced items and keep them fresh in your freezer until you decide to cook them. You can also do this with fruits and vegetables that have been reduced. Keep an eye out for any deals where food that can be frozen is on offer or 3 for 2 and stock up if it’s something you know you regularly buy. You can also freeze things like milk, cheese and butter so if there’s a bargain to be had then its worth stocking up.

More Storage Space

Having more storage space means you can get more shopping each week and put a fair amount of it into your extra freezer. The more shopping you can buy in one go, the less frequent your supermarket trips. Heading to the supermarket fewer times will save on petrol costs meaning more money in your pocket!

Home Grown Goods

Frozen VegIf you’ve got an allotment or grow your own fruits and vegetables in your garden then there may be certain times in the year where you can’t eat the food as quick as you’re growing it. Having an extra freezer means you can easily store your own fresh fruit and vegetables for use throughout the whole year. When certain foods are harder to grow in the winter you can make fresh healthy meals from your freezer stores.


Eating at Home

Eating out can cost a lot of money over the course of the month if it’s something you do weekly when you don’t have time to cook. For a family of 4 this could be costing you around £160 a month. If you cut this down and use freezer dinners on the days where you are rushed for time then you can save nearly £2000 a year. You could even make your favourite take-away foods in advance and keep them in the freezer for those weekends where you want an easy meal. Frozen pizzas only cost a few pounds in comparison to expensive take-away ones and you can cook them whenever you like instead of waiting for delivery.

Less Waste

Have you ever thought about how much food you throw away each month? Some of the food you throw away may never have been opened. Wasted leftovers are no more with an extra freezer. Anything lurking in your fridge nearing its use-by date can be prepared and stored in your freezer giving you more time to use the produce. Different cuts of meat can be stored in the freezer for up to a year and fruits and vegetables can also be kept for 8-12 months. Cooked meals, soups and stews can be stored for around three months. You’ll never have to throw away food again!

Buying in Season

Frozen StrawberriesCertain foods such as fruits and vegetables are a lot more expensive when they are outside of their season. For example, the price of Strawberries can increase to around £4 in the winter due to them being out of season and having to be imported from other countries whereas in the summer you can pick up a punnet for around £1. Stocking up on strawberries in the summer and popping them in the freezer will save you money when off-season hits, simply wash them and cut the tops off and place in a sealed freezer container. You can of course use this same method for other fruits and vegetables that are more expensive on off-season and most things can be frozen. Pop to your local farmers markets and pick up the best deals on seasonal produce.  

What is the Verdict?

MoneySavingPigDo you have an extra freezer? Will you be considering purchasing one? We love feedback so please use the comment section below. 

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