Are you a FLOP? Who has the most organised freezer?

maryb

The Tightwad Gazette has a really good idea for making best use of freezer stocks. Say you have 10 bags of home frozen runner beans, that basically means you should allocate 1 per month to see you through to when your runner beans start producing again next year. Do a chart with the months across the top and a list of the freezer contents down the side. Then put crosses in each month so that you are using up your stocks on a steady basis eg 1 serving of home frozen runner beans in each column. If you restock every three months then spread consumption over the period to the next big stock up.

The other thing I have found really useful is to label the freezer drawers. My children (and their friends) laugh at me but it makes a huge difference. I have a very tall freezer so mine are labelled
1. ingredients/ready meals (ie leftovers frozen in small portions ready to reheat plus odds 'n sods - chopped parsley. leftover egg yolks etc plus bread and milk if room)
2. veg/ fruit/cheese (I know cheese doesn't go logically with fruit and veg but that's where I had room for it)
3. pork ( bacon, sausages, ham joints, pork steaks)
4. roasting joints (chicken and other roasts)
5. mince/ steak/stewing steak/chicken breasts
6 Fish

It means that if I shove something in the freezer it is likley to end up where I have a chance of finding it again. Even if I run out of room in one drawer, I tend to put stuff in the nearest drawer so I don't have to root around too far

MrsE_2

I've never thought of doing a freezer inventory, but I think I will.

Prob have about a months worth of dinners in there!

freyasmum

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

Oh - if your freezer has given you a shock - have a look at this:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2632379 :eek:

I've now got a toiletries inventory too...........

Lizzyb

Nothing wrong with stockpiling toiletries - you never know when there may be a nuclear disaster to look your best for :A

Primrose

I do carefully label things now, especially as a few years ago I purreed down some gooseberries, and threw them unlabelled into the freezer thinking "I'm bound to remember what this is". Unfortunately I didn't. I grabbed it thinking it was a bag of chicken stock and threw it into my saucepan of mixed vegetables which I was sweating down to make Minestrone soup!

vl2588

Wow I thought I was mad for doing cupboard/freezer inventories to help me plan my meals for the week. Now I know I am in good company so thanks all!!

lil_me

LizzyB that is nothing i went 2 years without buying toiletries or cleaning products thanks to a competition on quidco i bought half of wilkinsons, i still have a few bits left. Still not bought shampoo, dishwasher rinse aid, soda crystals, screen wash, star drops .....

Yes I find allocating drawers helps

I've got a fruit and veg, needs defrosting before cooking, doesn't need defrosting before cooking and a made meals . Works for me as I can always find something for short notice tea or know if I look there will be something to get out for the next day. Well that's when I've been shopping, looks quite naked in there.

zippychick

Hi Primrose

I've merged this with a previous thread on organising freezers to keep all the discussion together

thanks
Zip

LameWolf

I thought I must be in need of getting a life, as I have my freezer inventory on an Excel spreadsheet, along with my meal plan, and a sheet with my grocery costs.:D When something is used, it gets marked off/deleted (depending if there's any left); I even have a note of exactly how many Quorn sausages are in there! The meal plan is colour coded! Black when it's been eaten, blue when it's definitely going to happen, and red if it's a may happen but subject to change!:D

greenbee

Want to come round and organise me LW???

I've just done a freezer inventory as I couldn't understand why all three freezers were full.

Turns out they weren't, but they are now (I did loads of cooking yesterday) and we'll be eating out of them for the next couple of months if I can get my meal plan done properly. I also have batch-cooked meals in them that my mum and I have done for my DB and SIL as their baby is due any day now (well, yesterday technically) which we can take over if they don't have the time/energy/inclination to cook for the first few weeks.

I guess I'd better do a meal plan to start using up what's in the freezer(s)!

msgnomey

I just remembered a freezer boob I had

I took a frozen bag of what I thought was leek and potato soup to defrost at work for my lunch, turned out it was apple pur!e! Luckily I hadn't crumbled to bread roll on top of it before I realised!!LOL, still ate it!