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

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  • Justamum
    Justamum Posts: 4,727 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I've got a chest freezer and have got everything in plastic storage boxes - but I still have to haul everything out to get stuff out which is at the bottom. I hate it. I'd love a large upright one I]sigh[/I
  • ALIBOBSY
    ALIBOBSY Posts: 4,527 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I have one word for you LIST. I did my last big sort of the chest freezer in October, best to do whilst weather is still cold. Using bags and boxes I emptied it out and checked everything was labelled (some HM stuff needed relabelling as had faded) threw out some really old smoked salmon (one pack from 4 years ago gulp!!!) and reorganised what was left.
    I tried to put simular/same products together and made a list of each item as it went back with either an expiry date or if HM freezing date. My list says right side/left side/top basket so I have an idea roughly where each item is. I just add to the list when I buy new stuff and can meal plan better as I know exactly what is in there.

    Only trouble is OH put some stuff away over crimbo and the list slid a bit, so going to do an update shortly so I know where I am at.

    Works for me anyway.

    ali x
    "Overthinking every little thing
    Acknowledge the bell you cant unring"

  • Pink.
    Pink. Posts: 17,650 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi skintmumof3,

    There's an earlier thread with lots of suggestions for organising the freezer so I've added your post to it to keep the ideas together.

    These threads may be useful too:

    Freezer containers (merged threads)

    One portion freezer draw...do you have one?

    How to make the most of little freezer space?

    what essentials do you have in your freezer

    Cooking for the Freezer..

    Meal building blocks for the freezer

    Pink
  • Ches
    Ches Posts: 1,120 Forumite
    hiya,
    i have just been given my FIL old chest freezer which works perfectly as our old upright is now knakkered.....
    but i am finding stuff is just getting chucked around and to find anything i have pull out loads of food before i find what i want, as it always seems to be right down at the bottom....
    so does anyone have a good method for storage etc so i know where stuff is:confused::confused:
    many thanks
    skint
    xx

    When I had my small chest freezer I stored everything in plastic shopping bags ie meat in 1 veg in another.

    I changed to an upright eventually as its easier to get at everything. Top shelf is raw meat. Second down is HM ready meals, next is seasonal stuff such as Christmas or Summer BBQ. Then comes bakery. Then veg and the bottom half size one is herbs, lemon slices ice cubes etc.
    Mortgage and Debt free but need to increase savings pot. :think:
  • Pitlanepiglet
    Pitlanepiglet Posts: 2,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Morning all, we've been on the hunt for a chest freezer to replace our collection of uprights and this week hubby found one in the local second hand shop for £50 delivered! It's a huge coffin shaped one which is exactly what I'd been looking for so I'm very pleased!

    I'm looking forward to not having to stand in Costco and other places trying to visualise how much space we have before buying meat and other stuff that is on special!

    BUT I'm concious that used badly it's going to end up in a mess, I'm only here at weekends so hubby and Dad are home alone all week and neither are particularly patient or organised so we need a straight forward system of bags or baskets.

    How do you organise your chest freezer? What works and what doesn't?
    Piglet

    Decluttering - 127/366

    Digital/emails/photo decluttering - 5432/2024
  • i usually have about ten loaves of bread that i bought for 9p a loaf when morrisons are just about to close along with pasties or pies, i batch cook and stock pile fruit such as stewed apple, raspberries and blackberries when they are in season, we also have bags of fish, caught ourselves stocked up in there, use a perm marker on the bag and include the date - i move every thing to the right and when i put anything new in, it goes on the left
  • grunnie
    grunnie Posts: 1,795 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Keep like with like. I use huge bags and put all the bags of fruit in one bag on the left and all the bags of veg goes in a big bag on the right. I stack bread along the botttom. Any prepared meals etc go at the edge and bags of chips on the top. As I open 1 bag of say chips I put the opened bag into the fridge freezer in the kichen. I also don't put stuff like icecream in the big freezer to stop folk wandering in and helping themselves- only me gets to go in that freezer. Also most importantly tape the switch down so it can't be switched off accidently.
  • grunnie
    grunnie Posts: 1,795 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Also open it once or twice a week to check that it hasn't defrosted etc. and that everything is OK
  • I use large plastic storage boxes with lids ( The ones you get for storing toys etc they come in all sizes and I get mine from wilkinsons) .
    So in one box I have meat, fruit and veg in another, cakes and bread in another........You see where I am going with this? This keeps the freezer tidy and everything is easy to find.
    HTH
    Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
    C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
    Not Buying it 2015!
  • System
    System Posts: 178,349 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Some great ideas here thanks all, I am on the lookout for a new chest freezer and like the idea of the boxes to keep stuff in..
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
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