I posted in my blog about how I'm wondering if my freezer does (or ever did) help simplify my life. I've tried all the tricks- posting an inventory list on the outside, etc. But I'm discovering that if something is not simple to maintain, I tend to ignore it to the point of winding up with a big mess- which is what I have now in my freezer. I'm thinking of selling mine.

So- freezer- yay or nay?

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

I really love having an extra fridge/freezer in the garage. I mostly store my double meals I make like lasagna, pizza dough, fries etc. I find it helps me stay organized because I can plan out my meals and then actually have the room to store it. But I also think everyone has their own style of what works for them, if you are finding things are getting forgotten about or it is becoming more of a hassel then I would sell it

We love ours.

We even went as far as putting it inside (in our laundry room closet) so that it doesn't work so hard and saves on the power bill. And it also makes it convenient to get to, since the laundry room is right off the kitchen. And it is still "out of sight".

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Stacey

“Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why. ~ Eddie Cantor

Me too. I just keep my extras stuff in it also. What starts to get old, I move into the house and we will use it quicker. Mine is not big and I keep it fairly organized and can see everything.

I bought an upright freezer just for that reason. I can see everything, I have a shelf for each thing and the day I do my grocery list I go in there "shopping" first and bring up the meat for the week and put it in my kitchen freezer. I buy the meats in family size when they are on sale. Same with bread and cheese. I definately think I save money because I can buy these items at the lowest cost.

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"Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body." ~Anonymous

I love my freezer, can't manage without it. Its a upright, we have it in our utility room. I keep it organized and always rotate food.

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DS-16
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I can see both sides of this. I love my freezer and I know that it saves me money because I can buy quality things when they are on sale cheap and use them whenever I want. I also know that some things just get totally lost in the freezer. I have different shelves designated for different things but some stuff still ends up staying in there over a year. I am trying to downsize my freezer some and not keep it quite so stuffed so that I can find stuff easier and hopefully use stuff in a more timely manner. Planning menus really helps me use what's in the freezer and fridge too. I think I just need to be smarter about how I use the freezer and that will help.

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Better to give your kids the values you have
than the valuables you can't afford.

I think it CAN simplify if you're using it correctly. If you actually use the stuff inside and it helps save money by being able to stock up, that's great. If you make ahead meals to freeze and eat later (once a month cooking) even better! However, if you buy stuff on sale just because it's cheap and it never gets eaten, or don't even know what's inside your freezer, that doesn't help simplify.

I hear ya... ours is a big mess. We bought it with the best of intentions... and it has served its purpose: we hoard enormous quantities of stuff. However, I find it difficult to get in there to find what I need, and the veggies all seem to be freezer burnt by the time I remember they are in there and dig them out. Also, we did not get the frost-free version, and ours needs defrosting so badly!!

One more thing, it was so jammed full that it popped open one day unbeknownst to me! For 4 days it was cracked open and everything inside was thawing and melting!!! UGH we had some expensive grass-fed meat and tons of stuff got ruined. It's like, do you eat it and risk your health? Or suffer the $$$ loss... it was a lot of money down the drain. Not to mention a huge mess when a 5 pound bag of raspberries thawed and leaked everywhere. NICE!!!

We aren't getting rid of it, but it has its drawbacks.

(btw, originally I planned on doing that monthly batch cooking. I did it for about 3 months, then found that the meals were piling up but never getting used. Also, DH was sick of "babysitting" for an entire Sunday while I did the cooking....another of my good intentions gone awry! )

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"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~ Dr. Seuss

I love my freezer, it definitely makes my life easier and saves me money. I stay at home and cook almost every day so things get used/rotated like they should. I will admit that here and there a few mystery items fall through the cracks and need to be tossed, but that is a rare occurence.

Every two weeks I take my trusty calendar out to the garage and make note of what needs to be used in the freezer. Then I check the fresh produce and dairy items I have on hand, and make my menus around those items. Canned goods and non perishables round out the equation.

This works well for me, but might not be for everyone.