Hooray for getting back to “real life” again. I’ve got dishes in the dishwasher, laundry in the washer and the dryer, and now I’m ready to declutter. You may remember that we’ve already cleaned out the refrigerator door. Today, we take on the freezer. I’m not talking about your deep freeze. I’m talking about the small freezer on top (or below) your refrigerator.
Just as a reminder, each of the Financial Decluttering assignments should only take 10-15 minutes and you’ve only missed assignments to Clean Out Your Wallet, Clean Out Your Refrigerator Door, Clean Out Your Car Console, Clean Out Your Sock Drawer, Organize Your Coupons, Clean Out Kids’ Backpacks, Clean Out Your Purse or Bag, Clean Out ONE Pantry Shelf, Clean Off Your Desk. Then check out Clean Up Your Phone’s Apps, Clean Out Your Inbox, Clean Out the Junk Drawer, and Declutter Your Shoes.
Just a reminder, don’t forget to join the Financial Decluttering Facebook Group of over 1300 people for ideas and encouragement. You’ll love the photos of the clean wallets, clean refrigerator doors, car consoles, coupon binders, backpacks, purses, desks, shoes, inboxes, and more!
Now, on to the challenge!
Day 14: Organize Your Freezer
Many days in our house, I play a little game where I duck so something doesn’t hit me in the head when I open the freezer door. Ours is usually packed to the max with good things – food to keep us from eating out, homemade frozen meals for lunch, an occasional treat or two, too. But when it’s not organized, it’s difficult to see what we have and use what we have.
Why It Matters:
Your freezer space is prime real estate when it comes to saving money. Whether you keep large cuts of meats to get the best price per ounce or quick fix foods for nights when everyone is hungry and you don’t have time or the energy to think about what to fix. Right now, I’m crushing on fixing my own frozen “dinners” en masse to send with my husband for lunch on days when we don’t have leftovers.
At the same time, I know I have wasted space in my freezer. I can’t see the items I really need which means I might overbuy at the grocery store. Plus, my wonderful ice cream maker bowl is hogging a large amount of square footage when I only use it a handful times of year.
It’s time to shake things up and get that freezer in working order! Let’s have at it, shall we?
How to Do It:
- Quickly clean out the entire freezer. We don’t want anything to melt so time is of the essence.
- Wipe down the interior of the freezer.
- Replenish the freezer, putting like things with like things. i.e. All of the frozen veggies on one shelf, all of the frozen fruits on one shelf. Group together meats and breads and snacks. This will make it easier for you when you go to locate something in the future.
- Pitch any expired foods. I recently cleaned out my mom’s freezer and found tilapia from 2016. She didn’t even know she had tilapia. It happens to best of us.
- When you’re finished, take a photo and post it to the challenge post in the Financial Decluttering Group. We’ll celebrate your victory. And/or post on Instagram with the #FinancialDecluttering Hashtag.
- You’ll get bonus points and virtual fist bumps for interesting discoveries.
How to Keep It That Way:
The best way to keep your freezer clean is by meal planning. Your first step every week should be opening the fridge, freezer, and pantry to evaluate what you already have and plan on using it first. After that, purchase the items you need to round out the meal plan. If you don’t open the freezer before making a list, you will get off track before you even begin.
A Few More Thoughts:
I can’t wait to see all we achieve together this month. I’ll continue sharing my own journey in the Financial Decluttering Facebook Group and via e-mails. Be sure you subscribe for both.
Post a photo of your freezer victories and tips in the comments! I want to see what sorts of systems you use to organize.
Our new book Your Money, Your Marriage is now available! Be sure to check out videos on managing money together on Facebook.
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out The Debt Free Devotional
This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal, learn about a way to save, or maybe even something for free, I may end up making a small commission. All prices are subject to change.
[…] LOVED yesterday’s challenge. It didn’t take me long to clean out my freezer but I know what we have and I’m not […]