10 Frugal Things to Freeze

Here's a (probably not) complete list of tips that I've found to be super easy, helpful, money and time saving!

#1--Dairy (butter, cheese)
I shop at Aldi which is about 45 minutes away from where I live. Aldi's prices are significantly less than other grocery stores, so when I go, I make sure to stock up! Each month, I buy about 4 bags of shredded cheese and 2 boxes of butter that I stick in the freezer. It lasts us all month, and I always have extra, just in case.

#2--Pre-made smoothie bags (quart sized bags packed full of fruits and veggies)
Almost every day, Josh and I have a "green drink." I prepackage fresh kale, spinach, carrots, lemons, apples, bananas, berries, and seeds into quart-sized bags, freeze them, and then thaw them out and blend them when we are ready to eat. It really helps us get our fresh fruits and vegetables in without the produce going bad quickly. I love this trick! It takes some prep, but throw on some tunes and start chopping!

#3--Bread (loaves, buns, garlic bread)
In the summer, Josh takes a sandwich in his lunch every day. Again, because our stores are a far drive, we buy enough bread to last us a month. I pop all the loaves in our freezer and thaw them out when we need them! Another great bread trick is to make a double batch of zucchini or pumpkin bread and freeze one for a quick dessert when you have guests!

#4--Pre-chopped Vegetables (garden vegetables, onions, etc)
This one is my favorite! We had a vegetable garden for the first time last summer, and I was able to put up a ton of vegetables! I have pre-chopped bags of green peppers, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, and green beans that I use all the time. It saves me so much time when I'm preparing supper to have them already chopped and ready. You don't need to have a garden to do this, though. If you buy vegetables in bulk (at Sam's or Costco), you could do the exact same thing.

#5--Apples (sauce and pie filling)
My parents have an apple tree that they graciously let us pick from in the fall. We made a big batch of applesauce that I froze in quart-sized bags, and I also sliced up some apples to use in crisps!

#6--Homemade marinara
I have a recipe linked here for homemade marinara sauce! So much better for you than store bought--and way tastier in my opinion!

#7--Homemade refried Beans (recipe coming!)
This recipe is so, so easy and delicious! It makes a ton of refried beans that I freeze into individual servings and quickly thaw when it's time to eat!

#8--Meat (frozen shredded chicken, browned hamburger, burgers, brats)
So obviously, you can freeze your meat--that's nothing new. I find that it's so handy to cook up chicken or burger ahead of time, and it saves so much time when you're preparing supper! I often cook a whole chicken in the crockpot and then shred it, bag it, and freeze it. Browning hamburger ahead of time is something my mom did a lot, and it makes cooking so much easier!

#9--Olive Oil and Herbs
I found this idea on Pinterest, and I love it! I take some fresh herbs (thyme, basil, rosemary) and place some of the leaves in an ice cube tray. Fill each ice cube with olive oil and freeze it! Once it's frozen, pop the cubes of oil and herbs out, put them in a bag, and use them for cooking. They are so handy!

#10--Meals (casseroles, crockpot meals, homemade runzas, breakfast burritos)
This one is a no-brainer. If you have the room, you might as well keep a couple of ready-to-thaw meals in your freezer for those nights you just aren't feelin' it. Or they are also really great to share with a family who needs a meal!

I hope this gives you some ideas! It's all about convenience and easy prep for me, and keeping things stocked up in the freezer has been a life saver! Let me know if you try any of these things! I'd love to hear!

grace & peace
Mairin

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