Organize Your Freezer in 50 Minutes!

Do you have a freezer jammed packed with who knows what?

Have 50 minutes on a Saturday morning to make your life easier?

You'll save money, time and maybe even plan a meal while you're at it!

Prepare:
Make some room an a counter, island or table.  Take everything out of the freezer.

Sort:

As you clear things out try to group similar items together.  Pick categories that make sense to you.  The current categories in my freezer: meat and poultry, sides, quick & easy, frozen veg./fruit,  and specialty.  

Purge/Consolidate

·        Throw out expired and or unidentifiable mystery things :)

·        Freezer burned items that have escaped their box or wrapping

·        If it has been there for over 4 months – consider tossing it.
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Consolidate if you can.  If you don’t need the container or box toss it.  I purchase the individually wrapped frozen chicken breasts.  They come in a larger bag.  However, since my freezer is set up with bucket drawers I keep them loose.  They fit better and visually I can keep better tabs on our supply. 

Clean.  Wipe down freezer surfaces once cleared.

Now take a look at your sorted piles.   It is time to place items by category back in your clean freezer. 

PLAN how you are going to place the categories back in the freezer.  Make use of your space giving bigger categories the larger areas. Also put your highly used items in easily accessible spots.  If you find yourself combing categories, rename the category if needed.

When I noticed a catch all category that contained burritos, waffles and fish sticks,  I called that “quick and easy meals”.  Since I did not have enough for a stand alone breakfast or microwaveable shelf, I used a broader name for the category.

If your freezer has shelves - use plastic containers to compartmentalize the spaces further.  Most of us have some extra containers in our Tupperware drawer or cabinet.  Plastic containers work best.  Discount stores have great options too.

Find a home for each item within its allocated space.  

Now, step back and evaluate.  Make adjustment if needed. 

How does it look? Way better!

WAIT!  You are not done! You have to label.  Preferably use a label maker or your computer to create labels.  Or you can try Washi tape if you’re crafty :)

Why is super important to never skip this step? If you don’t - the next time anyone helps put things away it will all be lost.  Or over time you might just forget where things go.  Save your memory space for birthdays and the like. Not for memorizing the shelves in your freezer.

Once you’re done and labeled.  Show your spouse and loved ones.  Let them know how happy this organized freezer makes you.  Tell them you expect if to stay that way!

Bonus assignment:  Use your labels and freshly organized freezer to plan a meal ir two.  Jot down essential items you noticed were running low on your grocery list.

Pat yourself on the back! Well done