My 7 Day Freezer Challenge: Here’s What Happened
I started this freezer challenge to help clean out my freezer AND save a bit of money. Turning a simple clean-out into a challenge is a wonderful way to keep you accountable.
Freezer Challenge Rules
You can do a complete no-spend freezer challenge. For this, you don’t go grocery shopping during the challenge. That’s not for me. I didn’t want to sacrifice or overspend before or after the challenge to make this work.
So instead, I made a promise to myself to use something from the freezer every day. It didn’t even have to be big. I just needed to get it done for 7 days.
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Pro Tip: Keep your freezer challenge as simple as possible. If you overthink it, you’ll have a hard time following through.
The Freezer Challenge: What I Found
Now, here’s how it went!
Day 1: I cleaned out the freezer. I wrote down all the food that needed to be used up on a list in my notebook. I also moved food from the downstairs freezer to the smaller upstairs one to make it easier to find things.
I had to throw away more than I realized I would! I made the mistake of forgetting to mark dates and labels on ziplock bags. Particularly with “mystery” meats. It’s something to avoid for next time!
Day 2: I cut up fresh berries (from the fridge). And then got a tub of Cool Whip out of the freezer to go with it. The kids were ecstatic.
Day 3: I made bacon, lettuce, and tomato wraps for dinner. I tried to incorporate a few things from the freezer to use up:
- bacon
- a bag of falafel from Trader Joe’s as a side
- peach popsicles for dessert (These were within the use-by date, but were a little freezer burned. The grownups noticed. The kids did not.)
Related:
Day 4: I made a pasta soup. The BEST thing about soup is that you can add things to it without anyone noticing. So, I dumped some frozen cauliflower rice and frozen green beans into the soup. No one blinked an eye.
Day 5: By day 5, I was getting a bit tired. I threw a frozen bag of asparagus spears in the microwave to use as an easy side. Nothing exciting, but I used something. And it turns out that my hubby really likes asparagus this way. Who knew?
Day 6: We made fish tacos for dinner. For this, I used up a few pieces of white fish that had been forgotten at the bottom of the freezer. I also used up avocado mash and roasted corn (both from the freezer) with this meal.
Day 7: Today, I had spinach to use up in the fridge. So, I also got out the frozen fruit on my freezer inventory list – cherries and peaches. My kids got a healthy smoothie for breakfast, and I got to use up a few more things.
Related: Frugal Meal Ideas For Families
The 7 Day Results
I could have gone longer with this freezer challenge. In fact, I still want to add another week to it when the timing works out again. I found it easier to do than the pantry challenge. Probably because there was no baking involved with the items I had in there.
It also didn’t take long to realize that I buy things at Trader Joe’s and hoard them in the freezer for “sometime in the future.” That future often doesn’t come. And I’m wasting food as a result.
My new goal is to only buy freezer food from there that I know I’ll use with specific meals.
Overall, I’m really happy I did this! The freezer has newfound space, I spent less this week, and I have a happier conscience about food waste in my home. Lots of great benefits!
What’s Next?
Now it’s your turn! Set your rules, clean out your freezer, and give it a try today!
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Will you take the freezer challenge? You have nothing to lose, and it’s more moolah in your pocket.
And check out these other fun challenges to try:
- Low Buy Challenge Rules
- Vacation Savings Plan Challenge
- Nickel A Day Challenge Printable
- Christmas Savings Fund Challenge
