We've discussed cooking at home to save money, but what do you do when you make too much? Well, you could pack it for your lunch the next day. But, what if you've already ate it for 2 days and you need a break? Well, freeze it for later. I LOVE to take leftovers and make little homemade TV dinners with them. You can get some really nice containers (like these or these) from the Dollar Tree just for this purpose. You could also invest in some nicer Pyrex ones if you like. It's totally up to you. So, basically I take my leftovers and divide them out into these little containers, let them cool, label them, and then into the freezer they go. When I need to pack lunch for work, I just grab one and stick it in the fridge when I get there. When lunchtime comes I pop it in the microwave, and in about 2 or 3 minutes I have a nice hot, home-cooked meal to enjoy!
What if you don't have enough leftovers for a meal? You should freeze them anyway. I have made different soups and chili's almost completely using bits and bobs from the freezer. Vegetable soup is an easy one. I take a freezer bag and whenever we have just a few tablespoons of a vegetable left, I add it to the bag. Once it's full, I dump the bag into the slow-cooker, add some vegetable or chicken stock, a diced onion, and maybe some pasta or rice (which can be frozen too), and you've got dinner. It's really that easy. You can really re-purpose almost any leftover, but that's a post for another day.
So, how does this save you money? Well, first of all the food you made is not going to be wasted. You are finding a new purpose for food that some might throw in the trash. Secondly, you are getting a night/day off from cooking by just reheating the leftovers. That's saving you money spent on the electric used to cook another meal, and it's saving you time from having to do it.
So, freeze your leftovers to not only save yourself some money, but to save time too!
What if you don't have enough leftovers for a meal? You should freeze them anyway. I have made different soups and chili's almost completely using bits and bobs from the freezer. Vegetable soup is an easy one. I take a freezer bag and whenever we have just a few tablespoons of a vegetable left, I add it to the bag. Once it's full, I dump the bag into the slow-cooker, add some vegetable or chicken stock, a diced onion, and maybe some pasta or rice (which can be frozen too), and you've got dinner. It's really that easy. You can really re-purpose almost any leftover, but that's a post for another day.
So, how does this save you money? Well, first of all the food you made is not going to be wasted. You are finding a new purpose for food that some might throw in the trash. Secondly, you are getting a night/day off from cooking by just reheating the leftovers. That's saving you money spent on the electric used to cook another meal, and it's saving you time from having to do it.
So, freeze your leftovers to not only save yourself some money, but to save time too!
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