We all want to save money where we can, but many of this think that this means complicated investments, interest rates and other confusing terms. However, by making a few small changes at home, you could rack up the savings.
For instance, there are a few creative ways you can use your freezer to not only make life more convenient, but also to save some bucks. We have some tips.
Make stock cubes
Whether you make your own stock cubes when cooking or buy pre-made stock, there will always be some left over after you’re done with it. Instead of throwing it away, pour it into ice trays and pop it in the freezer. Not only will this allow you to control the portion size of your stock, but it will last for up to six months in the freezer. If you have the space, you can also freeze your stock ice cubes in a small muffin or cupcake tray
Freeze your cookie dough
Freshly baked cookies are great, but how often do you bake too many or end up with far too much dough?
Simply roll your left-over dough out into little balls like you would, but instead of laying them down on a cooking sheet, wrapt them individually in plastic. Make sure the wrap the plastic up tightly to avoid freezer burn. The best part of this technique is that you don’t even have to defrost them before baking, just add around 8 – 15 minutes to your baking time. The extra time will need a bit of experimenting with and will depend on your recipe.
Coffee Ice Cubes
Coffee lovers know that there’s nothing better than a frozen version of your favourite beverage, but when you add plain ice, made out of water, to it, your drink can lose flavour pretty quickly. So why not freezer your coffee? Just like with the stock, simply add some coffee to ice cube trays to add to your iced coffee, just remember to label the trays to prevent getting a stock cube in your coffee and vice versa.
Save on the scraps
Just because you’re cutting off bits of your food, doesn’t mean it has to go to waste. Bits of chopped up veggies and herbs often go to waste. You can keep all the ‘off cuts’ in your freezer and when you want to make stock, pull out some bits and pieces and use it to make your stock.
Put your steel wool in the freezer to prevent rust
Ever find that your steel wool rusts and has to be thrown away after just a few uses? Prevent this by putting them in the freezer instead of leaving them around the sink.