Frozen Assets: Getting Started

The Modern Dilemma

We could all use a few more minutes in our day, couldn't we? Anyone out there have enough time for everything they want to accomplish? No? I didn't think so.

I've been using bulk cooking techniques for many years. The concept of cooking a month's worth of meals ahead of time to store in the freezer revolutionized the way I feed my family. I adapted the techniques using my own inexpensive recipes -- and we've been saving time, money and sanity(!) ever since. No matter who you are, how big your family or what your lifestyle, I believe cooking ahead for the freezer has something to offer everyone.

The Benefits

I've been asked, "Which do you have more of: Time or money?" Hmmmm ... Tough question. I don't have much of either one! I originally started using these techniques because of their time-saving benefits, but I was quickly surprised to discover I was saving substantially on our regular food bills as well.

Before using these methods I was spending about $700 per month on groceries and other food-related expenses (including drive-thru restaurants, paper products, pizza delivery) for a family of five. By simply making the change to cooking ahead and buying in bulk, I was able to reduce our food/grocery bills to less than $300. That's a $400+ savings every month! Over time that adds up to a considerable amount of money. By cutting back our grocery bill by $400 each month, over the course of five years, it added up to a whopping $24,000 savings ... on just groceries!

People from all walks of life are reaping the benefits of this simple, common sense approach to cooking and meal planning: single people, married, stay-at-home parents, part-time workers, full-time working parents, working couples with no children, business owners, big happy families and small happy families. And they're living all over the world -- throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere.

Getting Started

There are numerous websites, books and other resources dedicated to the idea of cooking ahead for the freezer. To get you started in your search online, start at the Frozen Assets Home Page.

Official Frozen Assets Home Page
http://members.aol.com/oamcloop/

Articles, lots of links, recipes, recommended resources, more.

Frozen Assets Email Discussion Group
frozen-assets-subscribe@egroups.com

Share recipes, tips and encouragement with other freezer-meal cooks. This is a fairly high-volume, friendly group so be prepared for a large quantity of email. There is also a Digest version available for people who prefer receiving the individual emails combined into a single daily email format.

Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month
by Deborah Taylor-Hough (Champion Press)
Step-by-step meal plans and recipes for a two-week menu, thirty-day menu and a special 10-day Holiday menu (imagine the holidays without cooking -- what a great gift to give yourself this year!). Frozen Assets can also be ordered through any local bookseller. Or check with your local library for an inter-library loan (a very frugal option -- great idea for any book you want to check out for yourself first before buying it).

Deborah Taylor-Hough is the author of the best-selling book, "Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month" and the new book, "A Simple Choice: A Practical Guide to Saving Your Time, Money and Sanity" (Champion Press). She also edits the Simple Times newsletter, a free twice-a-month email resource for simplifying daily life. To subscribe, join-simple-times@xc.org
Copyright 2000 Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Share your thoughts about this article with the editor: Click Here

Do you have a time or money saving idea that wasn't included in this article? Please send it to tips @stretcher.com. We get the best ideas from our readers!

Cooking for Less!
Using inexpensive ingredients

Storing Veggies for Freshness
Reduce the waste of spoiled produce

Homemade Nutrition Drinks
These easy recipes could save you big bucks!

Cut Down Your Grocery Bill!
She's looking high and low for savings

Plastic Kitchen Containers
Storing (and finding) those plastic kitchen containers

I Would like to:

• Read other articles on this topic
  
• See what else is in this issue
  
• Subscribe to "The Dollar Stretcher" free weekly email newsletter
  
• visit the Problem Solving Center
  
• visit the Reference Library
  
• browse the 'author' index
  
• search 'by date' index
  
• check out Past Issues of Newsletter
  
• go see 'What's New'
  
• "Can You Help This Reader?"
  
• drop by 'Tips, Quips & Quotes'
  
• send email to the Editor of "The Dollar Stretcher"