Easy Ways To Save Money: Keep Your Freezer Full of Water

Everyone knows that a full freezer is more efficient than a half full one. But what do you do if your freezer is half full of food and you can't afford to restock it? Fill it with water! I have water bottles stuffed in every nook and cranny possible! Also, as we consume what is in the freezer, I fill the top with additional water bottles. Here is a current picture of my freezer contents.

Later this week I will remove a 30 lb turkey to cook for Molly. (It is down at the bottom and not visible in this picture.) That turkey won't be replaced until winter (when they go on sale). Instead, the space will be filled with a few one gallon water jugs that I save for just that purpose!

Filling your freezer with water accomplishes a lot! Not only will it keep you freezer running efficiently (saving you money on electricity and producing less wear and tear on the appliance overall) but it is also a great idea when those summer storms cause you to lose power! The foods in a full freezer will stay frozen longer than a freezer that is only half full. The last thing you want to do is lose money on food that goes bad because you have no power!

In that situation, the water will keep the foods frozen or semi-frozen long enough to give you time to figure out what to do with it all. If the power is out for a significant time at my house, my plan will be to cover the freezer with blankets. Depending on how long the authorities tell me the power will be out, I will set up the canner and can as much as possible. Having the water in the freezer will keep everything frozen or semi-frozen until I have a chance to deal with it. 

Another thing you can do with all that frozen water, is to put it in the refrigerator. The frozen bottles will help to keep your refrigerator cold during a power outage too. It will act like the icebox your great-grandmother had! 

Whether you lose power or not, filling the empty space in your freezer with water bottles will keep it running more efficiently. The bottom line is, it is an easy way to save money and be prepared for an emergency!