How many here own food freezer?
m...@privacy.net
And do you think its REALLY a frugal thing to own?
If yes..... how and in what ways?
hchi...@hotmail.com
21 ft3, electric costs per year rated at about $25
Yes frugal. It allows us to buy bulk and store frozen. We don't have
to drive to the stores as often. It allows us to store our own
produce without resorting to canning. A freezer is little more than a
shelf with overhead costs. If you stock it based on sales and stuff
that will otherwise go to waste, you'll save a lot. If you stuff it
with frozen pizza, or stuff you'll forget about and toss out, you
won't.
tmc...@searchmachine.com
Agreed. We have a small chest freezer and it's stuffed with meat. I
wait for the giant boneless chicken breasts to be $1.79/lb and buy
about 15 packs. I buy a whole (boneless) ribeye for $4.99/lb, cut it
up myself into 2" thick steaks, and freeze each one separately. Team
that with the gigantic shrimp which every holiday sells for $8.99/lb
and you have phenomenal, frugal surf and turf. Our fridge's freezer
just has ice and veggies (usually fresh, then blanched and frozen) and
other home made stuff like turkey broth and quiche. I don't think
there's a single thing in either freezer that's not in a homemade
package, except for some corn I bought last winter to use in homemade
salsa. Corn's not big on the list for low carbers, and it's not
something I want to try to grow at home anyway.
Rod Speed
> What size?
There is no absolute answer, depends on how you use it.
> And do you think its REALLY a frugal thing to own?
Nope, I mainly do it because its much more convenient to have a
full range of food in the freezer and then I eat most stuff from there.
It does allow me to only do a high frequency shop for fresh fruit.
And since I prefer to cut up my own steak so I get it the way I want it,
its the only way to go when I buy the meat in 20Kg class blocks etc.
It does allow me to never buy anything buy meat at special
prices, I never ever pay full price for any meat, but its hard
to argue that that actually pays for the running costs.
James
I couldn't give you an exact number but buying in bulk and using the
freezer does mean I can save significant amounts on my purchases.
Just last week I saved $4.00 on hamburger patties, $4 on Octoberfest
sausage, $4 on lean ground beef, $6 on chicken breasts, $4 on frozen
juices - I would not have been able to buy in those quanitites without
a separate freezer. Thats one week, perhaps not quite typical, but
close enough. If I had to make smaller purchases and pay regular
prices cause I couldn't store as many, it would put a crimp in the
budget for sure.
I generally only buy roasts, turkeys, legs of lamb etc on sale.
James
Rod Speed
>>> What size?
>> There is no absolute answer, depends on how you use it.
>>> And do you think its REALLY a frugal thing to own?
>> Nope, I mainly do it because its much more convenient to have a
>> full range of food in the freezer and then I eat most stuff from there.
>> It does allow me to only do a high frequency shop for fresh fruit.
>> And since I prefer to cut up my own steak so I get it the way I want
>> it, its the only way to go when I buy the meat in 20Kg class blocks etc.
>> It does allow me to never buy anything but meat at special
>> prices, I never ever pay full price for any meat, but its hard
>> to argue that that actually pays for the running costs.
I meant the true running cost, including the cost of the
freezer, not just the cost of the electricity to power it.
> I have a family of 5, with 3 teenagers.
I just have one that eats meat every meal, but only one meal proper meal a day.
And I know he has just one too. Should have spelt that out.
> I couldn't give you an exact number but buying in bulk and using the
> freezer does mean I can save significant amounts on my purchases.
> Just last week I saved $4.00 on hamburger patties, $4 on Octoberfest
> sausage, $4 on lean ground beef, $6 on chicken breasts, $4 on frozen
> juices - I would not have been able to buy in those quanitites without
> a separate freezer. Thats one week, perhaps not quite typical, but
> close enough. If I had to make smaller purchases and pay regular
> prices cause I couldn't store as many, it would put a crimp in the
> budget for sure.
I never ever constrain my spending based on the cost and dont bother
with a budget but do prefer to buy whats best value, just my mentality.
> I generally only buy roasts, turkeys, legs of lamb etc on sale.
I only buy what we call rump steak, chicken breasts and legs
of lamb in much volume, with a scattering of other meat, but
dont eat much ground beef. The currys use the offcuts from
the cutting up of the steak and chicken breasts.
I also eat a big volume of prepackaged chicken etc where you
just put it in the oven for 30 mins or so, kievs, cordon blue, filo
pillows, baguettes etc. Only ever buy the specials of those.
elise d faber
i live alone and the freezer saves me a lot of money because i can
stock up on sales. but the big savings come because i always cook
extra and freeze it, so i always have meals ready to nuke.
i never get caught in that 'i need something for dinner-i'll just get
take out.' bind. i also cook up beans, chick peas etc and always have
them ready to use. i make food for my dog and cats and freeze that
too.
elise
val189
'cons' also.
a. don't have the space for one
b. live very close to supermarket, so can shop often.
c. power outage would make me wish I didn't have one* (live in
hurricane territory)
d. I know I'd never rotate the food in and out at optimum times .
e. initial cost of freezer, of course.
f. I don't like the taste of some foods which have been frozen.
g. the freezer part of my fridge is adequate.
h. not feeding an army, so I doubt I'd save that much money by loading
up on bargains.
(yes, I know one can buy freezer insurance, but that wud b one more
hassle)*
The Henchman
<m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:fjhv54hcugs4lieuf...@4ax.com...
> What size?
>
> And do you think its REALLY a frugal thing to own?
>
> If yes..... how and in what ways?
I love my little 5 cu. foot freezer. It's there to simply buy last day of
sale meats and veggies that I can cook up that night. My little freezer cut
my work lunch costs in half.
clams_casino
Agree with all of the above, except #A, but especially #F.
Seerialmom
I own an upright "apartment size" (5 cft?) model I bought at a garage
sale about 16 years ago for $140.
If I keep it packed with on sale meat ($2.99 a lb tri-trip for
example), then it's fairly frugal.
half empty...probably not frugal. so you have to factor in the
savings on the sale items X the electricity running it. It'd be more
frugal if I could keep it in a cool cellar though instead of my warmer
than the house garage.
Dennis
We have a 15 cu.ft. chest freezer in the garage that we use for bulk
meat puchases, garden produce and frozen items from Costco. Helps
keep a hungry family of 5 fed.
I am currently looking for a good deal on another, ~7 cu.ft. model
because I plan to start kegging my homebrew beer.
Dennis (evil)
--
I'm a hands-on, footloose, knee-jerk head case. -George Carlin
JonL
For just yerself, I doubt you'll save much. Try a
small pre-owned one on Craigslist, about $50, 10 cu ft.
(I prefer my meat like my wimmen.....fresh/hot)
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
> m...@privacy.net wrote:
>> What size?
>>
>> And do you think its REALLY a frugal thing to own?
>>
>> If yes..... how and in what ways?
>
> For just yerself, I doubt you'll save much. Try a
> small pre-owned one on Craigslist, about $50, 10 cu ft.
For us, it saves money because my income is not steady over the course
of the year, and I can stockpile food for when my income is lower.
JonL
How long can you keep meat frozen b-4 you start looking at it....and
wondering.....hmmm....??
catalpa
<hchi...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:i6mv549a7lleshgqh...@4ax.com...
You must have dirt cheap electric rates. Most freezers about 21 cu ft use
more than 500 kWh per year and at the 15 cents/kWh paid around here costs
come to more than $75 a year.
elise d faber
i disagree on this. i live alone and my big savings are in cooking
extra and freezing meals. it's hard to cook for one and this way i
always have real meals cooked from scratch.
i also never have to buy food at non sale prices because i have enough
to last until it does go on sale [boneless, skinless chicken breast at
$1.59/lb, costco butter 4lbs/$6.99].
mine is a 7 cu ft chest and i use boxes for like things so stuff
doesn't get lost. i defrost every 3 to 4 months and put things that
need to be used soon in the 4 cu ft freezer on my fridge.
elise
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
>
> How long can you keep meat frozen b-4 you start looking at it....and
> wondering.....hmmm....??
It's all dated, and I don't have the chart handy but I know you can keep
it for something like six months.
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
>
> You must have dirt cheap electric rates. Most freezers about 21 cu ft use
> more than 500 kWh per year and at the 15 cents/kWh paid around here costs
> come to more than $75 a year.
If you have a newer chest freezer compared to an older upright freezer,
the difference in cost to run is amazing.
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
>
> i disagree on this. i live alone and my big savings are in cooking
> extra and freezing meals. it's hard to cook for one and this way i
> always have real meals cooked from scratch.
I was on a Yahoogroup mailing list called Friendly Freezer that dealt
with this very topic, and one of the list mods was single and cooked for
herself like that all the time.
clams_casino
Considering the pricing cycle is about 4 weeks and there are usually
several grocers running sales (often at different times), why settle for
6-month old frozen meat?
We prefer to cherry pick the weekly sales. Could be chicken this week,
pork next, etc - freezing a minimal amount that fits easily into our
frig's freezer for consumption within 1-2 weeks.
hchi...@hotmail.com
wrote:
>You must have dirt cheap electric rates. Most freezers about 21 cu ft use
>more than 500 kWh per year and at the 15 cents/kWh paid around here costs
>come to more than $75 a year.
I checked, and your figure is closer. I also mis-stated that it was
21 ft3; it is 20.1 ft3. In our area the unit will cost about $52/yr
(actually maybe a bit less given that we open the door once a day at
most, and it has plenty of free air around it) It is rated at $56/yr
671 kwh.
http://images.lowes.com/product/058822/058822011605.pdf
Not as good as I had remembered, but still better than they used to
be. Back in the 1970s I had one that cost three or four times that
amount to run, and it wasn't frost-free. The designs have improved
tremendously in the past years.
We bought all new appliances when we moved, and made sure that
everything was as energy efficient as practical. The freezer sits in
a utility room near my office and I rarely hear it come on.
val189
> We prefer to cherry pick the weekly sales. Could be chicken this week,
> pork next, etc - freezing a minimal amount that fits easily into our
> frig's freezer for consumption within 1-2 weeks.
But, if you are finding sales this often, then why bother freeze it at
all? I seems to me that at some point in time, a person has a ton of
stuff in the freezer, cuz he wants to take advantage of sales, but
stocking up can get to the point of never really using it all up. I'm
probably making myself not too clear, but doesn't there come a time
when this becomes hoarding? When I add up the money 'tied up' in
food to the cost of the freezer and running it, plus maybe
insurance.....I just don't see it.
Like the woman who died and had 50 cans of coffee in the basement and
still kept searching for sales- she obviously did NOT ever realize the
savings from all of that stocking up. Isn't there a name for this,
armchair economists?
clams_casino
>On Jun 24, 8:44 am, clams_casino ...
>
>
>
>
>
>>We prefer to cherry pick the weekly sales. Could be chicken this week,
>>pork next, etc - freezing a minimal amount that fits easily into our
>>frig's freezer for consumption within 1-2 weeks.
>>
>>
>
>But, if you are finding sales this often, then why bother freeze it at
>all?
>
Because it's typically cheaper to buy in 3-4 lb packs vs individual
items. We'll use the first portion fresh & freeze the rest for the
following week. Or make a stew, etc & freeze a potion of the leftovers
for the following weeks. On the other hand, buying up 15-20 lbs of
chicken because it's on sale this week makes little sense if it's to
again be on sale within 3-4 weeks.
> I seems to me that at some point in time, a person has a ton of
>stuff in the freezer, cuz he wants to take advantage of sales, but
>stocking up can get to the point of never really using it all up. I'm
>probably making myself not too clear, but doesn't there come a time
>when this becomes hoarding? When I add up the money 'tied up' in
>food to the cost of the freezer and running it, plus maybe
>insurance.....I just don't see it.
>
>
Fully agree.
Jeff
My parents were like this. They were smart enough to date everything
though.
The experience here is that you wind up with too much of everything.
As far as frozen goes, it's an individual taste. I prefer not too have
too much stock. A large family would do better.
One last note, refrigerators, and I assume freezers, have gotten to
be more efficient. Don't buy a freezer that is too old as you will have
a much higher energy cost. There seems to be dates beyond which
efficiency was mandated to be higher. Don't know what they are, but you
can google that. An old fridge can use several time as much energy, so
it's worth checking.
Jeff
m...@privacy.net
>If you have a newer chest freezer compared to an older upright freezer,
>the difference in cost to run is amazing.
Really?
There is THAT much diff between a chest vs upright
freezer in electric usage?
Would you definitely get a chest freezer if wanting
lowest possible electric use?
m...@privacy.net
>I love my little 5 cu. foot freezer. It's there to simply buy last day of
>sale meats and veggies that I can cook up that night. My little freezer cut
>my work lunch costs in half.
What brand and model is your 5 footer?
Vic Smith
<gweh...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
>Like the woman who died and had 50 cans of coffee in the basement and
>still kept searching for sales- she obviously did NOT ever realize the
>savings from all of that stocking up. Isn't there a name for this,
>armchair economists?
Basement is the key word. Every time I consider a freezer, I suspect
my wife ( yeah, and me to a lesser extent) will use it as just another
storage area for stuff that never gets used. Stuff that was bought
because it was "on sale" or stuff that "it's a shame to throw it
away."
I can see how a freezer might be useful for some, but it really takes
some thought to avoid eventually tossing out a bunch of old stuff.
That's what I've seen with those I know who own them, and in fact
it's common for us to toss "new" stuff kept too long in the fridge
freezer.
So you have to make sure it'll work for you, and put some work into
managing it.
"Hey Dorothy! How's about cooking up some of that fish we caught on
the '93' trip to Canada? The Walleye. Yeah, I think it's in the left
hand back corner, near the bottom. Can't find it? OK. I'll order a
pizza. You want pepperoni?"
--Vic
wat...@moog.netaxs.com
We like to do this, too, BUT -- lots of weeks, none of the local markets has a
good deal on anything we want to eat. Sometimes it's just seasonal; lots of
veggies and fruits simply aren't available at certain times of the year.
Other times, upcoming holidays skew the pricing; Memorial Day, Independence
Day, and Labor Day come to mind. Since many people will be having
get-togethers on those days, the markets have no particular incentive to
discount food prices during the run-up to the holidays. In view of all this,
having a freezer probably lets us lower our food costs on average through the
year. Oh, and, nowadays, reducing the number of trips to the market because
we can buy in bulk and freeze it when the prices are lower, lets us use less
gas, which is probably more than offsetting the cost of the electricity needd
to run the freezer.
W.
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
>> It's all dated, and I don't have the chart handy but I know you can
>> keep it for something like six months.
>
> Considering the pricing cycle is about 4 weeks and there are usually
> several grocers running sales (often at different times), why settle for
> 6-month old frozen meat?
Because I am self-employed and my income is not a steady stream, so I
keep cycling food in and out of my freezer so when I have short of work,
we still have food. This is what I said in the first place as to why I
used a freezer.
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
>
> Would you definitely get a chest freezer if wanting
> lowest possible electric use?
I *have* a chest freezer, and yes, they generally have a lower electric
usage than uprights.
Parallax
> On Jun 23, 8:51 am, m...@privacy.net wrote:
>> What size?
>>
>> And do you think its REALLY a frugal thing to own?
>>
>> If yes..... how and in what ways?
>
> I own an upright "apartment size" (5 cft?) model I bought at a garage
> sale about 16 years ago for $140.
> If I keep it packed with on sale meat ($2.99 a lb tri-trip for
> example), then it's fairly frugal.
> half empty...probably not frugal.
That's what milk jugs full of water are for, to fill the space not used.
Also comes in very handy to have giant ice blocks in there when the
power goes out.
Rod Speed
> clams_casino wrote
>>> It's all dated, and I don't have the chart handy but I know you can keep it for something like six months.
>> Considering the pricing cycle is about 4 weeks and there are usually several grocers running sales (often at
>> different times), why settle for 6-month old frozen meat?
> Because I am self-employed and my income is not a steady stream, so I keep cycling food in and out of my freezer so
> when I have short of work, we still have food.
You dont need a freezer for that, you can do the same thing with cash instead.
Rod Speed
> m...@privacy.net wrote
>> Would you definitely get a chest freezer if wanting lowest possible electric use?
> I *have* a chest freezer, and yes, they generally have a lower electric usage than uprights.
The difference isnt necessarily that great tho, particularly
if you only open the freezer once most days etc.
Even just the more convenient access to the contents
can see an upright actually use less power too.
clams_casino
> Oh, and, nowadays, reducing the number of trips to the market because
>we can buy in bulk and freeze it when the prices are lower, lets us use less
>gas, which is probably more than offsetting the cost of the electricity needd
>to run the freezer.
>
>W.
>
>
Trips to / from the grocer are no doubt costly. However, I rarely make
a trip solely to run a single errand. More commonly, I make multiple
stops in conjunction with being on the same street.
My business requires me to drop by the post office several times /
week. With two grocers located in between, making extra stops
typically adds no cost for me.
Along that line, one has to question driving 10-20 miles to shop at a
Super Walmart, etc (if its a special trip) vs. a local market. There
are times when it's a lot cheaper to purchase a gallon of milk, etc at
the local gas station vs. driving to a grocer, where poor planning does
have its price.
Seerialmom
I loaded my regular refrigerator this week with jugs of water
(formerly empty juice jugs my son had consumed and were slated for the
recycle bin). But I agree, filling either the freezer or refrigerator
with items to keep it from having just air is good. I even have some
ancient frozen strawberries in the bottom of that freezer even though
I know I'll never ever eat them.
Lou
"Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply" <sam...@TRASHsonic.net> wrote in
message news:4860e734$0$17199$742e...@news.sonic.net...
Chances are any difference you've noted is due to the difference between an
"older" and a "newer" freezer. For instance, Sears offers an upright 8.7
cubic foot model that has an energy guide label estimating annual electric
expense of $39/year (electric rate is assumed to be 10.65 cents per kWh).
They also have an 8.8 cubic foot chest type freezer with an energy guide
cost to operate of $31/year (same cost of electricity). That's a difference
$8/year, or 67 cents a month, in favor of the chest type freezer. In my
book, that's a long way from "amazing" - the difference is so slight I doubt
you'd notice.
Both these freezers are manual defrost. I've had both manual and self
defrosting types, chest and uprights. The difference in convenience is
overwhelmingly in favor of an self-defrosting upright, in my opinion - well
worth the difference in operating cost.
Seerialmom
There definitely should be a limit on what's enough of a stockpile.
For example there was another sale on the tri-tip just before Fathers
day...but I still had plenty from the last sale so I didn't bother.
What you're referring to, however, is hoarding and that's a completely
different animal and not rational, even if the coffee were free...it
should have been donated.
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
>
> Both these freezers are manual defrost. I've had both manual and self
> defrosting types, chest and uprights. The difference in convenience is
> overwhelmingly in favor of an self-defrosting upright, in my opinion - well
> worth the difference in operating cost.
I agree that manual defrost units use less power -- but have you found
any manual defrost units that are Energy Star rated? I haven't.
Vandy Terre
>Samantha Hill <sam...@TRASHsonic.net> wrote
>> clams_casino wrote
>
>>>> It's all dated, and I don't have the chart handy but I know you can keep it for something like six months.
>
>>> Considering the pricing cycle is about 4 weeks and there are usually several grocers running sales (often at
>>> different times), why settle for 6-month old frozen meat?
>
>> Because I am self-employed and my income is not a steady stream, so I keep cycling food in and out of my freezer so
>> when I have short of work, we still have food.
>
>You dont need a freezer for that, you can do the same thing with cash instead.
Can you??? If you keep the freezer full of foods found on sale, then it is
there and available. The sales may not happen when your cash is low.
I too suffer from lack of steady income. I buy heavy when there is money and
sales. I keep my food bill under $600/ month for 4 adults and 2 teens. If it
in the freezer it is probably meat of some sort. Vegetables are bought canned
on special. Salad makings are purchased on sale or home grown.
General multiple stop shopping done once per week with the grocery as last stop.
Trying to reduce that to once every two weeks. Once every two means freezing
bread and milk or returning to home baked bread and hand milking the goats. As
prices climb for bread and milk, hand milking goats is looking better and
better. Homemade bread tastes better than store bought, but summer heat makes
baking bread most uncomfortable. LOL Maybe the cure to insomnia would be
baking bread, cakes, cookies in the middle of the much cooler sleepless night.
Might not cure the problem but it would make better use of the sleepless night.
;^P
Rod Speed
> Rod Speed <rod.sp...@gmail.com> wrote
>> Samantha Hill <sam...@TRASHsonic.net> wrote
>>> clams_casino wrote
>>>>> It's all dated, and I don't have the chart handy but I
>>>>> know you can keep it for something like six months.
>>>> Considering the pricing cycle is about 4 weeks and there are
>>>> usually several grocers running sales (often at different times),
>>>> why settle for 6-month old frozen meat?
>>> Because I am self-employed and my income is not a steady
>>> stream, so I keep cycling food in and out of my freezer so
>>> when I have short of work, we still have food.
>> You dont need a freezer for that, you can do the same thing with cash instead.
> Can you???
Corse you can, and with cash you can get a decent earning rate on it too, instead
of the inevitable loss with the food you end up discarding with the freezer too.
> If you keep the freezer full of foods found on sale, then it is there and available.
Yes, but thats just as true when you keep it in cash too.
> The sales may not happen when your cash is low.
Corse they will.
> I too suffer from lack of steady income. I buy heavy when there is
> money and sales. I keep my food bill under $600/ month for 4 adults
> and 2 teens. If it in the freezer it is probably meat of some sort.
> Vegetables are bought canned on special.
And canned veg is nothing like as good as frozen with a few exceptions.
> Salad makings are purchased on sale or home grown.
But arent suitable for the freezer, so irrelevant to what is being discussed.
> General multiple stop shopping done once per week with the grocery
> as last stop. Trying to reduce that to once every two weeks.
Separate matter entirely to what was being discussed, using
a freezer for the time when not working or with lower income.
> Once every two means freezing bread and milk or returning to home baked bread
And its even less effort to home bake bread with a bread machine than it is to buy
commercial bread and the home made bread leaves the commercial shit for dead.
> and hand milking the goats. As prices climb for bread
> and milk, hand milking goats is looking better and better.
Or you could give up on milk completely if you dont have little kids.
> Homemade bread tastes better than store bought, but
> summer heat makes baking bread most uncomfortable. LOL
Not if you use a bread machine.
> Maybe the cure to insomnia would be baking bread, cakes, cookies
> in the middle of the much cooler sleepless night. Might not cure the
> problem but it would make better use of the sleepless night. ;^P
Dont have that problem and use a bread machine. Dont bother
with cakes and cookies anymore, prefer fresh fruit instead.
Lou
"Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply" <sam...@TRASHsonic.net> wrote in
I just cited two - it took no more time to find than to browse to the Sears
web site.
Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply
>>
>> I agree that manual defrost units use less power -- but have you found
>> any manual defrost units that are Energy Star rated? I haven't.
>
> I just cited two - it took no more time to find than to browse to the Sears
> web site.
Sorry -- I thought you said they were NOT Energy Star rated. And finding
them on Sears explains why I haven't seen them. I haven't done business
with Sears ever since the time a salesperson told me, "We don't have to
do anything to get your business. We're Sears. You're automatically
going to come to us."
Nicodemus
> JonL wrote:
>>
>> How long can you keep meat frozen b-4 you start looking at it....and
>> wondering.....hmmm....??
>
> It's all dated, and I don't have the chart handy but I know you can keep
> it for something like six months.
This begs the question..what about them vacuum seal bags..they say by
removing the air the meat stays longer..the next question in my my mind is
the added cost of vacuum bags..the whole thing just cascaded into a
mathematicians nightmare..Oh I forgot the cost of a backup generator in the
event of a power outage..
Rod Speed
> Samantha Hill <sam...@TRASHsonic.net> wrote
>> JonL wrote
>>> How long can you keep meat frozen b-4 you start looking at it....and wondering.....hmmm....??
>> It's all dated, and I don't have the chart handy but
>> I know you can keep it for something like six months.
> This begs the question..what about them vacuum seal bags..
Not necessary, particularly with meat. The meat wets normal bags quite adequately.
> they say by removing the air the meat stays longer..the next
> question in my my mind is the added cost of vacuum bags..
> the whole thing just cascaded into a mathematicians nightmare..
Nope, just have two separate column in the chart, stupid.
> Oh I forgot the cost of a backup generator in the event of a power outage..
Not necessary if the power doesnt go off for more than half a day and the freezer contents
are insured or paid for by the power company when it stays off longer than that.
Lou
"Samantha Hill - remove TRASH to reply" <sam...@TRASHsonic.net> wrote in
I rarely buy anything at Sears - for appliances there's a small traditional
business a couple miles away with prices that can't be beat, the dressy
clothes aren't what I like and the knocking around clothes are cheaper at
places like Wal-Mart. But when I want to benchmark a price for something,
the Sears site is where I start.
In years past, I did shop there - tools and paint, and I bought my present
lawnmower there. But by and large, I don't need much of that stuff any
more. On the other hand, one ignorant clerk who's probably long ago moved
on wouldn't stop me either - I've gotten some good deals and excellent
service there in the past.
James
> Nicodemus <Ancient-of-D...@Heaven.net> wrote
>
> > Samantha Hill <samh...@TRASHsonic.net> wrote
During the big blackout of 2003, we had no power for just over 2 days.
I took the foil/bubblewrap insulating jacket off the hot water heater
and put it over our small chest freezer then added some wool blankets
and a sleeping bag. And I did not disturb until the power was back.
When it was restored I opened it to check and everything was still
frozen solid.
Of course that only works if you are home at the time.
James
Rod Speed
And would have been if you had just left the freezer alone too.
> Of course that only works if you are home at the time.
Wrong when the freezer will do fine without any added insulation.
sarge137
.
>
> This begs the question..what about them vacuum seal bags..they say by
> removing the air the meat stays longer.
They do. I've been using a basic Food Saver brand vacuum sealer for
several years now. I buy very large packages of meat and fish at
Costco. I also buy five pound bags of frozen veggies and potatoes.
Everything gets broken down, vacuumed in smaller quantities and
frozen. I try to use everything in 6 months or less. But have used
meat as old 8 months, and veggies as old as a year with no apparent
loss of quality or flavor.
I grilled a rib eye last weekend that had been in my freezer since
January. After it defrosted in the fridge over night it looked just
as fresh as if I'd brought it home from the grocery that day. I'll
guarantee that if had been stored in the best quality zip lock
"freezer bag" for that long it would have been so freezer burned it
would have been dog food.
>.the next question in my my mind is
> the added cost of vacuum bags..the whole thing just cascaded into a
> mathematicians nightmare.
Yes they cost a bit more. But, the difference isn't a mathematical
nightmare. In fact, it's nickels and dimes, and more than off set by
the extended storage time and additional money saved by buying in
bulk. If you want to be really obsessive about it, you can wash and
reuse them. Have never done that myself, but the manufacturer claims
it's OK.
hchi...@hotmail.com
<rboot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I grilled a rib eye last weekend that had been in my freezer since
>January. After it defrosted in the fridge over night it looked just
>as fresh as if I'd brought it home from the grocery that day. I'll
>guarantee that if had been stored in the best quality zip lock
>"freezer bag" for that long it would have been so freezer burned it
>would have been dog food.
Another freezer trick is to water-pack food. My brother picked up the
habit of doing this with fish, which are notorious for getting freezer
burn. If the food is frozen in a block of ice, there is no freezer
burn. You have to hold it under running water to remove the ice
before regular thawing, but the freshness and flavor are there, plus
the fish don't smell up the other items in the freezer or take on odd
flavors.
Nicodemus
4ax.com:
Thanks for the info, freezer ice block, it reminds of another method,
covering the meat in fat/lard and refrigerated, sealing is complete and
thorough .
sarge137
> On Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:08:59 -0700 (PDT), sarge137
>
Hadn't thought of that in years! That's how my grandfather would
store his catch during fishing season. We'd have "fresh"pan fried
trout for breakfast every Sunday morning almost all winter long.
Regards,
Sarge
Bernardo Gui
<gweh...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>I'll give you the reasons I DON"T have one and you can weigh these
>'cons' also.
>
>a. don't have the space for one
>b. live very close to supermarket, so can shop often.
>c. power outage would make me wish I didn't have one* (live in
>hurricane territory)
>d. I know I'd never rotate the food in and out at optimum times .
>e. initial cost of freezer, of course.
>f. I don't like the taste of some foods which have been frozen.
>g. the freezer part of my fridge is adequate.
>h. not feeding an army, so I doubt I'd save that much money by loading
>up on bargains.
I grew up in a family with a huge chest freezer and we did the
1960's-style grocery shopping once-a-month. When I grew up and
experienced the joy of fresh food, I swore that I would never buy a
freezer. Fortunately, I have multiple markets along my short commute
route, so I can shop almost daily. My fridge-top freezer is mainly
for ice, ice cream and those blue-ice packs.
Often, never-frozen fish and meat is available at the market. It's a
waste of money, if you don't eat that fresh.
Variety is important to me, so it works out well for me to be able to
buy what I have a taste for that night. Fresh food rocks.
BG
Rod Speed
sound and fury, signifying nothing, ye gnashed:
> I'm a depressaholic. I'm always upset. Most of the time I pretend I'm
> not but the truth is I'm rarely happy.
Rod Speed
<ancient...@heaven.net> wrote nicodemus
<ancient...@heaven.net>.
> Samantha Hill <sam...@TRASHsonic.net> wrote
>> JonL wrote
>>> How long can you keep meat frozen b-4 you start looking at it....and wondering.....hmmm....??
>> It's all dated, and I don't have the chart handy but
>> I know you can keep it for something like six months.
> This begs the question..what about them vacuum seal bags..
Necessary, particularly with meat wets normal bags quite adequately. not
necessary, particularly with meat wets normal bags quite adequately. not
necessary, particularly with.
> they say by removing the air the meat stays longer..the next
> question in my my mind is the added cost of vacuum bags..
> the whole thing just cascaded into a mathematicians nightmare..
The column in the column in the chart, stupid. nope, just have two
separate chart, stupid. nope, just have two separate column.
> Oh I forgot the cost of a backup generator in the event of a power outage..
By than the power than half a day and the freezer company when it stays
off for by the power contents are that. not necessary if than half a day
and the power than the power that. not necessary if the freezer company
when it stays off for by the power the power contents are than half a
day and that. not necessary if the power the power than than that.
Vandy Terre
snip
>
>I grew up in a family with a huge chest freezer and we did the
>1960's-style grocery shopping once-a-month. When I grew up and
>experienced the joy of fresh food, I swore that I would never buy a
>freezer. Fortunately, I have multiple markets along my short commute
>route, so I can shop almost daily. My fridge-top freezer is mainly
>for ice, ice cream and those blue-ice packs.
I would prefer returning to the 1960s style of once-a-month shopping. Just need
to retrain the family and self. It is a thirty minute drive to the closest
shopping and currently no one in this home really needs to operate a motor
vehicle, so going shopping is an extra expense beyond the cost of the foods.
>
>Often, never-frozen fish and meat is available at the market. It's a
>waste of money, if you don't eat that fresh.
How sure are you that those product really have never been frozen? The only
real way to be sure the meat is never frozen is to hunt or raise your own. Now
home grown chicken, chevron, mutton, rabbit or beef is a true delight. I freeze
most of a butchering because it is more meat than can be safely kept and used
before spoilage. I also can and dry part of the meat, depends on time of year.
Bernardo Gui
<va...@tanglewood-destiny.com> wrote:
>I would prefer returning to the 1960s style of once-a-month shopping.
You're welcome to it. Personally, fresh is the only way to go.
>>Often, never-frozen fish and meat is available at the market. It's a
>>waste of money, if you don't eat that fresh.
>
>How sure are you that those product really have never been frozen?
All you have to do is look at it. Fresh meat and fish look very
different from previously-frozen. Once you finally taste it, it is
more than obvious.
BN
h
"Bernardo Gui" <wail...@mypacks.net> wrote in message > All you have to do
> different from previously-frozen. Once you finally taste it, it is
> more than obvious.
>
Umm, no. Obviously you've never tasted properly frozen food, only freezer
burned food. There is no difference, and I've raised and slaughted my own
meat. Cooked, fresh meat tastes EXACTLY the same as frozen (thawed first),
cooked meat. Raw meat also tastes the same as thawed, previously-frozen
meat, although the texture is different.
clams_casino
People also tell me Olive Garden tastes like authentic Italian and Red
Lobster seafood tastes like fresh.
sarge137
> On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:49:58 -0700 (PDT), val189
>
I agree that there's a difference in quality between frozen and never
frozen food. But it's quite subtle, to me anyway, and IMO the
difference isn't worth the additional cost and inconvenience of
shopping that frequently.
Food processing has come a long way since the 60s. I to am a child of
that era, from a family with the same practice as yours. Frozen food
from that era was distinctly inferior to fresh. However, modern
techniques of flash freezing, vacuum packing, and processing the food
almost immediately at the place it's harvested make the differences
pretty insignificant.
Regards,
Sarge
sarge137
> h wrote:
> >"Bernardo Gui" <waile2...@mypacks.net> wrote in message > All you have to do
Not people who have ever had either.
Nicodemus
5ec9bc...@k30g2000hse.googlegroups.com:
> On Jun 28, 2:44 pm, Bernardo Gui <waile2...@mypacks.net> wrote:
>> On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:49:58 -0700 (PDT), val189
>>
snipped
>
> I agree that there's a difference in quality between frozen and never
> frozen food. But it's quite subtle, to me anyway, and IMO the
> difference isn't worth the additional cost and inconvenience of
> shopping that frequently.
>
> Food processing has come a long way since the 60s. I to am a child of
> that era, from a family with the same practice as yours. Frozen food
> from that era was distinctly inferior to fresh. However, modern
> techniques of flash freezing, vacuum packing, and processing the food
> almost immediately at the place it's harvested make the differences
> pretty insignificant.
>
> Regards,
> Sarge
>
There is nothing like fresh fish, from catch to kitchen, it is the sweetest
meat you will ever taste.
sarge137
> sarge137 <rbooth9...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:d4c7ff8f-6bb1-4e33-882f-
> 5ec9bc8c7...@k30g2000hse.googlegroups.com:
I'll agree with you to the extent that we're talking about fish we
caught ourselves, or bought at a fish market within 100 miles of
either coast that has been out of the water less than 24 hours.
Otherwise, for the price difference, I'll take the flash frozen
premium fish, processed on board the factory ship within an hour of
being caught.
Regards,
Sarge
Bernardo Gui
wrote:
Umm, yes. Obviously you've never tasted fresh food. There is a glaring
difference in taste and appearance.
BG
Bernardo Gui
<rboot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I agree that there's a difference in quality between frozen and never
>frozen food. But it's quite subtle, to me anyway, and IMO the
>difference isn't worth the additional cost and inconvenience of
>shopping that frequently.
What cost? What inconvenience? I have multiple markets on the way
home. The vast difference in quality and taste is more than worth a
few minutes in the market. In fact, if you totaled the amount of time
that I spend shopping in a month, there wouldn't be much difference
between that and the amount of time that a once-a-month shopper
spends.
>Food processing has come a long way since the 60s. I to am a child of
>that era, from a family with the same practice as yours. Frozen food
>from that era was distinctly inferior to fresh. However, modern
>techniques of flash freezing, vacuum packing, and processing the food
>almost immediately at the place it's harvested make the differences
>pretty insignificant.
While I disagree with this entire claim, it also only addresses one
segment of the frozen food that we are discussing. What about the meat
that is bought at the market (thawed or never frozen) and is then
frozen at home? No flash freezing is likely in that case.
As a person who is familiar with fresh food and frozen food, my
opinion is that the fresh kind is the best kind. Too many Americans
have no idea of what fresh food tastes like anymore.
BG
h
> On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:47:20 -0700 (PDT), sarge137
> <rboot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>I agree that there's a difference in quality between frozen and never
>>frozen food. But it's quite subtle, to me anyway, and IMO the
>>difference isn't worth the additional cost and inconvenience of
>>shopping that frequently.
>
> What cost? What inconvenience? I have multiple markets on the way
> home.
Some of us are self-employed and work at home. I leave the house less than
once a week. Driving to a store every day would be a giant pain in the butt,
take at least 45 minutes, and use up gas. I am much more frugal with my time
and my money.
sarge137
> On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:47:20 -0700 (PDT), sarge137
>
> >I agree that there's a difference in quality between frozen and never
> >frozen food. But it's quite subtle, to me anyway, and IMO the
> >difference isn't worth the additional cost and inconvenience of
> >shopping that frequently.
>
> What cost? What inconvenience? I have multiple markets on the way
> home. The vast difference in quality and taste is more than worth a
> few minutes in the market. In fact, if you totaled the amount of time
> that I spend shopping in a month, there wouldn't be much difference
> between that and the amount of time that a once-a-month shopper
> spends.
Well I guess if you get some sort of entertainment or recreational
value from shopping, more power to you. I personally find it a
chore. As to the time spent, I promise that you spend way more time
in the market shopping every day, than I do once every week or two
(never said I shopped once a month). My individual trip may take
longer, but your cumulative time is much greater over any given
period, no matter how conveniently the store(s) is/are located. As to
the cost, it's real simple. If you won't freeze your perishables, or
buy frozen, you simply can't save what I do by buying in bulk. You
might want to try to rationalize that, but you can't get around it,
unless you want to compare apples and oranges.
> >Food processing has come a long way since the 60s. I to am a child of
> >that era, from a family with the same practice as yours. Frozen food
> >from that era was distinctly inferior to fresh. However, modern
> >techniques of flash freezing, vacuum packing, and processing the food
> >almost immediately at the place it's harvested make the differences
> >pretty insignificant.
>
> While I disagree with this entire claim, it also only addresses one
> segment of the frozen food that we are discussing. What about the meat
> that is bought at the market (thawed or never frozen) and is then
> frozen at home? No flash freezing is likely in that case.
Actually, I was mainly referring to fruits and vegetables that are
processed and flash frozen near where they are harvested. Also, many
commercial fishing vessels are factory ships that clean, filet and
flash freeze much of the premium part of their catch, within less than
an hour of it coming on board.
As to the meat, you're right, I can't flash freeze that at home. I
can buy vacuum sealed flash frozen meat from my butcher if I want to
spend the extra but that seems to defeat the whole purpose. When it
comes home, it's immediately vacuum sealed and put in my chest freezer
where it's held at about -5 degrees until it's consumed. I guarantee
that in a blind test you couldn't pick the steak held in my freezer
for up to a month from one brought fresh from the butcher shop the
same day they were cooked.
Of course you're obsessive enough about this that you'd never
acknowledge even the possibility that I might be right; and we'll
never be able to test it; so I guess we'll just agree to disagree.
Regards,
Sarge
Dennis
<Ancient...@Heaven.net> wrote:
>There is nothing like fresh fish, from catch to kitchen, it is the sweetest
>meat you will ever taste.
Depends where it lived before it was caught. I once had some freshly
caught and prepared salmon from the lower Columbia River that tasted
like sewage.
Dennis (evil)
--
The honest man is the one who realizes that he cannot
consume more, in his lifetime, than he produces.
Kadaitcha Man
> There is nothing like fresh fish, from catch to kitchen, it is the
> sweetest
> meat you will ever taste.
Yeah? Wait until you catch a fucking carp. It'll be like eating a
shovel-full of fucking dirt.
--
Hammer of Thor: February 2007. Pierre Salinger Memorial Hook,
Line & Sinker: September 2005, April 2006, January 2007.
Official Member: Cabal Obsidian Order COOSN-124-07-06660
Official Overseer of Kooks & Trolls in 24hoursupport.helpdesk
ares
love the convenience and family eats a lot.... I could make bulk dinners and
freeze in trays for later nuking. I think Holiday brand made by Amana......
has been trouble free, unlike my refrigerators, as well.
I do a total defrost once a year. Chest freezer. Fewer trips to store and
ability to buy in bulk on sale, like everyone else....
ares
Nicodemus
$c...@alt.sluts.wet-furback-turtle.com.tuvalu:
> Nicodemus, ye odious vixen, thy wife's a hobby-horse, ye berated:
>
>> There is nothing like fresh fish, from catch to kitchen, it is the
>> sweetest
>> meat you will ever taste.
>
>
> Yeah? Wait until you catch a fucking carp. It'll be like eating a
> shovel-full of fucking dirt.
>
did lose.. my place, sorry
Is this the place?
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **
terry
> What size?
>
> And do you think its REALLY a frugal thing to own?
>
> If yes..... how and in what ways?
Yes and yes. Very small amount of electricity a small freezer uses, in
comparison to saving trips to the market etc. using gasoline; now
over $5 per US gallon is economic. We can run a freezer for a month
compared to cost of gasoline for one trip to the s.amarket! Also
reduced driving reduces emission of carbon from the motor vehicle!
In our province of Canada over 90% of electrcity here is generated by
NOT burning fossil fuels such as oil or coal; it is generated by hydro
(water) power. So electrical use, compared to driving, is more
favourable ecologically.
Another factor is that 'wasted' electrical heat from older style
appliances and old style incandescent lamps supplements the electrical
heating system of the house! And there are very few days in the year,
and no months at all, here, where some heat is not required. Very few
homes; if any need or install AC at all. There are few now using heat
pumps that can be reversed to provide summer time cooling and reduce
humidity. But with generally cool evenings it has to be done
automatically if at all.
We are currently just going through our (mid July) warm period where
daytime temperatures occasionally get up to 75 or not very often 80
deg. F. A record approx. 88 degrees in one part of this province got
special mention on the local news recently!
But night time temps. are currently anywhere from 60 to 70. It's about
only time of the year we have windows open at night. In another couple
of weeks it will be back down to around 50 degrees at night. In the
centre of this province there was the possibility of a frost warning
the other night. We being close to the North Atlantic, our coastal
temps. are moderated, in winter not as cold as central North America,
in summer not as hot!
So blanket (warm pun intended!) rulings about, for example, using
CFLs (except outside where one lamp may be on all night for safety
etc.) don't make much sense. My power company says that about 8% of
electricity (in this all electric house) is used for lighting. Even if
we cut that in half, or to one quarter will 'save' about 50 to 75
cents per day! And once again the electric heating will cut in a
little more often during at least ten months of the year to offset the
heat NOT being supplied by lamps and appliances.
So you can't make rules that apply everywhere; whether that is
continent wide or world wide. Winter in Moscow may be one set of
conditions, summer in Australia or Arizona another. In January in,
Malta cauliflower and oranges were growing and ready for harvesting!
Here my neighbour was using our joint snow-blower to ensure his truck
could get out to work. In Sri lanka or the Middle East there is no
winter to speak of. Air conditioners there may run all year round!
clams_casino
>On Jun 23, 1:51 pm, m...@privacy.net wrote:
>
>
>>What size?
>>
>>And do you think its REALLY a frugal thing to own?
>>
>>If yes..... how and in what ways?
>>
>>
>
>Yes and yes. Very small amount of electricity a small freezer uses, in
>comparison to saving trips to the market etc. using gasoline; now
>over $5 per US gallon is economic.
>
Any cost to run a freezer is a real cost for me. I most always stop by
the grocer only when I'm passing on combined trips / errands.
terry
> <hchick...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:i6mv549a7lleshgqh...@4ax.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:51:52 -0500, m...@privacy.net wrote:
>
> >>What size?
>
> >>And do you think its REALLY a frugal thing to own?
>
> >>If yes..... how and in what ways?
>
>
> > Yes frugal. It allows us to buy bulk and store frozen. We don't have
> > to drive to the stores as often. It allows us to store our own
> > produce without resorting to canning. A freezer is little more than a
> > shelf with overhead costs. If you stock it based on sales and stuff
> > that will otherwise go to waste, you'll save a lot. If you stuff it
> > with frozen pizza, or stuff you'll forget about and toss out, you
> > won't.
>
> You must have dirt cheap electric rates. Most freezers about 21 cu ft use
> more than 500 kWh per year and at the 15 cents/kWh paid around here costs
> come to more than $75 a year.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Even that is only 20 cents per day; and anyway the 'wasted heat helps
heat the house. During the winter anyway (depending where you are
located climate-wise)!
That 20 cents is about equivalent of driving say a V6 auto a couple of
miles with gasoline at around $4.00 per US gallon; or idling in
traffic holdups or waiting at a Starbucks outlet etc. for say ten
minutes.
Here that (hydro generated) electrcity cost would be about half to two
thirds that (say 12 to 15 cents per day) but our gasoline now costs
equivalent of about $5.00 per US gallon!