Frugal Shopping and Cooking Ideas - Cool!

Cool Ways to Be Frugal

Your cooler has more uses that simply to tote soda and potato salad to the company picnic. It can help you be more frugal while shopping and cooking too.

Frugal Tip for When the Power Is Out
Keep your cooler handy for when the electricity goes out. The more you open your refrigerator, the sooner things will spoil if the power is out for any length of time. If you put frequently used items in your cooler as soon as the power goes out, you won't have to open the refrigerator as often. An average sized cooler will easily hold plenty of bologna, cheese and condiments to make sandwiches, as well milk for cold cereal, etc.

On that same note, load the cooler with juice, iced tea or water bottles even when you have power and let little ones (and big ones too) help themselves throughout the day. Not having to open the refrigerator a dozen or more times on a scorching hot day is another frugal tip that will save electricity.

Frugal Tip for Holiday Cooking
Do you have a turkey to thaw for that big holiday dinner, but no room in the fridge? Haul out the cooler. The turkey will thaw gradually in the cooler, much safer than leaving him on the counter or in a sink full of water overnight, where there is more chance of picking up bacteria. Make sure the cooler is cleaned thoroughly, leave the turkey in the original packaging and place inside a large paper bag or plastic grocery sack, then set into the cooler. A 20-plus lb turkey should thaw gradually in two days, but make sure to check frequently and adjust as necessary. If he's thawing too quickly you can always put him in the fridge or add ice to the cooler. If he's not thawing quickly enough, you can leave the lid open for a time or resort to the cool-water-in-the-sink routine as it gets closer to cooking time.

Frugal Tip for Thawing Meat
Do you frequently forget to take meat out of the freezer in time to defrost for dinner? Similar to above, get in the habit of putting your frozen meat or casserole into the cooler when you go to bed and it will thaw gradually throughout the next day and be ready to cook when you get home from work.