It hasn't been as big of a deal lately, but earlier this summer when I sold my extra refrigerator, a number of people were urging me to buy a new, stand-alone freezer. It's a great idea, but as a Details Dad looking to keep the family budget intact, I have couple of issues.

First, I already have a freezer attached to my current refrigerator. Why not use it? Second, getting a new freezer for the basement would be another expense (and hey, I could hurt my back taking it downstairs, right?). Finally, when you have a freezer, you are likely to buy more meat, throw it in there, and then forget about it for at least a year or more. I know some people who've stored items in a basement freezer for years, and they can't even begin to tell you what's on the bottom third of the freezer.

I also see a similar scenario with our refrigerator. Sometimes we buy items that get pushed to the back of the fridge, and then they spoil. When you consider this over the course of a year, you are losing grocery money that could be better spent in other family budget areas. This usually happens with fresh vegetables and fruits. They can get put in the bottom of the refrigerator, and can be easily
forgotten during the hectic week.

That's why I'm a proponent of making a meal list, and just buying what you need for the week ahead. However, that's hard to do.

I went to the store last week, and I was only going to get some eggs, but I came out with about $90 more in grocery items. Why does that happen? Is there some sort of magnet built into the grocery cart that just attracts food?

Anyway, a meal list and schedule could be helpful. That way, you don't overfill your refrigerator with items you may not use. The same
goes for a stand-alone freezer. So, getting back to the issue of having a freezer in your basement-- what do you think? I suppose if you can manage what you buy, and if you find sale meat items, it might actually help save money. Does it save you money? I have even heard of people buying milk on sale at grocery stores and then freezing it. Do you think this is a good idea?

For some reason, I have a feeling a basement freezer is probably in my future.