Freezer Inventory

I'll admit, I'm a hoarder and a waster. I have things in my freezer I've forgotten existed or forgotten what magazine-inspired recipe I bought it for, but then couldn't find the recipe back. In an attempt to get ready to save a lot of grocery money in September (my goal is to spend 1/3 my normal budget), I thought a freezer inventory was in order.

BEFORE

A haphazard, precariously stacked collection of meat, fruit, onions, ice cream, and freezer-burned leftovers. Be careful when you open the door!

WHAT TO DO

Empty everything out, wipe out the freezer with hot water and soap, inventory and categorize the contents, throw away the unusables, then put back in an organized manner

AFTER

Top shelf: ice, meat, ice cream

Bottom shelf: desserts, cheese, potatoes, bread, chopped ingredients

Top of Door: Fruits

Bottom of Door: Vegetables

Now I know what I have so I don't buy duplicates and can start thinking about menus that will use the food that is already in my freezer.

Curious about what I found? Here's a complete inventory...

Desserts: 1 tub vanilla ice cream; 1 box Hi-Lite vanilla ice cream; 5 Mr. Freeze pops; 1 Bomb Pop (age 3+ yrs); 1 tup Cool whip; 1/2 mini Hershey bar; 1 fun-size 3 Musketeers (disappeared quickly!); 1 Butter Braid from the Band Boosters; 1 bag Rhodes cinnamon rolls, 2 store-bought double pie crust; 1 home-made pie crust; 1 can frozen lemonade

Bread: 1 mini french loaf, 1/2 pkg. Pita bread 

Potatoes: 2 open bags diced hashbrowns; 1 open bag french fries

Fruits: 2 containers chopped rhubarb from garden; 1 container strawberries from MIL; 1 fruit cup; 1.25 bags raspberries; open bag strawberries, open bag blueberries (we were into smoothies for a while)

Vegetables: open bag peas, stir fry vegetables with Lo Mein; 5 various sized containers chopped onions; 1 container chopped olives, 1 container chopped green chiles (TIP: when I chop things like onions, I always do more than I need, then freeze in different portions for use in later recipes)

Cheese: 1 bag mozarella, 1 bag sharp cheddar

Meat: 1 dried beef sandwich, 5 pepper steaks (age 4+yrs-straight to trash); 4 bags panfish caught by DH; open box turkey sausage links, 1 pkg bacon, 1 lb. ground turkey, 2 open boxed breaded chicken patties (one from Aug. 2006); 1 pkg country-style rips, 1 lb. ground pork; 2 pkgs deli ham; open bag smokies; 1 pkg chicken breasts; 1 pkg hot dogs; 1 pkg brats from Dad; 1 pkg burgers from Dad; 8 burger patties I made, 1 container leftover taco meat

Non-food: 4 ice packs, 1 ice box, metal cappuccino mug; frozen mug

I think I'll wait to tackle the chest freezer in the basement another day!