As someone who is constantly on the lookout for a deal, I recently examined my kitchen for some practical ways to cut down on my day-to-day expenses. After swapping my kitchen lighting for LED bulbs and purging a few too many expired items in my pantry, I turned to my refrigerator for some big savings! With a bit of research, I uncovered some simple ways to improve my fridge’s efficiency and increase the lifespan of my perishables (in turn, saving me money). Talk about adulting – I honestly didn’t think it would be so easy to save some quick cash in my kitchen. Here’s how to save money by reorganizing your fridge.
Check your fridge’s temperature settings
The next time you’re restocking your refrigerator, be sure to review your fridge’s manual for the recommended temperature settings. This will ensure that your fridge is working at optimal efficiently (and not overworking) to maximize the freshness of your food. Can’t find your refrigerator’s manual? Peek inside to find the make and model number on the top shelf of your fridge, then search Google for a PDF version.
Use your fridge drawers for what they’re designed for
Your fridge’s crisper drawers are designed specifically to store your produce items. The tabs at the top of each drawer help to control the amount of humidity within each drawer. Items best kept in your low-humidity drawer are: apples, grapes, mushrooms, peppers, ripe avocados, peaches, pears and melons. Items best stored in your fridge’s high-humidity drawer include: broccoli, carrots, leafy greens and cauliflower. Tip: The bottom drawer of your fridge is best left for meat, fish and deli items – I originally thought that this drawer would make great wine storage!
Understand your fridge doors and what to store in them
Refrigerator doors are slim and typically designed to store items like milk and eggs. However, since your fridge’s doors are regularly swinging open and shut, the temperature gets too warm for dairy items. Instead, store not-so-perishable items like condiments, juice, soda and water in your fridge doors. Increase the lifespan of your eggs by keeping them in their original container (to be reminded of their expiry date,) and store milk, yoghurt, and butter towards the back of your top shelf. Tip: Place these items on a Lazy Susan so that you’re not struggling to reach for them behind taller items.
Embrace handy containers and storage solutions
The best way to stay organized (and save money,) is by seeing exactly what’s in your fridge at all times. There are plenty of clear storage containers to help with this available at the dollar store. Use a dry-erase marker to note the item’s expiry date on each container. Storing items in multiple separate containers also helps to ensure that there isn’t any cross contamination – this is especially helpful for items that tend to leak.
Know which items DON’T belong in your fridge
The quickest way to throw money right out the window is by storing items in your fridge that don’t necessarily belong there. These items should never be kept inside your fridge: Bananas, bread, coffee, garlic onions, potatoes and tomatoes.
Do you have any other tips for reorganizing your fridge? Leave a comment down below.
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