5 Things You Can Freeze to Save MoneyHuffington Post

Besides the obvious (over-ripe bananas and tired looking fruit that might be good for smoothies in a few weeks), here are a few other ideas via Huffington Post's article Freezer Freaks: 5 Weird Things I Freeze To Save Money.

1. Batteries : Remember film cameras, and how the freezer extends the life of film? Keeping batteries in the freezer can also help them last longer by allowing them to retain more of their energy than at room temperature. If you store batteries, they'll slowly loose their charge. Lower temperatures decreases their rate of discharge, allowing you to have more energy for later. While this works best for NiMH and Nicad batteries, it will also prolong the life of alkaline batteries, just not as well. Note: You should let them warm-up before using, however, because batteries actually don't last as long when cold.

2. Candles: Wax candles burn longer after having been frozen.

3. Leftover Wine: Having problems finishing that bottle of wine? I know I often do. The solution: pour your leftover wine into ice-cube trays before it goes bad and use it in spaghetti sauce or other stock when cooking.

4. Pantyhose: I really can't attest to this one, but the Huffington Post reports that keeping pantyhose in the freezer results in less runs and increases their usable life. Similar to freezing jeans, it probably keeps them cleaner, too! Sounds weird, we agree.

5. Wooden Voodoo Mask: This one's a bit out of left field but there is a lesson to be learned regarding foreign wood products and woodworms. If you have an item that you suspect contains woodworms (diagnosed by visible pinholes), stick it in the freezer for a couple weeks to kill the worms and their eggs.

(Images: Flickr member tjriley82 licensed under Creative Commons)

The problem with the wine trick is that if it has a high enough alcohol content it won't freeze completely in most freezers, but become an obnoxious slush instead. Make sure your freezer is very very cold, or your wine is well below 15%, or you might have something of a mess on your hands when you pull the tray out expecting it to be solid, and it's not.

posted by qhartman on March 18th 2010 at 6:36pm
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Another thing you can freeze is your chapstick. If it gets soft on a hot day, put it in the freezer. The next morning take it out and it will be good to use again.

And my mom freezes her coffee to keep it fresh longer

PS Trent, so glad you were not going to advise to put the computer in the freezer...

www.redesigndiva.com

Kindle

posted by RedesignDiva on March 18th 2010 at 7:39pm
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Keep all your grains in the freezer to deter bugs. Not only will you not have to throw out half a bag of wormy flour, it'll stay much fresher. When I started freezing all my grains, I made cupcakes with frozen flour and my family asked what the hell I did to the recipe to make them so much better than before.

Also: nuts. They aren't cheap, and can go rancid if stored at room temperature due to their high fat content, so freeze 'em.

posted by Stiletto on March 18th 2010 at 8:23pm
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I never have problems finishing a bottle of wine ;)

posted by Ms Melly on March 18th 2010 at 10:38pm
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how about freezing your credit cards?

:)

posted by honey living on March 19th 2010 at 10:38am
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Keep your fresh ginger in the freezer to make it last longer, too!

posted by StephanieAx on March 20th 2010 at 10:31am
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posted by Rene1985 on July 25th 2010 at 10:56am
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