Day 3 of my Ditch the Freezer Challenge is done, and another four kilos of mince have been moved from the freezer to the pantry shelf.
This batch gave me another 12 pint jars of shelf-stable, ready-to-use mince. That brings my total for the first three days to 12 kilos of mince removed from the freezer and 29 jars of convenient meal starters added to the pantry.
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I can see more empty space appearing in the freezer every day, and it is very encouraging.

That is a very satisfying result for just three days.

Turning Bread Ends into Breadcrumbs
​I also finished drying the bread ends, crusts and stale rolls that had been taking up space in the freezer.

The fire was already going, so I placed the bread on racks above it and let the gentle heat dry it until it was completely crisp. Once it had cooled, I whizzed it into breadcrumbs and filled a jar for the pantry.

I’ve left the breadcrumbs plain. That makes them much more versatile because I can season them to suit whatever I’m cooking.

When I want Italian-style breadcrumbs, I’ll add a teaspoon of my MOO Italian seasoning. I could also add garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, paprika, pepper or any other seasoning that suits the meal.

Plain breadcrumbs can be used for:

• Rissoles and meatballs
• Crumbed chicken or fish
• Schnitzels
• Toppings for pasta bakes
• Stuffing
• Homemade sausage rolls
• Thickening savoury mixtures
• Adding texture to vegetable patties

​Breadcrumbs Are Surprisingly Expensive
Breadcrumbs are one of those basic grocery items that don’t seem particularly expensive until you compare the price per kilo.
Generic plain breadcrumbs can cost around $4 a kilo, while branded plain breadcrumbs can cost as much as $18.50 a kilo. Panko crumbs can cost up to $14.50 a kilo, and seasoned crumbs can be even more expensive.

When you look at those prices, saving bread ends doesn’t seem quite so silly.

Bread crusts, stale buns and the odd slice nobody wants to eat can all be turned into a useful pantry staple instead of being thrown away. It costs very little to make, especially when the bread can be dried using heat that is already available.

And because the bread is already paid for, making breadcrumbs helps us receive the full value from our grocery spending.

Another Win for the 10 Cents a Day Challenge
This is a perfect example of how small savings add up.
Saving bread ends may only seem like a tiny thing, but one homemade batch of breadcrumbs can save far more than 10 cents. It also prevents food waste and means one less item needs to go onto the shopping list.

Every jar made at home, every leftover used and every grocery item we don’t need to buy adds to the savings.

That is exactly what the 10 Cents a Day Savings Challenge is about. We don’t need one huge, dramatic saving every day. We simply need to notice the little opportunities and use them.
Make a batch of breadcrumbs and you’ve already saved more than 10 cents.

Little by Little
After three days, I have cleared 12 kilos of mince and a collection of bread ends from the freezer.
In their place, I now have 29 jars of ready-to-use mince and meatballs, along with a jar of homemade breadcrumbs sitting safely on the pantry shelf.

The food hasn’t been wasted. It hasn’t been thrown out. It has simply been moved from frozen storage into useful, shelf-stable pantry ingredients.

Little by little, day by day, the freezer is becoming emptier and the pantry is becoming even more useful.

Take a look in your freezer today. Do you have bread ends, crusts or stale buns tucked away? Turn them into breadcrumbs and add the saving to your 10 Cents a Day Challenge total.

Days 1 and 2 of my Ditch the Freezer Challenge are done, and I’m pleased to say there is already a noticeable amount of room appearing in the freezer.

After Tuesday night’s YouTube Live on Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing, I moved four kilos of mince from the freezer into the fridge to thaw.

On Wednesday evening, I pressure canned the mince and turned it into 10 pint jars of shelf-stable, ready-to-use meat for the pantry.

That is 10 quick meal starters ready for those nights when dinner needs to be simple. The mince can be used for pasta sauce, tacos, savoury mince, cottage pie, soups, casseroles and plenty of other easy meals.

The mince was also bought on markdown. I saved $6.09 on each packet, giving me a total saving of $24.36.

Buying meat on markdown can be a wonderful way to stretch the grocery budget, as long as it is used, frozen or preserved promptly and safely. In this case, the mince went into the freezer when I bought it, and now it has been turned into convenient, shelf-stable food for the pantry.

Day 2: Meatballs for the Pantry

Yesterday, I took another four kilos of mince from the freezer and allowed it to thaw safely in the fridge.

After dinner, I turned it into meatballs. Once the meatballs were prepared and cooked, I pressure canned them in stock and added another seven jars to the pantry shelves.

That brings the total for the first two days to eight kilos of mince removed from the freezer and 17 jars of convenient meal starters added to the pantry.

There is already so much more room in the freezer. I’m beginning to think emptying it may not take quite as long as I first imagined.

Of course, there is still plenty to work through, but seeing that empty space is very encouraging.

The Challenge So Far
Food removed from the freezer: 8 kilograms
Jars added to the pantry: 17
Ready-to-use meal starters created: 17
Food wasted: None
Extra electricity used to store these jars: None

That last point is one of the reasons I’m enjoying this challenge so much.

The food is no longer relying on freezer space and electricity to keep it safe. It is now sitting neatly on the pantry shelf, ready to be heated and used whenever we need a quick meal.

And, unlike frozen food, I can see exactly what I have. There is no digging through icy bags or wondering what might be hiding underneath everything else.

What Can I Make with the Jars?

The jars of mince can become:

• Spaghetti bolognese
• Tacos or burritos
• Savoury mince
• Cottage pie
• Lasagne
• Chilli
• Mince on toast
• A quick pasta bake
• Soup or casserole

The jars of meatballs can be served with:

• Pasta and tomato sauce
• Mashed potato and vegetables
• Rice
• Homemade gravy
• Sweet-and-sour sauce
• A vegetable casserole
• Crusty bread for a very easy meal
• On rolls for meatball sliders
  

Having these jars on the pantry shelf means the main part of the meal is already cooked. All I need to do is add a few simple ingredients, heat everything through and dinner is ready.

Today’s Job: Bread Ends into Breadcrumbs

Today, I’m tackling all the bread ends that have been saved in the freezer.

The fire is going, so I’ll place the bread on racks above it and let the gentle heat dry the pieces slowly. There is no need to turn on the oven or use any extra electricity.

Once the bread is completely dry and crisp, I’ll let it cool before whizzing it into breadcrumbs.

Those breadcrumbs will be useful for meatballs, rissoles, schnitzels, crumb toppings and all sorts of other meals. Best of all, the bread won’t be wasted, and there will be a little more room in the freezer.

I’ll add the amount of bread removed to the challenge tracker once the job is finished.

Little by Little
This challenge isn’t about trying to empty the freezer in one exhausting weekend.

It is about working through it steadily, one packet, one container and one meal at a time.

Some of the food will be eaten straight away. Some will be turned into meals, and some will be preserved so it can be safely stored on the pantry shelf.

Nothing is being thrown away or wasted. Everything will be used.

Little by little, day by day, the freezer will be emptied. Along the way, I’ll end up with meals ready to eat, a better-organised pantry and far less food hidden and forgotten in the depths of the freezer.

Eight kilograms out and 17 jars on the pantry shelf is a very satisfying start. I'll be turning off the freezer very soon.

How are you going with your own freezer eat-down? Start with just one item today. Take it out, make a plan for it and enjoy seeing that first little patch of empty freezer space appear.