THE CHEAPSKATES CLUB
  • Home
  • Join the Club!
    • Twenty Reasons to Join the Cheapskates Club
    • Gift Memberships
  • About Us
    • Cath's Story
    • Ask Cath
    • Glossary of Cheapskating Terms
  • Forum
    • Current Forum Discussions
    • How to Use the Member Forum
  • Inspiration
    • Getting Started
    • Handmade Christmas Central >
      • Handmade Christmas 2025 is about to start
    • 31 Days of MOO Index
    • Articles
    • Back to Basics >
      • Back to Basics
      • Back to Basics Index
    • Housekeeping Routines
    • Budget Renovations
    • Saving Stories
  • SAVING REVOLUTION
    • 2025 Saving Revolution Index
    • Saving Revolution Resources
  • Recipes
    • Recipe File Index
    • Meal Plans
    • Add a Recipe
    • $300 a Month Food Challenge >
      • $300 a Month Food Challenge
      • The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
  • Newsletters
    • Newsletters 2025
  • Saving Money
    • Bill Paying System
    • Cheapskates Tip Store
    • Tip Sheets
    • Top Tip Competition
  • Contact
    • Changing Details
    • Help Files
Sentry Page Protection
Please Wait...

Why You Should Always Keep a Coin in the Freezer

​Why you should always put a coin in the freezer. Have you ever come home from vacation, business trip or maybe a weekend away with the family - and noticed your digital clocks flashing the wrong time? You quickly realise that you had a power outage while you were away, but it's basically impossible to tell when it occurred or how long it lasted. It's therefore also impossible to tell just how long the food in your freezer may have thawed, been destroyed, and then frozen again. 

Or is it?

The trick lies in the magical combination of three simple but effective tools everyone already has at home: a mug, a coin and some tap water.

When you are going on holidays, try this one-cup tip. You put a cup of water in your freezer. Freeze it solid and then put a 20cent piece on top of it and leave it in your freezer. That way when you come back after your holiday, you can tell if your food went completely bad and just refroze, or if it stayed frozen while you were gone.

If the coin has fallen to the bottom of the cup that means all the food defrosted and you should throw it out. But if the coin is either on the top or in the middle of the cup then your food may still be ok. It would also be a great idea to leave this in your freezer all the time and if you lose power for any reason you will have this tip to fall back on. If you don't feel good about your food, just throw it out.

Simple, effective - and definitely a money saver, because you don't have to toss loads of food unnecessarily. Please share this nifty trick with all your friends! 

Contributed by Jill Madden
Back
Next

About Cheapskates

Getting Started

Tools & Guides

Follow Us

Cath's Story
You Really Can Live on One Income
Join the Club!
Site Information
Contact
Begin here
Newsletter Archive
Journal Archive
$300 a Month Food Challenge
Forum
Cheapskates Tip Store
Cheapskates Recipe File
Tip Sheets
Facebook
YouTube

Copyright ©2001 - 2025 The Cheapskates Club, All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Join the Club!
    • Twenty Reasons to Join the Cheapskates Club
    • Gift Memberships
  • About Us
    • Cath's Story
    • Ask Cath
    • Glossary of Cheapskating Terms
  • Forum
    • Current Forum Discussions
    • How to Use the Member Forum
  • Inspiration
    • Getting Started
    • Handmade Christmas Central >
      • Handmade Christmas 2025 is about to start
    • 31 Days of MOO Index
    • Articles
    • Back to Basics >
      • Back to Basics
      • Back to Basics Index
    • Housekeeping Routines
    • Budget Renovations
    • Saving Stories
  • SAVING REVOLUTION
    • 2025 Saving Revolution Index
    • Saving Revolution Resources
  • Recipes
    • Recipe File Index
    • Meal Plans
    • Add a Recipe
    • $300 a Month Food Challenge >
      • $300 a Month Food Challenge
      • The $300 a Month Food Challenge Forum
  • Newsletters
    • Newsletters 2025
  • Saving Money
    • Bill Paying System
    • Cheapskates Tip Store
    • Tip Sheets
    • Top Tip Competition
  • Contact
    • Changing Details
    • Help Files