With the current inflation situation affecting consumers across the U.S., everyone is looking for ways to save money. One way is on your grocery bill. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a family of four spends about $1,000 per month on food. Although this number pales in comparison to rent/mortgage, health care and taxes, it is one number consumers have control over. Buying a standalone freezer can help you save significantly on your grocery bill — but only under certain circumstances. The appliance repair technicians at Kimball Appliance Parts & Service explain.
Investing in a Standalone Freezer
If your goal is to save money, your first consideration should be how much you are willing to pay for a freezer. A small freezer can be as little as $200, while a large freezer can be more than $1,000. The longer you have it and the more you use it, the better your return on investment.
Additionally, you must pay for the extra electricity to operate your freezer, but it is not nearly as much as some people would have you believe. According to Sears, the average freezer will cost between $25 and $150 per year to run. Compare that to the average refrigerator at up to $250 per year. Utah also has one of the lowest electricity rates in the U.S. at less than 11 cents per kilowatt hour.
Upright freezers use more energy than chest freezers; however, the cost may be worth it to those who live in a home where space is at a premium.
Keep in mind that there are vast differences in efficiency of your appliances based on how old they are and what their Energy Star ratings are. Further, your freezer will be more efficient if you keep it packed with food, versus leaving it half full.
Will You Use All That Food?
While freezers have an undeserved reputation for being expensive to run, the real cost of keeping an extra freezer is that of not using the food you have stored in it. Consumers must be disciplined about buying food in bulk, on sale, and then keeping to a plan of cooking and eating it. If you save money on 10 pounds of hamburger and then allow it to sit in your freezer for years untouched, you have not saved any money.
Although it is not impossible for a single person or a couple to benefit from having a freezer, generally speaking, the more people you have to feed, the more money your freezer can save you. You can use your freezer not only to buy food and store it in bulk, but also to cook it in large batches and freeze it in single-serving sizes so kids and teens can easily grab a healthy meal rather than order Uber Eats.
Freezer Repairs
Since upright freezers are expected to last 10-15 years and chest freezers up to 20 years, you will likely need freezer repair at some point. That’s the time to call Kimball Appliance Parts & Service. Whether you have a mini freezer, upright freezer or chest freezer that’s giving you trouble, our appliance repair techs can help. We have locations in Salt Lake City, Utah; Kansas City, Missouri; and Denver, Colorado.