Periodically, my husband and I will re-evaluate our finances to determine where we can cut our spending to save money. Inevitably food is one of our biggest expenses, particularly since we purchase organic, locally grown, sustainable foods. Very often the fresh fruits and vegetables we purchase go bad before we’ve had a chance to use them, which unfortunately is a waste. Similarly, when we freeze foods like leftovers, we don’t get a long freezer life with them because the foods often develop freezer burn.
Many months ago, I attempted to shop in bulk, particularly for organic meats and sustainable fish since those are two very expensive foods. However, our smallish family of four was not consuming all of these foods and shopping in bulk ended up costing more than we were saving.
I recently told you about the FoodSaver challenge I’ve been participating in. The premise of the challenge is to shop for foods in bulk and use the FoodSaver System to vacuum seal them, thereby prolonging the amount of time the foods stay fresh. FoodSaver claims that by using the system, foods will stay fresh up to 5 times as long, thereby resulting in a savings of up to $2700 a year. Air is the enemy of freshness, so removing it via the FoodSaver, results in foods staying fresh longer. Practically anything can be vacuum sealed including meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, and more. So, does it really work?
This is my very first experience using any type of vacuum sealing system, and using the machine was very easy. With the system you can use pre-cut bags or cut them with the machine to the size desired. I really like the option to cut the bags myself because I feel like I can be more judicious with them, thereby making them last longer.
Once you’ve selected (or cut) your bag, you simply place the food you’d like to vacuum seal inside and let the machine do the rest. Be sure to label the bag with the date the food was sealed and the type of food sealed. From experience, it can become difficult to determine what has been sealed once the food is frozen.
One of the unexpected benefits of using the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System is the fact that I actually find my freezer much more organized than it was. And the ability to get rid of all that extra packaging means I actually have more room in my freezer for storage.
Now that I have more room in my freezer and a system that will keep my foods fresh longer, I feel comfortable buying foods like meats and fish in bulk. I can also prepare meals ahead of time then vacuum seal and freeze them for those times when I don’t want to cook.
The system retails for $142.93 at Walmart and additional bags vary in price.
For more information about the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System, just visit their website.
Disclosure: I participate in the Walmart Moms program and am compensated for my time and honest opinions.
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