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Inside: There’s no doubt the freezer is a way to fight food waste and make dinner a little bit easier. But if the contents of your freezer are a big, messy mystery, get this FREE freezer inventory sheet to save time and money!
Freezers are the unsung heroes of mealtime.
They come to the rescue on busy nights with a bag of ravioli or a tub of frozen soup.
They offer space to sock away an extra loaf of our favorite bread when it goes on sale at the grocery store.
And they allow us to save scraps of veggies for future broth or meat nearing its expiration date for another night–food that would’ve otherwise ended up in the trash.
But sometimes we’re not very nice to our freezers.
They can quickly become dumping grounds, where food is tossed and forgotten in a big, cold, unorganized heap–and found months later with a bad case of freezer burn.
If that sounds familiar, it’s time to get organized.
The first step is actually knowing what you have in your freezer. That’s where my free printable freezer inventory sheet comes in.
Why You Need This Freezer Inventory Sheet
Yes, our freezers can help us save time and money.
But have you ever dug around in a freezer until your fingers were numb for that pound of chicken breasts you could’ve sworn you bought? I have.
It’s much easier to quickly consult a list (with nice warm hands) and get on with life. This list is also a great way to help with meal planning and food shopping. Skim down the list, then build your meal plan and grocery list around what you have (and don’t have).
Some people keep these kinds of lists on their smartphones in an app. A friend of mine uses a dry erase marker and a whiteboard for her freezer inventory tracker and simply erases items as she uses them.
I’m an old-school pen-and-paper gal, so I created this freezer inventory printable. I hope this help you stay organized too!
How to Use this Food Inventory Sheet
- Get the sheet: Tap the pink button above to get your copy.
- Print it out: When you receive it via email, download and print it out. I’ve included a color version and a black and white version (use the black and white version unless you’re printing in color).
- (Optional) Laminate it: You can either save the file on your computer to print as many times as you want. Or you can laminate it (here are the self-sealing pouches I use) or place it in a page protector sheet and do your inventory with a dry or wet erase marker.
- Empty your freezer: This is also a great time to defrost it if you have icy buildup on the inside of your freezer. (Check out my Instagram Reel to see how I do that.) Toss any food items that have freezer burn or you no longer need or want.
- Categorize and inventory: Use the categories on the freezer inventory sheet to inventory what you have. I’ve organized this list into the following categories.
- Meats
- Fruit and Veggies
- Freezer Meals
- Misc: Such as ice cream, bread, and dry goods like flour
- I’ve also provided a second sheet with room to create your own categories, in case another system makes sense for you. For instance, if you buy a lot of bulk meats, your category names might be “beef”, “chicken”, and “pork” (here’s how we buy meat in bulk). If you do a lot of freezer cooking, your categories might be “casseroles”, “Instant Pot meals”, and “soups” (get 30 recipes for healthy freezer meals).
- Note the amount and date: Be sure to record the name of the item plus the amount of each item that you have, using either tally marks or numbers.
- Post it: Post the list either on the freezer door or on a nearby wall. Be sure there’s a pen or pencil nearby to note when you take things out or add new things to the freezer after grocery shopping.
Keep Organizing!
How to Organize a Bottom Drawer Freezer
These freezers can quickly become a messy pile. Here’s the system we use to keep ours neat.
How to Organize a Chest Freezer
Get the simple, cheap system we’ve stuck with for years.
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