So what exactly is Freezer Dinner? I essentially throw open the doors of my freezer and defrost all the leftovers within. Doing so on a regular basis (every other Wednesday, in fact) means I don’t unintentionally let old dishes collect frost patterns in a far-off corner. Over time I’ve experimented with foods that seem to last longer in deep freeze than others, and tonight’s menu is a good guide:

*  Curried chickpeas

*  Beef stew

*  White bean and chicken casserole

*  Chipotle cornbread

Beans and legumes perform especially well (plus, they’re both wholesome and cheap). I always have a stash of homemade bread (sliced, so I can take out a few pieces at a time). Dessert? I often dump all those half-empty bags of frozen berries into the blender and make a fruit smoothie.

Here are a few more tips to help you benefit from Freezer Dinner:

*Even though it takes up more space, I always freeze leftovers in single-serving portions. Every container gets a label, and I press plastic wrap or wax paper into the top of the food before putting on the lid. On Freezer Dinner night everyone gets to choose their own “meal” (no fighting over the beef stew!).

*Two days prior to eating, I remove the containers from the freezer and let them defrost in the fridge. I’ve found that defrosting many foods (meats, especially) in the microwave changes their consistency and sometimes turns them into mush. Slow reheating is best, too.

*To boost freezer-dulled flavors, I often snip herbs like chives or basil on the food after reheating. No need to purchase pricey fresh herbs just for the occasion—I keep some in my freezer year-round.

*Take a look at this terrific list of freeze-able food from All You’s food editor

Let me know how you use your freezer to save money!

Posted by Susan Spencer, executive editor

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Then one day I walked past the self-service bulk bin aisle and a light bulb went off.  How much would I save if I scooped my own granola? Well, as it turns out, a lot, and it opened a whole new money-saving pathway for me (and showed me how to save on other grocery items as well). Take a look at last week’s shopping trip:

*I picked up 5 pounds of ginger snap and low-fat raisin granola for $2.49 a pound, totaling $12.45. The boxed equivalent would have cost me $20.95.  My savings: $8.50.

*Bulk-bin almonds are pretty pricey at $8.99/lb., but they’re a lot cheaper than the kind the store sells in plastic containers at $11.18/lb. (Who knew packaging could be so expensive?) I picked up a pound for healthy snacking. My savings: $2.19.

*I scooped out 2 pounds of brown rice at $1.39/lb. then scooted over to the rice aisle to see how much I saved. The same variety, in a plastic container, cost $2.97/lb. and $2.00/lb in a bag.  Bonus: Since I plan to simply refill my existing container, less plastic ends up in landfill. My savings: $1.22-$3.16.

*In a probably vain attempt to convert my family to healthy, affordable oatmeal, I picked up a pound of rolled oats for $1.19/lb. It was shockingly cheaper than the store brand ($2.66). My savings: $1.47.

Another reason I love the bulk bins: You can buy small amounts. I recently needed a scant 1/8 of a cup of unsweetened coconut for a recipe. I scooped out exactly that much, and because it was so little, it didn’t register on the scale. At the checkout, it cost me…nothing.  The manager gave it to me for free. Nice, right? Buying small also lets you try out new items, like the bulk bin sesame chews I bought for my kids and they promptly rejected.

My next step: Finding cheap, reusable storage containers for my bulk bin finds. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comment section. Thanks!

—Susan Spencer, executive editor

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Posted by Beth Lipton, Food Editor

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*  What are your dinner plans tonight? Sign up for Chili’s email club and receive a free welcome gift of chips and queso within 48 hours of registration!

* Free Sample Momma’s got the scoop on a “two treats for the price of one” deal at Dairy Queen stores. Click for more information!

*  Indulge in a free bag of Hersey’s Pieces—by first indulging in a paid-for bag of Hershey’s Pieces! (Who doesn’t love chocolate?)

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Posted by Emily Hendricks Turnier, associate editor

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Without question the biggest shift in my spending philosophy has been at the supermarket. It’s quite simple, really: Instead of planning meals around recipes, I now plan meals around sales. I still go to the supermarket with a list of groceries in hand, but I shop the sales for the following week at the same time. The sale chicken  legs make their way into my freezer; when it comes time to meal-plan for the following week, I check my freezer, pull out a recipe (like this yummy one), and  add the  ingredients I don’t have on hand to my weekly shopping list.

I’ve mastered the shopping part, but I do struggle with variety. Lately I’ve been in a fish tacos-roast chicken-turkey burger rotation that’s trying the patience of even my husband, who will eat anything as long as it’s not eggplant. That’s why I was excited to see some of Erin Chase’s clever ideas on meal planning in her new book, The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook.

Erin is a big advocate of shopping your freezer—in fact, she goes a step beyond what I do and purchases several family-size packs of sale meat at once and chucks them in the freezer. When she reaches critical mass (presumably when she can no longer close the door), she creates a monthly menu. Beyond money savings, there are lots of benefits to long-range meal planning. First, you can see the big picture of what you’re eating and avoid mealtime boredom (no more, “Fish tacos, again?!”). And you can get a nutritional snapshot of the food your family is consuming, so if you’re trying to cut back on red meat, say, you can actually keep track. I like the idea of plotting your monthly meals on an online calendar (I love Google’s) so you can reference past months or plan special meals in advance.

Erin also offers up some delicious, cheap recipes in the cookbook. I’m sold on her super-easy, satisfying Cuban Black Beans and Rice, which cost only $2.99. This recipe is only found in the cookbook, but Erin posts lots of other money-saving recipes on her site.

Posted by Susan Spencer, executive editor

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My husband will love them! I’ll have to freeze a few of them for later. (The recipe calls for plain yogurt but Light & Fit doesn’t come in plain, so I’m going to swap in vanilla yogurt and cut the sugar to 1/2 cup.)

The rest of the yogurts will be great to bring to work for snacks next week. Weekend breakfast idea? Check. Healthy snacks for the week? Check. And all with a coupon — now that’s a great deal!

–Beth Lipton, Food Editor

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Thanks to Rachel at survivingthestores.com for the tip!

Posted by Emily Hendricks Turnier, associate editor

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*  Got a Blockbuster Express kiosk near you? Enjoy a free flick on the house with code G211A2 by Jan. 28. Get your movie freebie!

*  Bargain Briana’s got the scoop on receiving a free sample pack from Aveda, including  shampoo, conditioner and strengthening treatment. Plus, sign up for a free Caribbean Therapy Body Crème sample while there.

*  The new and improved YoPlus yogurt from Yoplait serves up even more antioxidants, fiber, calcium and Vitamin D. Give it a taste test with a free sample from BettyCrocker.com.

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And now they’ve added a great new flavor to the roster — raisin bran — so you can have the taste of the beloved cereal in a portable, satisfying muffin top. The best part? Vitalicious is offering All You readers an exclusive 10 % off coupon, so stock up! Click on vitalicious.com, and use the coupon code WAYY33YYQ when you check out. This offer is good until March 31. Enjoy!

Posted by Beth Lipton, Food Editor

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At first I took the challenge perhaps too literally, and brought in my meal in a brown bag. I had to rethink this strategy when my leftover chicken curry ended up on the sidewalk, thanks to a soggy-bottomed bag and an age-old Chinese food container with an ill-fitting lid.  I knew I had to up my game if I were to be taken seriously as a brown bagger. So I found two essentials that made my lunch’s commute spill-free. First, I bought a wonderful lunch sack from Land’s End. It’s insulated, durable, and roomy enough to hold two stacked containers and a piece of fruit. (And it comes in lots of pretty colors!). It’s normally $10.50, but it’s on sale today for $7.50, so mouse on over.

Then I discovered this set of containers from Martha Stewart’s line at Macy’s.

I love the single-serving size (so you can’t cram two meals’ worth of chicken curry inside), and the snap-in freezer packs keep food chilled without taking up extra room in my lunch sack. You can also pop the containers in the microwave without worrying about scary chemicals turning your curry into Chernobyl. All in all, it’s a small investment in a healthy, inexpensive lunch.

—Susan Spencer, executive editor

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Stop in from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and you can enjoy a free short stack of their buttermilk pancakes. In return, IHOP asks you to make a donation to the Children’s Miracle Network hospital in your local area or another charitable cause.

IHOP began celebrating National Pancake day in 2006, and last year gave away three million pancakes and raised nearly $1.5 million for the Children’s Miracle Network and other charities.  So in the spirit of paying it forward, have your (pan)cake and eat it too!

What’s that? You say you’re hungry now?

If February’s too far in the future to snack on a deal, IHOP has something for you to enjoy right now: All You Can Eat Pancakes! Now through February 21, IHOP is offering unlimited pancakes for the price of one—$4.99.

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Posted by Cheryl Thompson, allyou.com

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The cookbook is on-sale now at Walmart stores and at Walmart.com, plus we have an exclusive $1.00 off coupon to use if you buy the book in the stores.

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These bars are chock-full of healthy ingredients, and have 8g fiber per bar along with lots of antioxidants and heart-healthy omega-3s. Also, have I mentioned they’re delicious? They come in three flavors: cranberry nut (my favorite), mixed berry and tropical—all for less than 200 calories and 9g fat.

The best part? All You readers are getting an exclusive 10 percent off until the end of the year! Visit www.naturalguidance.com/salba and use the coupon code ALLYOU to get yours. Enjoy!

Posted by Beth Lipton, Food Editor

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Take a break from all the holiday hullabaloo this weekend and enjoy a Mexican meal at Qdoba. The restaurant is introducing a kids’ menu, and to celebrate they’re offering free meals to the lil’ ones on Dec. 19 and 20. Just buy 1 regular entrée (I always have the Naked Veggie Burrito), and get 1 free kid’s meal for your favorite person in the 12-and-under set.

Kids’ choices include a Lil’ Cheese Quesadilla, Lil’ Chicken Naked Burrito or a single taco, and the meal includes a side (applesauce, beans or fresh tortilla chips) and a drink (they offer juice, 1% milk or a small soda). The nice thing about Qdoba is that you build your meal, so even picky eaters can have just what they want. Enjoy!

– Posted by Beth Lipton, Food Editor

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But all is not lost! You can still have your pie and eat it, too. Organic pumpkin, usually just a tiny fraction of the overall market, is grown on the West Coast, and growers there didn’t suffer the same troubles as Libby’s and other Midwestern growers, the New York Times reports. So there’s plenty of organic canned pumpkin on store shelves. It is more expensive than regular canned pumpkin — but it’s still quite affordable. Instead of $2.90 for a 15-oz. can, you’ll pay about $3.80. Considering that a prepared pumpkin pie at Marie Callender’s costs more than $11, organic pumpkin is still a great deal.

You can also make your own pumpkin puree very easily. Buy a sugar or pie pumpkin (don’t use the big pumpkins that you carve — they don’t taste as good), cut in half and remove the seeds. Brush the inside of the pumpkin halves with vegetable or olive oil. Place them on a large rimmed baking sheet, cut side down, and pour in about 1 cup of water. Bake the pumpkin at 350ºF until tender (it can take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the pumpkin). Let it cool, then use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, and puree it in a blender or food processor. You’ll get about 1 cup of puree per pound of pumpkin.

Posted by Beth Lipton, Food Editor

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Several sites offer nothing but organic and natural food coupons. Here are some of the best. If you know of others, post them!

* Sustain Lane
* Delicious Living Mag
* Eat Better America
* Mambo Sprouts
* Organic Deals & Coupons
* Stonyfield Farm

INTERESTING TIP: You can often use “general” coupons for organic items made by the same brand. Let’s say you have a coupon for Bertolli marinara sauce. That will likely work on both the organic and nonorganic versions, even if it doesn’t say so.

Posted by Gillian Aldrich, Features Editor

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Swing by a T.G.I. Friday’s any day after 4p.m. from now through December 23 to munch on half-price appetizers (normally $6 to $11), including Sesame Jack chicken strips, spinach dip, fried mozzarella, nachos, wings, potato skins and more!

Posted by Melissa Fiorenza, Associate Editor

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Posted by Beth Lipton, Food Editor

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