Why Every New Jersey Resident Should Keep a Quarter in Their Freezer

This time of year, we tend to see some pretty harsh weather.  Many times, the cold, ice, and snow become too much for our powerlines, and it's not incredibly unusual to experience power outages.

Power outages can occur during the summer as well, as power demand outweighs the capacity of the system.

I found a hack that can help relieve at least one headache that's caused by power outages.  It's so simple, that I'm surprised I haven't seen it sooner.

How Do I Know if Food in My Freezer is Still Good

One question we have after the outage, is "How do I know if the food in the freezer is still good?" The last thing we want to do is throw away good food.  Of course, we also don't want to feed our loved ones spoiled food either.

The first thing to know is this.  The more you have in your freezer, the longer things will stay good.  The other thing is this, keep the freezer door closed during the outage.  Each time you open the door, you're letting cold air out, and lessening the lifespan of your food.

Prepare Before an Outage

Our life hack requires preparation before the outage.  Fill a mug with water, and leave it in the freeze so the water freezes solid.  Then, take a quarter and leave it on top of the ice.  That's it!

The next time you experience a power outage, once power returns, check the mug.  If the quarter is still on your ice, you should be good.  If the quarter is under the ice, that shows the ice melted and then re-froze.