Have you ever returned home from a vacation, business trip, or weekend away with the family and seen your digital clocks displaying the wrong time?

You immediately discover that you had a power outage while you were away, but it’s nearly impossible to determine when or how long it lasted. It’s also hard to say how long your frozen food has thawed, spoiled, and refrozen.

Or is it?

With Hurricane Matthew, which blew across portions of the United States in 2016, a woman called Sheila Pulanco Russell posted a great idea on her Facebook wall for anyone who was forced to flee their property.

But this tactic is also helpful if you’re away from home for a long time, as it will ease your worries about the safety of the food in your freezer.

The method is a miraculous mix of three basic but efficient things that everyone has at home: a cup, a penny, and some tap water.

In a Facebook post that generated hundreds of thousands of comments and shares, Sheila outlines how to continue. She wrote:

“For those of you fleeing from the shore, I just heard some fantastic advice. It’s known as the one-cup tip. You store a cup of water in your freezer. Freeze it firm, then place a quarter on top and store it in your freezer. So, when you return after being evacuated, you’ll know if your food was refrozen or stayed frozen.

If the quarter has dropped to the bottom of the cup, it indicates that all of the food has defrosted and should be discarded. However, if the quarter is on top or in the center of the cup, your food may still be OK. It’s also a good idea to have this in your freezer at all times, so if you lose power for whatever reason, you’ll have this advice on hand.

If you don’t feel comfortable about your food, toss it away. What matters most is that everyone is safe. Please share this tip on your page.”

This method is straightforward, efficient, and unquestionably cost-effective, as it eliminates food waste. Please tell all of your friends about this neat technique!