Your cooler is your frozen food's best friend.

Yes. That’s literally what coolers are for.

A cooler is basically a portable fridge for the trip home. Throw your frozen groceries in there, and they’ll stay frozen or close to it for the hour or two it takes to get back. In summer, your car’s interior can hit 140°F—that’ll start thawing ice cream before you’re out of the parking lot. A cheap cooler fixes that.

Two pro tips: Pre-cool the cooler if you can (throw a bag of ice in it at the store, or keep it in the fridge before you leave). And pack the frozen stuff tight together—thermal mass helps it stay cold longer. You don’t even need ice packs if you pack it densely enough.

If you’re running errands after the grocery store, a cooler is the difference between melted ice cream and a good day.