I grew up in the north and we weren't that wealthy when I was a kid.
As soon as it was cold out, we had an empty old freezer outside by our back porch. Mom and dad filled it with frozen food because the outside was cold, the inside was cold and no need to run any refrigeration. Dad just put a padlock on it with a giant latch to keep dogs or animals from opening it. I don't think the old thing worked at all, they just used it as a giant ice box. Inside, mom just used a small refrigerator for a few food items.
Then in the springtime, mom would regulate the food to use up as much as possible while keep a small supply to move indoors to a medium sized freezer that she turned on for the summer months.