How do you save money on meat?

[lorraineb]

I'm not a big meat eater, but I do enjoy it every once in a while. Regular meat prices have greatly increased, and I usually buy organic said which means the prices are even more outrageous. I have found over the last few months that my crockpot has been my savior when I decided to purchase meat. I can buy less expensive portions and slow cooking process will make them juicy and tender.

What are some of the ways that you save money on meat now that it has become so expensive?

[snafu]

We've reduced the size of servings of meat and increased the number of vegetables at most meals over the years + having meatless Wednesday and sometimes Friday as well. In summer meals are based on some form of salad with some meat, fish or protein.

I've always watched the flyers and stocked up when the cuts I use regularly are on sale at one of the grocery chains on my regular route. I'll only drive to out of the way stores if I have some reason to be in that district. Some of our chains have 20% off the 1st Tuesday of the month so I'll buy $ 50. of chicken breast, thigh, ham, pork loin, butt or chuck roast - whatever was on sale and low in my deep freeze. Buying the larger sized cuts and portioning them at home helps with cost.

I agree a crock pot/slo cooker is terrific for cheaper cuts, marinating overnight likewise tenderizes while imparting flavour. Because we work in other countries I think it fun to cook 'ethnic' and they don't use a lot of meat. If you invest in a meat slicer it makes a roast go a long way. Heaps of thin sliced, rare beef looks sumptuous and we eat with our eyes as well as other senses.

[Retired To Win]

I'm not a big meat eater, but I do enjoy it every once in a while. Regular meat prices have greatly increased, and I usually buy organic said which means the prices are even more outrageous. I have found over the last few months that my crockpot has been my savior when I decided to purchase meat. I can buy less expensive portions and slow cooking process will make them juicy and tender.

What are some of the ways that you save money on meat now that it has become so expensive?

Two words, Lorraine...

Freezer Frugality! And here's my post on it.

http://retired-to-win.savingadvice.com/2014/04/07/freezer-frugality_108178/

Take care.

[Bob B.]

I married a dairy farmer's daughter.

We get all the beef we want at a very low cost - the meat is free, and we pay processing. The meat becomes available as the cow becomes unproductive, and is removed from the dairy herd.

[doingitallwrong]

I'm looking into buying a side of beef this year and splitting it with family. (There are only the two of us; if the family decides against it we'd just get a quarter.) We don't eat a ton of beef, but have it often enough. (We have a chest freezer; it's generally full of food for the critters, but we'd make room for ourselves!) My doctor recommended that, if we made one change in our diet, it would be to switch to grass-fed beef, so we may give it a shot. So far it looks like it would average out to a little more per pound for ground beef, about the same for roasts and stew meat, but a lot less for steaks.

We eat a lot of chicken, but it's almost always on sale at one of the three grocery stores nearby, or they have the family packs that are a lower price.

[AggieLife]

I agree with Retired to Win. One of the best ways to save money on meat is to wait for sales and then stock up. Freeze the meat. It can stay in the freezer for quite some time too.

[ua_guy]

Same here. Our store does a lot of BOGO deals on meats, so we usually eat one and freeze the other(s).

[hamchan]

I hate pork. Will not eat it in any form. I am also not a fan of beef and almost never buy it. Maybe once a year for burgers. I won't eat any dark meat poultry either, and any chicken I eat has to be very well trimmed. No bones, fat, tendons, or connective tissue of any kind.

We buy frozen chicken tenderloins in 3 lb bags. Depending on sales we pay anywhere from $6.50 a bag to $9 a bag. Regular price is $12. When we find them for $6.50 we buy as many as will fit in our freezer. Usually 2-3 bags. We only buy them on sale. I also get ground chicken breast at the Asian grocer for $2-3 a lb, which is normally $5-6 a lb at our regular grocery store. I buy tofu there too for less than half the price of the regular store ($1.19 or less vs. $3 and up). I occasionally find vegetarian ground beef substitute at the Grocery Outlet, and when I do I buy a whole lot and freeze it.

We also occasionally get frozen fish filets, raw shrimp, and chicken or turkey sausages when they go on sale for a good price and the sausages aren't too high in sodium. And we buy lunch meat on sale and freeze it, and stock up on canned tuna when it goes on sale. That is pretty much all the meat we use. We do eat beans, lentils, nuts, yogurt and cheese as well, but have to limit the amounts due to the high potassium content. We use eggs for protein sometimes also.

[Brad03]

dont eat it or dairy, go vegan save lives and money