December 2010

I get this question more than any other and really, the answer is pretty simple!  

Lets be honest, purchasing meat does take up a big chunk of a family’s grocery budget. With lean hamburger averaging $4 a pound and a decent cut of steak running between $6 to $15 a pound, it’s understandable why a family’s grocery budget feels so tight.  Did you know that you can actually grab great deals on Meat at your own local store?  You just have ride the sale waves & strike when the iron is hot!

1.)  Watching for sales is one way to buy meat cheaply. For larger families, “family packs” are usually discounted an additional 20¢ a pound beyond the sales price. If you can take advantage of “family packs” it is usually the best way to go, but do the math to make sure.  When you get home, divide & freeze.
This is a good place to use your “Stock up” Price list.  Watch the sales for several weeks & document the prices you find.  You will see a trend on meat sales.  Now you should have a target price point for meat/poultry.

2.) LOOK for the “Reduced for Sale” Section. This is where I find the majority of our meat!  I would say I get about 75% of my meat at Kroger in the Reduced for Quick Sale section.  I can usually find great cuts of meat for 50-60% off!  Ask your butcher when they put out the “Reduced Items”.  Usually, it is early in the morning, so you will probably have to shop early to get the best cuts. For the most part you can let go of your fear of “OLD” meat!  There is nothing wrong with day old meat! In fact, up until about 40 years ago, older meat was considered to be much more desirable than freshly cut. Load up on steaks from the cheap meat corner and stash them in the freezer for a future meal.
*Chicken is NOT one of the items that I will buy DAY OLD.  Just makes me a little nervous:)

3.) I also depend on my savings & overage from the rest of my shopping trip to cover my meat costs.  If I am saving 75% off my grocery bill, it doesn’t hurt as bad to grab that $10 pack of ground beef. (I rarely, do this, but if I had to I would)

4.) REDUCE the amount of Meat your family eats!  This may be a tough one, but after your family gets used to it, it really is not that bad.  This is not a hard one for me, because I was a strict vegetarian until about 4 years ago.  I do eat meat occasionally now, but not much.  Most Americans eat TOO MUCH meat anyway:)
I did not even tell my family I was reducing the meat in our meals & guess what???!!  They didn’t notice:)
I started out slow by reducing Ground Beef in chili that I would make from 1 lb to 1/2 lb.  If it looked wimpy
I would add an extra can of beans.
Fajitas now contain much more vegys than meat!  This does make them cheaper but even more importantly, healthier!
*Just make sure your family is still getting the USDA daily Guidelines of protein before reducing too much.  Go HERE to find those guidelines for adults and HERE for Children.

5.)  I personally do not shop at the Warehouse Stores (SAMS or Costco) but a lot of people report that they find great deals on meats/poultry there.   If you have a membership card, it might be worth checking out.

I hope this helps you reduce your meat cost in your grocery budget!