Meat can be tough (no pun intended) to score a deal on, because there aren’t as many coupons available for meat as other products. However, we have come up with some ideas to help you cut costs where you can, and still get a great cut of meat!
1. Loss Leaders– Deeply Discounted proteins to get customers in the door! You will need to research your flyer to find the loss leaders in each department that is more than 50% off (usually one per category-poultry, beef, pork) Load up when they are on sale, not when you need them!! Then, you stock up while they’re deeply discounted!! If you have a butcher at your store, they can cut your meat to order. For example, I may have beef cut into cubes for stew, or strips for stir fry. Then, I have the butcher wrap them separately so I can freeze them at home and pull them out when I need them! Meet actually follows a three week cycles in regards to sales!! Also, sometimes it is seasonal, so you will save more on Turkey at Thanksgiving!
2. Find a Butcher– We live in a huge agricultural area, with dairy farms and orchards. So, in our area we can buy a side of beef and have it butchered locally. The advantage of saving and buying meat this way is that you know the background of the meat you are eating! Ask the person you’re buying from what the animal was fed, how they were cared for, etc. This way you know there were no hormones pumped into your meat. In our area this makes the most sense with beef, because there are so many dairy farmers. Even after you pay for processing, you’re usually under $2.50 a pound!
3. Buy in Bulk and Divide The Meat– Sometimes I will purchase chicken leg quarters in a bulk bag, which is MUCH cheaper than buying them fresh. These are usually flash frozen which makes it very easy to pull out only what I need for my dinner menu. Walmart sells a bulk bag of chicken parts that are often less expensive than our local Butcher Shop.
4. Buy Now or Never– You know how they have the marked down bread because it’s freshness date is close?? It’s the same way with meat! There are often packages that are reaching the end of their shelf life (or should I say refrigerator life? LOL) and these are often marked down by 25% or more!
5. Plan Your Meals Around Your Discounted Meat– As always, make sure you plan meals around the discounted meat you’ve purchased. It is imperative to make sure the meat doesn’t sit in the refrigerator and go to waste. Make sure to repackage as soon as possible so it doesn’t go bad. If you’re not going to use it in time, freeze it (Just make sure to portion it correctly before you freeze). It’s better to freeze portions too small than too large, that way none of it goes to waste.
6. Use a Vacuum Sealer- While this does require some initial up-front investment, I have yet to talk to an owner who doesn’t love their machine. Food Saver is the most commonly used brand, but I did see that Ziploc has their own system as well! Meat (cooked and uncooked) stays fresher for a much longer period of time. The overall lesson here is to avoid waste.
What ideas do you have?? Join our conversation below!!!
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