One of the biggest expenses on most people’s grocery budget is meat. Meat is hard to figure out how to save on because coupons are hard to come by and prices are so variable. How can you save on the most money depleting item on your list? In this post. I will share with you 10 tips on how to save money on meat.
1. First of all, don’t be afraid to go meatless once a week. While this may seem like it’s not a tip on saving money on meat, it really is one of the most practical ways a person can save on meat in their overall budget. You may be thinking, “Yuck! I hate tofu and can’t go without meat!”, but there are a ton of things you probably already eat that are meatless. Salads, lasagna and many other pasta dishes can be made without meat and taste just as good. Here is a list of meatless meals. You may not even miss the meat!
2. Don’t think it is impossible to find meat coupons. Many times, they can be found near holidays. Thanksgiving, labor day, Memorial Day and Christmas time are great times to find meat coupons. I have also noticed that many times, meat coupons are not in circulars, but as “peelies” on the products instead. You also might find cash back offers on meat products on the Ibotta app. Haven’t hear of Ibotta? Read how the Ibotta cash back app works here.
3. Check the “reduced for quick sale” section of your meat department. The products sold here are usually either expiring that day or a day after. If you can’t use it right away, but the sale is awesome, just start making a mini stockpile in the freezer and use them to plan meals next week.
4. Use the Favado app find the best sales at your local store. Check the meat counter for sales. I have often times found that the meat counter has better deals per pound than the pre-packed meats sold in the coolers.
5. Consider buying from a wholesaler. There are companies such as Zaycon that allow consumers to buy large quantities of meat monthly or quarterly from frozen or refrigerated trucks at a deep discount. Visit Zaycon’s site to see when they are coming to your area. Use code ZAYCON20 on your first order from Zaycon to save 20% off your order.
6. Get meats you wouldn’t normally get and try them. Where I live, ground turkey is cheaper than ground beef. I use it in all my recipes that require ground beef and my family doesn’t notice a difference. The bonus to that is ground turkey is also usually healthier.
7. Grind your own meat. All ground beef (hamburger) is, is ground chuck. When you see a sale on it, you can buy it in bulk and grind it yourself using a Kitchen-aid mixer attachment. At some meat counters, they may even grind it for you at no extra cost.
8. Buy frozen meat in bulk. Chicken is usually cheaper this way (boneless, skinless breasts). Just be sure to make sure it is not full of sodium fillers. If you prefer fresh, stay away from small packages and go for the bigger ones. Just divide them yourself into zipper bags and freeze.
9. Buy whole chickens instead of the boneless, skinless variety. A whole roaster is a lot cheaper than buying the pieces that are already butchered. If you worry about being able to butcher it yourself, just look up how to do it online. It is super simple and all you need is a good, sharp knife. It takes less than 10 minutes.
10. Look in the paper or at local butchers and farmers for sales on buying whole or half animals. You can get a deep discount on these because you are eliminating the middleman. If you don’t have a lot of space for the amount of meat, or you don’t have the money, consider splitting the cost with another family.
Gail says
My I make a 3 beans chili with corn, its great on itself, but to stretch the leftovers I add a few slices of diced steak thrown in (usually leftover as well). It stretches both and makes for a filling meal with a little cornbread on the side. My family loves it and they don’t miss the ton of meat that usually goes in chili.
Carol in CT says
Good tips. I’d add that one can experiment and consider using less meat in a recipe. We’ve gradually gone down from a lb to 8 oz of ground beef or Italian sausage in our pasta dishes, no one really has noticed the difference except my wallet.
Alea Milham says
That is a great idea! I have been cutting back on the amount of meat used in recipes as well. Sometimes, I replace a portion of the meat with beans to stretch it further.