Meat is the focus to a healthy well balanced meal and for that reason it is important to know how to save money on meat.
Meat is also the most expensive portion of any meal and knowing how to put together a frugal meal will make meal planning easier.
Here are 10 great tips to help save money on meat:
Tip 1: Make your own ground beef.
Grind your own beef
Grinding your own meat such as chuck or blade roast to make patties will cost much less than pre ground beef. It will taste better and grinding your own ground beef allows you to make ground beef leaner which is ultimately healthier for you.
Tip 2: Save the bones.
Save the bones
This is no secret in fact I’ve discussed this on GroceryAlerts many times. Boiling the left over carcases to make a savory borth or stew. Try asking your local butcher for leftover bones. You might be surprised to learn that a lot of times they beef bones just get thrown into the garbage.
Tip 3: Buy family size portions.
Buy Family Size Portions
This is Costco’s trick to get their customers buying more meat. Buying in bulk and splitting it with friends or family can save you a lot of money on prime cuts of meat. This will save money on meat by a few dollars per pound that can add up. It is more economical than purchasing pieces separately.
Tip 4: Cut back on portion size.
Cut back on portions size
These days our serving sizes are far too much. A healthy serving size of meat is only 3 ounces. We generally eat 2 even 3 times the recommended amount per meal. There is also a huge benefit to cutting back on your portions saving you money on meat and health costs in the years to come.
Tip 5: Check your grocery store for discounts on nearly expired packaged meats.
Check the clearance section
A great tip for anyone looking to buy meat – is at the end of the day. The grocery store needs to reduce the price of pre packaged meat otherwise they risk not selling the meat and end up throwing it away. Grocery stores just want to get rid of the meat. Also, during major holidays when grocery stores have excess inventory is a good time to stock up the freezer.
Tip 6: Buy the entire chicken or turkey.
Buy the whole bird
One of the best ways to save money on meat is to buy the whole animal whether it be a bird, turkey or pig. Recently I bought a one whole leg of pork for $23 that yield 25 meals. You will get different cuts for various recipes. Additional you will be able to make a broth that can be frozen from the remaining carcasses.
Tip 7: Substitute meat with alternative protein, go meatless one day of the week.
Substitute with legumes and go meatless
Substituting meat with beans is common in our house hold in order to stay with our grocery budget. Find recipes with legumes that are just as satisfying as a piece of meat. One of my favourite dishes is lentil burgers. They are delicious and as filling as a meat burger.
Tip 8: Learn how to cook cheaper meat cuts taste good.
Learn to cook any cut tast like a million bucks
Recently I wrote a whole article on how to make any meat cut taste like a million bucks. Sometimes the best flavours are the result of how the meat has been prepared and not how much money you spend on a particular meat cut. Knowing the three methods of preparing meat. 1. Grilled, 2. Marinated and 3. Simmered will get the most of the cut of beef allowing you to pick the weekly meat sales yet serving up delicious meat the family will love.
Tip 9: Think beyond the meat counter.
Look beyond the meat counter
Check the deli counter for less expensive deli meats instead of prepackaged meat. Generally each grocery store will have some kind of deli meat on special each week that they are trying to clear out. Just keep in mind this meat needs to be eaten quickly and can not be frozen or stored in the fridge for too many days. Also tuna might be on special, tuna is filled with a lot of nutrients and easy to stockpile. Tuna casserole or tuna sandwiches always make a easy and quick meal.
Tip 10: Graze, your own.
Graze your own
This is by far the best way to save money on meat however it is not practical for most people. If you are able to house chickens or have a little land grazing your own animals will save you money on meat! Just check your neighbours are okay with it if you live in town!
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11 Comments
We were making our own groudn beef burger patties using our food processor for the first time recently and found that too – all the fat came up to the top and allowed us to skim it off for leaner burgers! Win.
I’ve also started keeping an eye out for reduced price meat, and we’ve stopped buying big roasts as we never end up able to eat it all.
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It is a major saver just making your own patties (instead of buying frozen patties – why pay for frozen beef).
Love the blog! My wife lived there for 12 years and she enjoyed the photos (she lived both North and South Island).
You have to check your local bylaws before raising livestock, including chickens. If you do not you could be in trouble with the law, you should have pointed that out in your article. Urban backyard chickens is a growing movement, but not universally popular.
I bought an electric meat grinder at Goodwill, but have not used it yet but will try it out next time round goes on sale. I buy a full pork loin or a beef inside round roast, cook the whole thing, then slice what I do not use and tray freeze. Thick slices I use for a quick meal, just heat in the microwave, and very thin slices I portion out enough for one sandwich in a baggie. Take out the baggie and defrost in the fridge for a while before you need it for the sandwich. Saves time and money.
Wonderful tips! I love finding good deals on discount meat that’s about to expire because I pop it in the freezer right away :) And I’ve never ground my own beef, but really want to now! I will have to try that :) Thanks for sharing!
I was actually thinking about Tip #1 last night, while making a beef teryaki, lol. I never thought about grinding my own beef, but it would definitely be cheaper to grind at home! :)
I would love my own chicken farm. I am quite upset that Egg Farmers of Canada feeds GMO soy and corn to the chicken..not something I want to consume. The same goes for Canadian Beef.
I have always wanted to buy quality meats and grind my own from home. Such a great post. Thanks for sharing.
Chickens would be great to have – my nonna has them and they provide a resource for eggs and cleaning waste.
I would love to have my own chickens but it really isn’t proper in an apartment building.
Great tips on meat purchases!
Thanks Annie!
We’re only 2 people so we buy one good roast, usually on sale, and cut it in half before putting it in the freezer. That way we don’t usually have much left after meals. That we make into sandwiches the next day.