Have you seen the prices of beef, pork or poultry lately? It’s high in the sky. If you want to lower your grocery bill, you need to learn how to spend less money on meat. It’s usually one of the most expensive things in your shopping cart.
My family believes that a dinner isn’t a real meal if it doesn’t include meat. But, over the years I’ve learned some awesome secrets that help me save money on meat and even use less of it without letting them go hungry. So today, I’m sharing my best tips on how to save money on meat so you can trim your grocery budget too.
Part 1: Smart In-Store Shopping Strategies
1. Close the 6 week sales cycle
Grocery sales are cyclical. The best deals on your favorite pieces usually come out every six weeks. I keep a little price book to keep track of these costs per pound. When prices bottom out, buy enough to last until the next cycle and freeze the rest.
2. Convenience of advance
Buying pre-cut stir-fry strips, kebabs, or boneless, skinless chicken breasts costs much more per pound. Buy whole chickens and bone-in cuts. Opt for chicken legs instead of breasts if your family doesn’t mind the taste of dark meat. I spend half the money on chicken buying whole birds. I will roast one bird, boil the other to pull the meat for salads and save the bones.
3. Portion large bulk portions
Head to warehouse clubs like Costco or Sam’s Club for family packs. You can even ask a wholesale supplier if you can buy meat by the case to save 50 cents per pound. Try buying bigger cuts like a huge prime rib roast at Christmas and cutting it into thirds. Cook one-third for holiday dinner, freeze the second-third for Easter, and cut the last third into individual one-pound steaks for quick stir-fries or tacos.
4. Hunt for clearance and butcher deals
Always check the clearance section for “Admin Special” tags. These packages are usually $1 to $3 off because they are close to their sell-by date. Just freeze or cook them right away! Also, find out when your market is ticking, like Wednesday mornings. Don’t forget the store’s butcher case. Ground meat or meat cut that day is often cheaper and fresher than national prepackaged brands.
5. Find “Secret” price cuts
You don’t need to buy premium cuts for a great steak night. Try the “Poor Man’s Ribeye”, also known as chuck-eye steak. It comes from the exact same area as the ribeye but has a much lower price. Budget options like flag, skirt and hanger steaks are also packed with flavor.
6. Holidays and Hunting after holidays
Mark your calendar for the days immediately following the major holidays. Stores are cutting prices on whole turkeys, hams and lamb to clear inventory. If you have somewhere to keep them frozen, grab them! Buying a large holiday turkey and butterfly (or spat jogging) makes cooking a breeze. Not much freezer space? Cook the bird, pick the meat and freeze it, then make stock from the bones and freeze it in flattened bags to save space.
7. Buy a share of an animal
If you have a stand-alone freezer and some extra cash, look into buying a quarter or half cow from a local farmer. A reader shared that he got 58 pounds of prime beef for $400. Another paid $5.69 per pound for a freezer full of grass-fed steaks, filets and hamburgers. For even more savings, go with friends or family on a whole cow.
8. The Deli Counter Slicing Hack
Love lunch meat but hate the price? Buy a whole cooked ham, turkey or roast beef from the meat department. Go straight to the deli counter and ask them to slice it for you. It is much cheaper per pound than buying the same amount of prepackaged items.
9. Know your tags and price match
Educate yourself on food labels so you don’t get fooled. If you’re only interested in avoiding antibiotics, buying meat labeled “antibiotic free” is much cheaper than buying 100% organic. Also, see if your store’s price matches competitors’ circulars to lock in the lowest price without driving across town.
Part 2: How to cook cheap meat like a pro
10. Select Choice Over Prime
When you’re trying to figure out how to save money on meat, look beyond the eye-level displays. Stores place expensive USDA Prime cuts right up front. Look further back for affordable USDA Choice grades. Primer cuts have more marbling fat, which makes them tender, but can cost twice as much. Choose the Choice grade and pamper it yourself!
11. Master the Overnight Marinade
Marinating turns the cheap, tougher cuts into juicy ones. Here’s my recipe: combine 1 part acid (citrus juice, vinegar, or wine) with 3 parts oil (olive, canola, or vegetable oil) and herbs of your choice. Add some sugar or honey to taste and soak your meat overnight. The acid acts as a cheap meat tenderizer, while the oil preserves the tenderness and the herbs add flavor.
12. Use moisture based cooking and slow cooking
Since cheaper cuts have less marbling fat, you have to add that moisture yourself. Less expensive options like chuck roasts, brisket, and pork shoulder taste amazing when braised or slow cooked in a crockpot or cooked in a crock pot or other pressure cooker. You can even use a plastic piping bag full of stock to fill a tough roast before cooking.
13. Render Your Trimmings
Get maximum value from your groceries by saving and reusing kitchen scraps. Do not throw away the greasy parts. Convert them to fats such as beef tallow or lard to use for future high-temperature cooking.
Part 3: Genius ways to stretch meat
14. Stop making the meat the star
Reverse the layout of your plate! Don’t give meat charge like a cartoon show dinner. Treat it as just one of many ingredients. Thinly slice a single chicken breast for a huge, heavy vegetable stir-fry. Use tiny pieces of steak, chicken or bacon to add to green salads, quiches, omelets or potato skins. Make a pasta pot with lots of veggies and cheese and you can get away with little to no extra meat.
15. Master the 50/50 mixing rule
Mixing ground beef with thinners is the ultimate budget hack. Mix your ground or turkey with chopped mushrooms, cooked lentils or beans. I like to use brown lentils because they disappear right into the meat. You can also pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until they resemble ground beef. Mix 50/50 into taco meat, chili, spaghetti sauce, or meatloaf. No one cares as long as it looks real!
16. Collect prescriptions with cabinet staplers
You can make a pound of meat stretch over several dinners by mixing in simple binders. Try old-fashioned rolled oats (steel is too chewy), fresh breadcrumbs, or crushed saltine crackers (they work better than sweet Ritz or pretzels). You can also mix in cooked brown rice, instant barley or quinoa. Shredded vegetables like potatoes, beets, zucchini and carrots also add hidden bulk.
17. Use visual tricks
People eat with their eyes first. If you’re worried that your family will notice smaller portions, use a visual trick. Cut the large chicken breasts in half horizontally to resemble two stuffed cutlets. When making a casserole, double the vegetables or pasta, but keep a small handful of meat to scatter right on top. It will look completely full of meat!
18. Turn scraps into liquid gold
Never discard bones from whole or roasted chickens. Reuse this kitchen scrap to make homemade stock or bone broth. I use this rich broth in place of water to boil pasta, rice and beans. The grains absorb that deep, meaty flavor, making the whole meal taste incredibly rich while allowing you to use even less actual meat.
19. Slip into Smart Alternates
Don’t be afraid to try plant-based alternatives. Swap firm cubed, pan-seared tofu for diced chicken in spicy casseroles. (Dry the tofu cubes and toss them with a little cornstarch before cooking for the crispiest crust.) Use canned jackfruit as a pork substitute in curries or barbecue dishes. You can also make cheap, tasty burgers by mixing tinned tuna or salmon flakes with an egg, chopped onion and cracker crumbs before frying.
Start Saving Today!
Learning how to spend less money on meat doesn’t mean giving up your favorite family recipes. It just means shopping smarter and being creative in the kitchen. Pick two or three of these steps to try on your next trip to the grocery store. You will see your grocery bill go down immediately.
