As you can probably tell, I don't feel like I have this one all figured out yet, but I have discovered a few tips that you may find helpful....
- Talk with the butcher in your local grocery store to find out when they discount their meat. Many stores have a special day of the week that they do this.
- Ask your butcher if they would sell you the discounted meat at more of a discount if you buy in bulk (i.e. 10 pounds worth).
- Ask what they do with the ground meat they have in the case at the meat counter at closing every night. At my local Meijer, they discount this ground meat. They generally discount all the ground meat to the cheapest price they currently have.
- For example, if the ground chuck is on sale for $2/lb....all the ground meat (including ground sirloin, will be discounted to $2/lb at closing!
- If you wait till there is a great sale, you can get some great meat very inexpensive!
For me, it's about price, convenience, and quality. I stock up on meat periodically at Sam's. I don't have my prices handy, but I had done a unit price comparison on several different products. Sam's came out on top with their frozen tyson chicken breasts, meatballs, parmesean encrusted tilapia, and canned shredded chicken. Occasionally the frozen chicken breasts at Martin's or Kroger are cheaper, but what I've found is that the other stores' chicken have a lot more fat that is included in the weight. I can drop frozen tyson breasts straight into the crockpot, or marinate and grill without trimming any fat b/c they are so lean. I use the meatballs for recipes like sweet and sour meatballs, spaghetti, meatball sandwiches, even lasagna. One bag is about $8.99, I think, and will make 5 or more meals. I bake the tilapia by itself for a meal, or I've also used it in fish tacos. The shredded chicken (all white meat) is great for chicken salad, recipes like enchiladas, and soups like chicken noodle or tortilla soup. I've also found good deals at Aldi. Their fit and active ground turkey is a great price compared to brands at Kroger or Martin's. They also sell marinated turkey breasts under the fit and active label for a good price, as well as lean 3 to 4 lb hams. We'll have ham for dinner one night, then I'll use the leftovers for jambolaya or ham and eggs. I've priced out buying a side of beef, and those prices are great unit prices. I've also heard that the meat is higher quality than you can get in the grocery store, but of course, it requires a large layout initially, as well as a chest freezer. Haven't bought one myself, yet.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the info! That's really helpful. I've thought about buying a side of beef too, but haven't done anything about it.
ReplyDeleteJust a follow up- I was at Aldi today and the ground turkey was sold in 1.2 lb packages at a unit price of $2.07/lb ($2.49 for the package). It is 93% lean, and I use it in any recipe that calls for ground beef. I forgot to check the ham and turkey breast prices, but I want to say they are about $3/lb. I'm Erin, by the way, local in Elkhart, and have enjoyed reading your blog, which one of my friends posted on facebook. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoy it! Thanks for the great tips!
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