The Good Life on a Budget

• Posted by JvW on October 10th, 2008 filed in Frugality, Groceries

It seems like every time I go to the grocery store the prices are going up. Now, more than ever, I need to work to keep my grocery bill low. One of the biggest money pits is meat. Here are the strategies I hav been using to keep meat from busting my budget:

1. Only Buy Meat On Sale. Every week one or two meat will be on the front page as a “loss leader”, where the store actually takes a hit on the price in an attempt to bring people into the store. These are the meats I buy, then plan my menu around.
2. Know the Good Prices. This comes from experience, or by creating a price book to keep track of the lowest prices. For example, I know that the best price I can get boneless skinless chicken breasts is $1.99/lb. They are on sale for that price once or twice a month, and that is the only time I buy them.
3. Your Freezer is Your Friend. When you find a good deal, buy enough meat for a few meals. Once you bring it home, separate the meat into single use portions and pop it in the freezer. My husband is not a fan of frozen meat (he says it tastes funny), so I freeze it in marinade to prevent the meat from drying out. As the meat thaws, the marinade penetrates the meat and keeps it nice and juicy.
4. Be Creative. It can get a little boring when you buy a large value pack of meat and try to eat it all before it goes bad. To mix it up, I put the leftovers into an entirely different meal, such as chili, quesadillas, stir fry, or tacos. This keeps leftovers from being dull.
5. Experiment with Cheaper Cuts of Meat. Often the less expensive cuts of meat are tougher or more difficult to prepare. A great way to get around this is by using a slow cooker, which can tenderize the meat. One of my favorites is to pop a whole chicken ($0.69/lb) in the crockpot before I go to work with a cup of water and cook it all day. When I get home, the meat is falling off the bone with juiciness, and the crockpot is full of homemade chicken broth. I separate the meat from the skin, bones and other chicken parts and use it in tacos, chicken salad and soup.
6. Don’t Buy Lunch Meat. At $7.99/lb, I skip it except for the rarest of occaisions. I pack leftovers for lunches most days.

What do you do to save money on meat?