Did you know that buying meat accounts for half of the average grocery budget? This is a great place to save money!
Every week grocery stores typically have at least one meat item on sale. Grocers use sales to get you into the store with the hope that you will spend more money on more profitable items. Scan the ads or browse the meat cases for good deals. Again, you need to know what a good price is. Just because there is a big yellow sign doesn’t mean the price is good. The store might have too much of something and is trying to sell it without reducing the price.
When you find a good deal that your family uses on a regular basis; buy 1-2 month’s worth of the item. Raw meat can be frozen for about 6 months without compromising quality. See my article about freezing for more information. Items I typically buy: chicken breasts, chicken drumsticks, ground beef, ground turkey breast, sausage, beef and pork roasts, and seafood (such as shrimp, tilapia, or salmon.)
Another GREAT tip is buying meat in the “clearance” section. Some stores have a specific area for meats that are close to their sell-by date. Other stores mix them in with the regular products but have coupons attached for quick selling. Again, make sure you are getting a good deal and that the product is something you buy on a regular basis. Even if New York Steaks are a great deal, if you don’t usually buy them you are probably increasing your grocery budget instead of saving money. The best time to find deals in the clearance section is Monday and Tuesday mornings and after any big holiday. Stores stock up for weekends and holidays, but don’t always sell everything. Since meat has a short shelf-life (unless you freeze it) they need to get it sold quickly
Here are a few deals I got this week on clearance:
Extra lean ground beef
Normal price range from $2.38-3.18/pound
Deal $2.24/lb
Boneless pork chops
Normal price range from $1.98-4.98/pound
Deal $1.42/pound
Every week grocery stores typically have at least one meat item on sale. Grocers use sales to get you into the store with the hope that you will spend more money on more profitable items. Scan the ads or browse the meat cases for good deals. Again, you need to know what a good price is. Just because there is a big yellow sign doesn’t mean the price is good. The store might have too much of something and is trying to sell it without reducing the price.
When you find a good deal that your family uses on a regular basis; buy 1-2 month’s worth of the item. Raw meat can be frozen for about 6 months without compromising quality. See my article about freezing for more information. Items I typically buy: chicken breasts, chicken drumsticks, ground beef, ground turkey breast, sausage, beef and pork roasts, and seafood (such as shrimp, tilapia, or salmon.)
Another GREAT tip is buying meat in the “clearance” section. Some stores have a specific area for meats that are close to their sell-by date. Other stores mix them in with the regular products but have coupons attached for quick selling. Again, make sure you are getting a good deal and that the product is something you buy on a regular basis. Even if New York Steaks are a great deal, if you don’t usually buy them you are probably increasing your grocery budget instead of saving money. The best time to find deals in the clearance section is Monday and Tuesday mornings and after any big holiday. Stores stock up for weekends and holidays, but don’t always sell everything. Since meat has a short shelf-life (unless you freeze it) they need to get it sold quickly
Here are a few deals I got this week on clearance:
Extra lean ground beef
Normal price range from $2.38-3.18/pound
Deal $2.24/lb
Boneless pork chops
Normal price range from $1.98-4.98/pound
Deal $1.42/pound