Thank you to our reader Penny for this wonderful guest post on frugal ways to save money on meat!
One of the biggest grocery expenses is meat. Often times it is hard to find ways to save money on meat especially if you are using it to cook almost every meal for your family.I have been making a real effort to make healthier meals for my family. I have been adding lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and more fish to our diets. But, we still love our meat and potatoes and I have noticed a steady increase in the price of meat recently. Since we do not want to give up eating meat, I had to find some ways to make it less expensive. Take a look at these 5 frugal ways to save money on meat.
Frugal Ways to Save Money on Meat:
1. Buy in bulk. Even if you do not have a Costco or Sam's Club in your area, speak to the butcher in your local supermarket and ask about getting a discount if you purchase a certain amount of meat. I was able to get 10 pounds of ground sirloin for almost $2 less per pound by doing this. I always pay attention to the price per pound. You can even start to keep a price book so that you can figure out the best possible prices to stock-up on when your local stores are having a sale.2. Cut the amount of meat in a recipe and replace it with something else. If you make a pot of chili with beans and the recipe calls for 1 pound of meat, try using half a pound instead and adding a different kind of bean to replace the other half. You still get to eat meat and you still have a healthy, hearty meal that costs a bit less. Often time I am only using about half of the meat a recipe calls for especially when it comes to chicken. If you are afraid of how it will taste, trying cutting back a little bit each time you make the recipe to figure out what is best.3. Do you have a slow slow cooker? You can buy the cheapest cuts of meat, and by cooking them in a slow cooker they will turn out tender and delicious. I save a ton of money this way.4. Freeze the meat you purchase from the grocery store as soon as you go home. Not only will this allow you to separate for meals or divide meat in half for recipes, but it will help to prevent it from spoiling. Meat can only last for so long in the refrigerator and you do not want to be throwing it out because it spoiled before you were able to cook it for a meal. Cooking in the slow cooker will keep the meat tender.5. Use your store loyalty or rewards card. My local grocery store has a rewards card that gives you a point for every dollar you spend. When you reach 500 points you are entitled to $10 towards any purchase of $10 or more. I let the points accumulate through the year and I usually end up with close to $100 worth of points, which I use to buy a bulk amount of meat. Getting the discount for buying in bulk allows for that $100 to really stretch, saving us a lot of money on meat.If you are like me then you are feeling a great sense of relief right now that you do not have to stop eating meat. I love pot roast and I cannot even imagine not having it on the menu once in a while.Buying meat does not have to leave you broke! Use my 5 frugal ways to save money on meat and still have enough money left in your wallet for the rest of your groceries.Are you looking to save money on your grocery bill each month? My family and I have been wasting a TON of money on food, and I know it is because I do not use a meal plan. Recently, I came across the $5 Meal Plan. It only costs $5 a month and you will get meal plans sent straight to you along with a shopping list for those meals. WOW! Could it get an easier?You may also like:20 Ways to Save MoneyHousehold Money Saving Tips15 Budget Hacks
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