How To Save on Meat at the Grocery Store

No matter how much you are able to save at the grocery store using coupons, one of your biggest expenses will most likely be on meat.  Before I was involved with the frugal world, I didn't realize all of the ways you can lower your bill on meat (And there are quite a few)!

Here are just a few ways you can hopefully save on meat:

• Watch for Sales: 
• This tip seems to be obvious.  Try to purchase meat when it goes on sale. Look at the weekly sale fliers to see which stores have the best prices.
• Watch for Store Markdowns: 
• Stores usually markdown meat as it gets closer to the sell by date. Buy meat when it’s at a reduced price and either cook it by the suggested date or freeze for later use.
• Stockpile Meat: 
• Purchase multiple packages of meat when you find a good deal/sale.(Think B1G1 sales or B1G2 sales)
• Buy in Bulk: 
• Always look at the price per lb. 
• Open the package, separate the meat and freeze in meal size portions. 
• Prepare/Trim Meat Yourself: 
• Avoid buying meat that has already been butterflied, pre-sliced, formed into patties or marinated. You can save $$ by doing it yourself.
• Buy Cheaper Cuts: 
• Save money by purchasing cheaper cuts of meat and marinading, using a tenderizer or cooking in a crock pot. 
• Buy Bone-in, Skin-on meat: 
• It is typically cheaper to purchase bone-in vs boneless meat.  
• You can also save by purchasing skin-on chicken and removing it yourself.  It takes a little more work to remove the skin, but the price difference is usually worth it.  
• Buy Store Brand: Purchasing store brand meat is usually cheaper (depending on current sales).
• Use Larger Cuts: 
• Buy the largest package of meat when it’s on sale to yield the most meals from one package.
• Meatless Meals: 
• Consider having 1 meatless meal per week. (Ex. You can use beans for protein instead of meat)
• Eat Leftovers: 
• Consider having 1 leftover night per week.  
• Make use the Crock Pot: 
• The crock pot  is great for cooking meat!  It helps all the meat to be tender & juicy.  (It helps decrease the amount of meat  you waste)
• A few other ways to reduce the amount of meat you waste:
• Use drippings to make soup or stock
• Boil a chicken carcass for chicken noodle soup.
• Boil a ham bone for soup or vegetables.

If you have any other tips on how to save on meat, you can email me at moneymarriagemotherhood@gmail.com!

The idea of this post first came from The Coupon Challenge