High Priced Meat/My Solution

[Deprived4TooLong]

Just wanted to share with FV that I've always been envious of my friends and family eating SO WELL, compared to my frugal menu. Most of my shopping expense was meats, fish, & poultry. Having a single limited income, I didn't think I'd ever eat as well as other families.

A few days ago, there was a knock on my door, and it was those door to door meat sales people. I was tempted to close the door, being limited financially, I just knew it costed too much for me. I listened and wound up offering money for two cases of steaks and chicken.

I did the math, counting servings and number of steaks and boneless skinless chicken breasts. It was 138 servings of quality steaks and meats (no fish). I offered $210 which comes out to $1.52 per piece of meat. Thats cheaper than the stores and we're talking Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon!!! Pre-marinated Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts, just to name a couple of types. 60% was steaks, and 40% was chicken. And they are ALL individually wrapped and vacuum sealed. AWESOME.

We're eating good now. Best spontaneous decision I've made in a while.

Time to make the .... steaks. See ya!

Sandi

Any other meat price solutions anyone?

[Luv2BeFrugal]

Wow! I've never heard of door to door meat sales??? Sounds like you got a GREAT deal!! Woo-hoo!!

[MTS04]

How much does each piece weigh?

[mauimagic]

Very interesting!! Congratulations!! Do you have a freezer big enought for everything? How long do you think all of this will last? Is this a new company? Lots of questions I know, but it is very interesting. Mahalo for sharing.

[WV_mom_of2]

We have Schwans which is a company that comes door to door and they sell meat, ice cream, frozen dinners, etc. but they are VERY expensive.

Then we have people who show up once in a while with their own personal pickup trucks and a freezer in the back wanting to sell you meat. NOT happening. There is no way I am buying meat from some guy with a freezer in the bed of his pickup! I don't trust it.

I buy alot of meat by catching it on sale or markdown. We also keep the freezer full of venison which helps too! We eat chicken, pork, beef, fish. We have roasts, steaks, burgers, etc.

[pop goes the weasel]

I was stopped outside one of our local stores a while back by a guy that delivers ( supposedly) meatf or resturants. He had on a uniform and the whole nine yards. But if that was true wouldn't he be in a company truck instead of a pickup with a freezer on the back? Needless to say I didn't buy any.

[thriftstorequeen]

Sounds good! I've had those guys stop by too, but I've never took them up on their offer. With been blessed here, our local Shoprite has offered some type of meat for $.99 a pound for the last several weeks. The limit is 1 package but sometimes the pack contains about 10 pounds of meat. One week it was pork loin roast, another was beef round roast. This week it is spare ribs During the the last month of summer they had whole fresh lobsters for $4.99 a pound. They cook them for you My hubby would get a couple and take them home and add a salad a bread(yum!). That was our dinner out My hubby also hunts and we usally have a deer in the freezer. Now that it is down to just the two of us we really don't need as much as before.

[littleplum]

138 servings of meat is only about 35 pounds. You paid $6.00 a pound for meat of questionable quality and origin.

In contrast, my husband and I pay $2.30 a pound for beef, getting everything from roasts, extra lean ground beef, and steaks. We know the source of all the meat in our order. My husband grew up in the same town as the farmer who raises the animals. We can actually meet the cow beforehand if we want.

Then we purchase only fish and chicken throughout the year.

[nodmicks]

138 servings of meat is only about 35 pounds. You paid $6.00 a pound for meat of questionable quality and origin.

In contrast, my husband and I pay $2.30 a pound for beef, getting everything from roasts, extra lean ground beef, and steaks. We know the source of all the meat in our order. My husband grew up in the same town as the farmer who raises the animals. We can actually meet the cow beforehand if we want.

Then we purchase only fish and chicken throughout the year.

Prices really vary from area to area dont they? I wonder if it is much higher for the original poster in NY.

We purchased 1/2 of an organic beef for $1.15 a lb generally from our friends.

Our reg grocery store beef prices are $3 + for fattier ground beef and $9.99 and up for steaks

[NewLeaf]

I have a friend who purchases meat the same way. A guy in a truck comes to her house every so often after he does his restaurant rounds. I would be wary. Are you sure it all stayed frozen the whole time? Does it have a USDA seal of approval? Is there a "best by" date or any kind of date on the package?

It could be fine, my friend loves her meat & chicken. I just feel better knowing for sure where my meat comes from and knowing it is fresh.

[Mummy2]

I have a friend who purchases meat the same way. A guy in a truck comes to her house every so often after he does his restaurant rounds. I would be wary. Are you sure it all stayed frozen the whole time? Does it have a USDA seal of approval? Is there a "best by" date or any kind of date on the package?

It could be fine, my friend loves her meat & chicken. I just feel better knowing for sure where my meat comes from and knowing it is fresh.

When I was little they used to call deals like that "Falling off the back of a truck."

I wouldnt be able to purchase meat that way.

[Libby]

Hey...if buying meat door to door is what works for you and you feel you got a good price - good for you

When I was staying with my friend who had just moved down to SC for the summer - this door to door meat guy/salesman came by always when her parents weren't home. I kept telling him to come back another day and then we'd refuse to answer the door after that. Turns out my friends dad knew the owner of the meat company and was sending him home for his wife to pick out the meat. She was never home and he couldn't figure out why we never had meat LOL

The meat guy was making us his last stop before going home so he had a limited assortment of 'meats' in a freezer on the bed of his pick up. You could either take what he had then and there or place your order and he'd deliver it the next day from the big official freezer truck. Coming from Canada and never having seen that - it was totally weird for me. The guy did end up coming back on a weekend when her dad was home and then they placed their order.

Honestly - selling meat from the back of their pick ups? As someone else said....it fell off the truck - ie stolen meat. Lord only knows what they may have done to it and/or if they kept it at the proper temps to prevent spoilage while they were helping it fall off the truck or walk out of a grocery store via sticky fingers.

Ick.....I prefer buying meats in the grocery store. Let me have that sense of false security! LOL

[Contrary Housewife]

They guys that come around here have a professional freezer unit mounted in their trucks. I don't think they are stealing meat, I think they are probably just getting a good deal at the wholesaler's and trying to make a little extra on the side of their day job.

[nodmicks]

Just wanted to say I'd never heard of meat delivery companies besides Schwans. I looked up the closest bigger city to me. There are several!

I think it is no different that the Schwans guy going door to door trying to build up more clients The important thing is she got a good deal for her area and is happy to have yummy eats

[ttistin]

We had one stop here the other day, said he could fill our freezer for the winter for about $200. We do not have any extra money so we were unable to do it, plus I do not care for buying meat out of the back of a truck. kinda scares me