What's your meat buying philosophy?

**Joshin** · 02-03-2011, 10:39 PM

I ran out today to get a couple of hams ($6.99 each for 4lb boneless ham, or $1.75/lb), and it made me think of my basic meat philosophy. We only buy meat that is 1.99 a lb. or less unless it's a very special occasion. Beef is the only thing we break the rule for, but that's because we buy a side beef every fall. We actually split the whole cow with my parents, so it comes out to about $2.40/lb which is so-so for the ground beef and an excellent price for the sirloins and roasts. Well worth it for better tasting beef that is local, grass-fed and not injected full of hormones.

Bone-in chicken I try and pay $1/lb, and I'll stock up on boneless breasts when they are $2/lb. I'm excited when I get sausage and ham for $2/lb, since these items are almost always much more expensive around here. DH prefers all his meals have meat in them, though he is happy even with a small amount, such as a diced slice or two of ham added to a big pot of broccoli-cheese or bean soup.

So now I'm curious about what is everyone else's meat buying rules? Do you have an overall top price you'll pay regardless of the of the type of meat, or do you have specific rules for the different types? Any secrets or tricks you've learned for saving more on meat items? I'd love to hear about them!

**Ramona** · 02-04-2011, 12:10 AM

I only buy chicken parts @ 99 cents, sausage @ $1.99, I will splurge on London Broil @ $2.39 because sometimes there's nothing like a piece of steak. We like pork but I only buy it marked down on Manager's Special (red tag).

I will buy fresh/frozen turkey parts out of season and make Thanksgiving dinner in Jan, Feb or March or hot turkey sandwiches.

**frugalfranny** · 02-04-2011, 12:35 AM

Joshin - see you are in Spokane.........so you will know the stores I refer to........

I buy roasts......both beef and pork and cut my own pieces. Don't have a "meat saw" right now so primarily buy boneless but can get it cheaper.....make the sizes I want....and saves me $ too. Usually watch for sirloin or pork loin.......and cut them up.

I like the meat at Trading Co. the best ----unless I really splurge and buy Costco (which I don't too often ---too $) Yoke's and Rosauer's are pretty good but they usually don't have great prices. Albertson's is okay........if their $ is ever decent.

Won't buy Safeway, Fred Meyer, or WinCo meat......not even hamburger.

**sunshine** · 02-04-2011, 05:58 AM

My philosophy, is that meat is not a necessity. I have a grocery budget, and of that a certain amount is set aside for meat. If I can't find GOOD bargains, we don't eat meat - we get protein from other sources instead.

**Russ** · 02-04-2011, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by frugalfranny

I buy roasts......both beef and pork and cut my own pieces. Don't have a "meat saw" right now so primarily buy boneless but can get it cheaper.....make the sizes I want....and saves me $ too. Usually watch for sirloin or pork loin.......and cut them up.

.

This is an excellent way to buy meat and you can buy a stainless saw at Amazon: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Eastman-Outdoors-90610-Stainless-Steel/dp/B000C1VJ7A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296820833&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Eastman Outdoors 90610 Meat Saw with Stainless Steel Blade: Patio, Lawn & Garden@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31paUIBxNIL.@@AMEPARAM@@31paUIBxNIL[/ame] You could get a regular old hack saw and use that but it won't be stainless and you would need to be sure it is completely dry or it will rust. Personally, I would spend the money and buy the stainless one.

All that said... Around here, if you buy the whole piece, weather it be a pork loin, a rib roast or whatever, they will slice it for free.

**Russ** · 02-04-2011, 07:18 AM

BTW... Do not buy the Kroger brand sage sausage in the 1lb tube. OMG, it was HORRIBLE. Way too fat when compared Jimmy Dean brand.

**pat in east texas** · 02-04-2011, 07:59 AM

I will NOT buy meat at Walmart. Ever. Albertson's here has started to sell only USDA| choice, so I'll buy it there if the price is right. Sam's has Choice, too, and they don't "enhance" it like WM does with "up to 12 percent of a solution". When we go to Dallas, I shop at Central Market for the best I can buy without mortgaging the house. Some of it is pricey, but they usually have a good sale on something we like.

**Greebo** · 02-04-2011, 08:24 AM

My philosophy on buying meat is "Yes"

**Darlene** · 02-04-2011, 08:47 AM

Joshin, my meat buying philosophy is pretty much like yours as I never try to buy meat above $1.99/lb. I usually haven't a problem doing this because I buy it when I see it (often times marked down meat & I've been known to stalk the person with the meat gun as they go down the meat case) and freeze so try to have a variety of meat stashed away for whatever I want to make. I do splurge for sirloin steak every once in a while and I use b'day loot for shrimp,lol. I wish I could get good fish (not from China) at a good price...

**Ceashels** · 02-04-2011, 09:12 AM

My philosophy is a little bit more complex than Greebo's. LOL

I really try to get the best price around. I buy large and do my own cutting as much as possible. We're still able to get whole chickens at $.89/lb so I'll usually buy 2 or more and cut them up for freezing. Chicken thighs and legs I can occasionally get for $.99/lb so I'll stock up on them as well. I figure the 10 cents/lb is worth my time.

I tend to buy extra and freeze for later. So at Thanksgiving, I'll get 3-4 turkeys at $.49/lb (usual sale price). In March, I do the same with corn beef briskets, December is for hams ... you get the idea.

When I find a good deal in the "Manager's Special" section, I'll take what I have the room to store and that my budget can handle. These pieces get cooked that day or put into the freezer. I've never purchased anything spoiled and chicken goes right into a pot for poaching first then freezing.

I recently found picnic roast (pork shoulder) for $.99/lb but I had to buy a 2 pack. One went into the crock pot and the other got ground into sausage which was easier to do than I anticipated. I'll be doing that again for sure because the best price I can get sausage is usually $2/lb for name brand or $1.69 at Aldi's.

I hope to find some good sales on beef so I can start grinding my own burger. I'm finding I would rather do the processing myself so I know what I'm getting and reduce the chances of any contamination and additives.

**Greebo** · 02-04-2011, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Ceashels

I really try to get the best price around. I buy large and do my own cutting as much as possible. We're still able to get whole chickens at $.89/lb so I'll usually buy 2 or more and cut them up for freezing. Chicken thighs and legs I can occasionally get for $.99/lb so I'll stock up on them as well. I figure the 10 cents/lb is worth my time.

I tend to buy extra and freeze for later. So at Thanksgiving, I'll get 3-4 turkeys at $.49/lb (usual sale price). In March, I do the same with corn beef briskets, December is for hams ... you get the idea.

When I find a good deal in the "Manager's Special" section, I'll take what I have the room to store and that my budget can handle. These pieces get cooked that day or put into the freezer. I've never purchased anything spoiled and chicken goes right into a pot for poaching first then freezing.

I recently found picnic roast (pork shoulder) for $.99/lb but I had to buy a 2 pack. One went into the crock pot and the other got ground into sausage which was easier to do than I anticipated. I'll be doing that again for sure. But the best price I can get sausage is usually $2/lb for name brand or $1.69 at Aldi's.

I hope to find some good sales on beef so I can start grinding my own burger. I'm finding I would rather do the processing myself so I know what I'm getting and reduce the chances of any contamination and additives.

And this is why I'm not allowed near the meat aisle.

**dcompton** · 02-04-2011, 10:01 AM

I have pretty much the same guidelines, $2 lb with a few exceptions. I can usually get a selection of pork or beef for the $2 limit, though the beef sales haven't been as good lately.

My once in a while meats and about the best prices I can find are cube steak (2.99), smoked sausage (2.50), boneless ham (2.50), sandwich meat (3.00), bacon (3.00).

I eat a lot of chicken, so I try to stock up when I find bone-in breast for .99 (got it for .77 a couple of weeks ago) and boneless breast around 1.69.

**ShadowMom** · 02-04-2011, 01:23 PM

I buy meat when it goes on sale, I try for $1.99 lb but lately $2.49 lb has been the lowest I've found. We get our meat from either Safeway or King Soopers (Kroger), and usually will buy about 50 lbs at a time. Then I take it home, cut in into meal size portions and freeze. Last week I was able to get skinless chicken breasts for $1.79 lb, so I grabbed 3 pkgs which was all I could afford this time, but it was divided up into 9 pkgs/2 breasts per pkg, and added it to what was already in the freezer. Right now I have about 45 lbs of london broil, approx 50 - 60 lb of 93% ground beef, and 15 lb? of chicken. I am down to one roast, so watching for the sales on it. The only thing I don't get on sale is fish, as it rarely goes on sale here, so I buy frozen salmon and tilapia.

**Iansmommy** · 02-04-2011, 02:16 PM

We bought a whole beef this year and split it with my parents. It's organic grass-fed and we paid $3.00 lb. It's a little more expensive but so much better for you. We plan on getting a organic pig this year. Chicken is usually boneless skinless and generally get it on sale at around $1.76 lb. We raise chickens for eggs, not meat, but I'm not opposed to doing that some day. We used to butcher our own chickens when I was younger. Legs and thighs I pay no more than .99 lb. I get fish from Costco, only wild, none of the farm raised stuff. I love their wild pacific salmon.

**HappyMama** · 02-04-2011, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Iansmommy

We bought a whole beef this year and split it with my parents. It's organic grass-fed and we paid $3.00 lb. It's a little more expensive but so much better for you. Chicken is usually boneless skinless and generally get it on sale at around $1.76 lb. We raise chickens for eggs, not meat, but I'm not opposed to doing that some day. We used to butcher our own chickens when I was younger. Legs and thighs I pay no more than .99 lb. I get fish from Costco, only wild, none of the farm raised stuff. I love their wild pacific salmon.

This is pretty much what I do, saves me time , money and I can't have certain preservatives due to allergies .