Saving on Meat

When Fareway has a sale I stock up the freezer. I buy chicken when it's on sale in the bags frozen. 

Since the divorce I have served lots more meatless meals around here. 

We get our meat from local farmers.  We know where it has been and what it has eaten.  And it is way cheaper(our last steer was $1.38 a pound when finished and the pig was $1.07 a pound).  We do not have chicken farms around here anymore so the chicken is bought when it is on sale, usually every 4-5 weeks  We bought a H.E. freezer so it has paid for itself. 

I also stock up on sales. like this week Fareway(like Deemom says is having a decent sale) so 10lb tubes of hamburger 85/20(normally like to buy over 90% but hey it's getting more expensive) for $2.49lb wich is good here. plus boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.69lb(wich is about as low as you can get here) and you can buy up to 20lbs so I will be stocking up and my grocery bills will be lower for awhile.
 

• I agree, stocking up when there are sales is one of the best ways.  There are so many BOGO sales at the store I visit.  They're great!

• Look for "Manager's Specials" stickers on meat that is nearing its expiration date.  Just use or freeze it right away.
• Use cheaper cuts of meat (many lend themselves to slow cooking to tenderize)
• Buy whole chickens, turkeys, etc. and use every part of it (even the bones to make stock)
• Fishing and hunting is one way to get "free" meat
• Extend meat dishes with beans (we throw kidney beans in with our taco meat)
• Replace ground beef with ground turkey
• Track prices with a price book so you can easily spot a deal
• Grind your own 
• Make your own meat patties and use other "extenders" like black beans
• Buy a side of beef from your local meat store or go in on it with another family if you can't eat it all

Look for bundle packages. Sometimes those can save you money if you buy a lot of meat. 

the only chicken i buy is whole chickens ( unless theres some super crazy deal on breasts) and then i cut them up myself. 1 chicken will make 3 meals for us, and it only costs around 5 bucks sooooo yea, thats a bargain to me, even though its not on sale . oh, and i buy marked down beef and stuff, when i come across it

iv'e wondered about those bundle packages. i dont know anyone who buys them, so im kind of leery
 

Around here the grocery stores frequently offer 5-for10 deals where you can buy 5 small packs of meat for $10. Usually the packages are individually priced from $2.25 to $2.50 so, if you're careful about what you're buying (and price compare) you can get a decent deal.

I do agree with "grind your own". Cooks Illustrated had a segment on grinding meat in a food processor which makes it more accessible for more people.

I don't tend to extend beef or sausage with ground turkey or chicken, however, because I'm not seeing a cost or health savings. However, extending ground beef with chopped mushrooms, carrots and rice or potato does help; beans and lentils are good, too.

When buying whole cuts of meat / poultry, I go for flavor. If I'm going to invest that much money in a meal, I want to get bang for my buck.

We mostly use meat as a "condiment", not the main entree. After all, 4 oz of meat - a normal serving size - doesn't "wow" on a plate.