I spent years trying to figure out how to budget for groceries when meat prices were SO high. Of course I saw the sales. And I would buy whatever meat was on sale IF it was what I wanted that week. But what if I needed shrimp this week instead of last week when it was on sale? Then it hit me…only buy your favorite meat when it’s on sale…but buy a lot! It seemed crazy at first, but then it seemed crazy I hadn’t thought of this before.
There are certain meats I use every week: boneless, skinless chicken breasts for example. In my area, they are anywhere from 2.29 to 3.99 per pound depending on the store and brand. But you can find them on sale for $1.99 sometimes if you are watching sales flyers carefully.
Why would you pay that top price when you could pay so much less? (Erin at 5dollardinners.com is the BEST I’ve ever seen at getting the lowest prices for meats!) If you know you use them every week, why not stock up when they’re at their lowest?
Here are the keys to this hack…you have to know WHAT the best price is, HOW often those sales come around, and HOW MUCH you need to get you from one sale to the next.
What IS the best price?
That takes some research (find out how to do your own research project here) Also check out this post for how to figure out if the price for the meat is better still on the bone.
How often DO those good sales come along?
Become a detective, writing down your favorite cuts of meat and noting their prices at the stores you shop. Then track what price they are each week in the sales flyers for as long as it takes to see a pattern…usually 6 to 8 weeks should catch it. (As of 2022, these sales are a little more erratic.)
How much should you buy when you see that “best” price?
Start by figuring out how much of each meat you’re using each week. (If you’re menu planning, this is really easy…click here for more on menu-planning)
If you use 4 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts each week and they go on sale once a month, you need to buy 16 pounds of chicken on the sale and freeze them in usable increments. (I usually do some packs with only one breast and several with two as that’s how I use them most times. But I also put back some after cooking and chopping it to make for easier prep on salads or casseroles.)
That will seem like a lot of chicken to buy at once…and it is. BUT if you are going to use them every week, let’s see what you could save…
- 16 pounds x 3.99 = $63.84
- 16 pounds x 2.29 = $36.64
- 16 pounds x 1.99 = $31.84
I just won’t buy chicken for 3.99/#. But even if I bought it at 2.29/# each week as I needed it rather than buying it all at once, I still would be paying $9.60 more than I would if I got the 16 pounds when it was on the best sale.
If you found the 3.99/# on a BOGO sale, you’d save $32.00. Either way, over the course of a year, you’d be saving some serious change. Plus, you don’t have to worry about whether it’s going to be on sale when you need it or not. You simply buy it when it IS on sale…whenever that happens to be.
I hope this little exercise has made you rethink when and how you buy meats. Only buy them on sale but buy a LOT…and you’ll SAVE a lot (in cash AND headache) in the long run!
Check out these other strategies for cooking smarter…
