Saving Money on Meat Purchases

Chicken, beef, fish, pork and other types of meat can be one of the most expensive parts of your grocery bill. If you shop right, however, you can greatly reduce how much you are spending on the meat you buy. If you are on a budget and looking for ways to lower the amount of money you are spending on groceries, this article will provide some ways to save money on your meat purchases.

If you want to save the most money on your meat purchases, buy it only when it's on sale. Buy chicken, beef and other meats when they are at their lowest prices. For example, I only buy chicken breasts when I can find them for .99 cents per pound or less. Whole chicken I buy when it's .60 cents a pound, and sometimes I can find whole chicken for as little as .29 cents per pound.

Other types of meat, like ground beef, pork and inexpensive cuts of beef I try to buy at their lowest prices too, usually less than a dollar fifty per pound. I almost never buy meat at a higher price than that. More expensive types, like salmon I usually just do without.

You can more easily save money on canned or frozen types of meats, like tuna, salmon, and breaded chicken by using coupons. Combine your coupons with store sales to save even more.

When meat is on sale, buy in bulk. Buy as much as you can afford, and either can it or freeze. Make sure you separate large packages into smaller, meal sized portions. Open your bulk package, and the rinse the pieces in cool water. You should pat it dry with paper towels to prevent the meat from forming frost crystals. Then wrap single pieces of meat, for larger pieces like chicken breasts, separately in plastic wrap. divide other types of meat, like ground beef, into portions you would use for a meal.

Then put the wrapped meat into freezer bags, either ziplock type bags or food saver bags. Always label and date the packages, and put the newest packages of meat in back of (or below) your older meat. That way, you will use up the older packages first and they will have less chance of going bad. If you plan to cut up your whole chickens, you should do it before you freeze it. There is a lot less waste that way .

A good, large freezer is a must if you plan to do bulk shopping. Shop around for a good one. You might be able to find a cheaper one at a second hand store or craigslist. Put the word out to friends and family that you are looking for a good used freezer to buy. If you're lucky, you might even get one for free, just to get it off someone's hands.

Saving money is important if you are on a budget. With prices on all types of foods, including most meats going up recently, it is even more important to have the skills and knowlege to save money on all of your purchases.