Shopping for Deli Meats and Cheeses on a Limited Budget

Buying deli meats and cheeses can be very expensive. However, we have found a way to lower the cost of purchasing these food items.

We shop at one of the local supermarkets in our area that sells deli "ends". Deli "ends" are literally the ends of the deli meats and cheeses. It takes extra care to slice these "ends" for waiting customers, so some stores package them and sell them at discounted prices. Since we are on a limited budget, these discounted deli items are a terrific help to us.

We have seen various prices for discounted deli and cheese items at several supermarkets. We were very happy when we discovered that this local supermarket carries discounted deli and cheese items at such great prices.

Not all supermarkets carry these discounted deli and cheese items. Look in the refrigerated display cases near the deli department where they freshly slice the deli meats and cheeses and see if your supermarket carries these discounted items. One supermarket we shopped in displayed them in refrigerated case a couple of aisles away from the deli department. If you do not see them, inquire at the customer service desk or counter of your supermarket.

Turkey and ham are our favorite types of deli "ends". Unfortunately they are not always available each time we go shopping. Whenever we see them displayed in the refrigerated case we try to buy as many packages as we can. At home, we remove the store plastic wrap and rewrap them in wax paper. Afterwards we place the in a zippered freezer bag and store them in the freezer.

The smaller ham ends can be enjoyed with pancakes, waffles, or fried eggs. The larger pieces taste good warmed up and served for dinner with a vegetable and a salad on the side.

You can also cube the ham and add it to an omelet or a frittata. Cubed ham pieces are also a nice addition to your bean soup or split pea soup recipe. If you chop the ham either by hand or by using a blender or food processor, you have the foundation for a delicious ham salad.

As for the turkey, we like to warm the turkey and serve it with hot turkey gravy. It tastes delicious either in a sandwich or served with vegetables and a salad on the side.

The cheese ends are sold as cubes, slices or just left as "ends". The cubes are nice for snacking and the slices are great for sandwiches. The "ends" can be cut and eaten as a snack.

We are very grateful that the local supermarket where we shop sells these discounted deli and cheese items. The savings are terrific and since we are on a limited budget the discount prices help us a great deal.