In Part One of this series, we discussed what I aim to pay for fruits and veggies. Part Two will cover meat.

Previously, I’ve mentioned how I save with mark downs and how I stretch meat, but what do I actually pay for it? Well, it depends! The price of meat varies tremendously, not just different cuts, but also what different stores charge. Meat is a pricey item, always. That said, the cost can be reduced by shopping the sales, using coupons, and looking for mark downs. Once in a while, I even get meat for free!

For point of reference, I buy regular, grocery store meat. Kosher meat is a whole different story, costs much more, and isn’t widely available in my area. If you like kosher meat, great! Each family needs to do what’s right for them. Kosher meat will be double and possibly triple the prices I pay.

Around here, we eat mainly chicken with smaller quantities of beef and turkey mixed into the menus. I would buy veal and lamb if it was a good deal, too. On occasion, we will eat shellfish, but it’s rare, like when I got stuffed clams for free. Pork is another item I don’t buy.

Keep in mind that the more processed the meat is, the greater the price will be. Whole chicken is cheaper than cut-up chicken. Raw meat is generally cheaper than cooked meat (an exception to this rule would be a rotisserie chicken). Some type of meat will be on sale every week, especially if it’s a Holiday. Consult your store flyers and stock up, rather than buy something else that isn’t as good a deal. Anytime I’m at a store, regardless of what I’m there to buy, I take a quick peek at the meat section. Often, I’ll find a cheapie that’s unadvertised.

Whole chickens:  I buy these when I find them for less than the price of a rotisserie chicken, usually around $5.00 each. A normal sale price is $0.89/Lb. I only like white meat, but Hungry Bear will eat the dark, so it’s not a problem. If no one in the family likes dark meat, don’t buy whole birds.

Split breasts:  My most common meat purchase, anywhere from $0.99-$1.79/Lb. When I found a great price, I buy a bunch to cook/shred, and to freeze. We eat chicken at least 3 times a week.

Boneless, skinless breasts:  These are on sale constantly at $1.99/Lb. Once or twice a year, I see a sale for $1.69/Lb. I don’t buy these as much, because I prefer the taste of meat on-the-bone.  

Leg quarters:  Often, these can be found super cheap. Hungry Bear likes to eat these, but I don’t, so it’s an uncommon purchase. I have seen these for $0.49/Lb at an annual sale.

Whole turkey:  The cheapest meat I have ever found are whole turkeys. Around Thanksgiving, I’ve seen them as low as $0.39/Lb frozen. Butterball, Honeysuckle White, and Jennie-O all put out coupons in November. One year, I stocked up big time and bought 6. It was cheap, but not a wise choice. I’m not really that fond of turkey and whole birds take up a lot of freezer space. We got so sick of turkey by the end!

Ground Turkey:  I will buy this if it’s discounted and have a coupon. Recently, I found some for $2.00 a package. Turkey pieces like tenderloins tend to be very overpriced and I usually skip those. If you like cut-up turkey, buy an extra bird or two around Thanksgiving and freeze it separately.

Turkey Bacon:  I have found it completely free at Walgreens when I matched a $1.00 sale with a $1.00 coupon, and recently, I found it for $0.50 a package.

Beef is always more expensive than poultry, but if you like it—and we do!—I think it’s ok to splurge sometimes. We eat beef usually once a week.

Roasts: I buy whole Round and Chuck roasts on sale for $2.49/Lb during a great sale. A more normal sale price would be $3.79/Lb. I love to make a huge roast and shred it for BBQ sandwiches.

Steaks:  Nicer cuts like sirloin make the best steaks and tips. I have found NY Sirloin on sale for $3.99/Lb. On occasion, I will buy really expensive cuts like Rib-Eye for Hungry Bear if it’s marked down. (Like most men, he’s always begging for steaks!) A quality cut will be around $7-8.00/Lb on sale. I cut a steak into strips, rather than serve whole which keeps costs down, too.

Ground beef: Twice, I was able to get 2 Lbs for free with a rebate. Another time, I was able to buy it on sale for $2.29/Lb. A common sale is $2.99/Lb.

Lunch meat: Not a regular purchase around here, but I find deals occasionally at Target. 2/$5.00 is a common sale on their Market Pantry brand. Use Target coupons and the occasional Cartwheel deal for a really great price! I bought 4 for $0.38 each a while ago!

A few words on pork:

I don’t like it, nor do I buy it, but for those of you who do, it is an economical choice. Around Easter, I have seen whole hams for $0.79/Lb. Throughout the year, I see chops and ribs marked down constantly and sales starting at $1.00/Lb. Roasts can be found for $1.69/Lb on occasion. Bacon is the most expensive pork product.

How much do you pay for meat?