If you’re big on saving money, you probably already buy things in bulk. Paper goods and laundry detergent are the most popular items to buy in bulk because they don’t go bad, or at least take a VERY long time to do so.
One thing that you may not be buying in bulk (I know it took me way too long to start) is meat! After all, it’s the most expensive part of most families’ grocery bills, so why wouldn’t we save as much as possible on it? Even a few cents per pound can really add up over time.
When I first started grocery shopping, I would buy meat in 1 pound packages because that is generally the amount I would need for our meals that week. I avoided the larger packages because few things pain me more in life than throwing away food because we couldn’t use it before it went bad.
Honestly, I just assumed those larger packs were meant for families with lots of kids or the occasional party-sized meal. It didn’t occur to me that I could separate the large packages of meat into smaller portions and freeze what I wasn’t going to use right away. I soon learned that buying the larger package could save me a lot of money!
When buying meat in bulk, I try to set aside time after my grocery run to portion and freeze it right away. The last thing I want to do is forget that it’s in the back of my fridge and have to throw it out because I didn’t freeze it in time.
And, bulk meats are often featured in grocery stores’ weekly ads. If you see a special for a type of meat that you’re likely to use in the future, I’d say snag it and freeze it. You don’t have to have it on the menu for the week to take advantage of a great deal! Just make sure you have enough freezer space and storage bags for it.
Some tips for portioning and freezing meat:
I recently bought a 5-lb. package of ground chuck at $1.49 per pound, so the entire 5 pounds cost me $7.45. If I were to buy five 1-lb. packages at $1.99 per pound, I would pay $9.95 for 5 pounds. By buying in bulk I saved $2.50 on 5 pounds of meat. It took – no kidding – 3 minutes for me to portion and freeze 5 pounds of chuck. Translation: 3 minutes to save $2.50, or $50 per hour! Now, obviously I’m not going to separate meat for an hour, but you get the picture. Little money saving efforts like these really do add up.
Hopefully this will help someone to save a little money on groceries this week, and a lot of money over time!
What are your favorite meats or groceries to buy in bulk? Do you have any creative ways for storing or using up large quantities of meat?
Fall means cooler weather, changing leaves, pumpkin spice, and my most favorite, Halloween. Halloween is… Read More
Ghosts may give you goosebumps. Monsters may give you nightmares. But if you're on a… Read More
This time of year, you can buy cute baby costumes at a huge array of… Read More
With many restaurants shuttered and others offering only takeout and delivery, a lot of families… Read More
You might not be able to jet off on an around-the-world adventure, but that doesn't… Read More
When you're on the go, you may get hungry. If you've had a bad day,… Read More
View Comments
I have a great tip I use when buying bulk meats such as steaks, pork loins, chicken legs, beef cubes, etc. If you plan on marinating them put the marinde in the freezer-bag, seal it almost all the way except one small corner and squeeze ALL the air out so that just a drop of marinade starts to come out and seal it the rest of the way. Massage the meat a little to make sure the marinade has coated all surfaces of the meat then put in your freezer immediately. When ready to eat, defrost in a large bowl or sink of cold water. The meat marinades during the freezing and thawing process and the best part: NO FREEZER BURN. It works great, try it!
We lived in a high cost area for a time and were only able to shop in one particular store for meats and dairy/ When their 5lb+ packs of meat went to only about 80% lean I invested in a meat grinder attachment for my stand mixer. Now I buy london broils, or other applicable roasts, when they go on sale and grind my own ground beef (and control the fat content). More often than not, I can get more meat for less money than is charged for the stores ground beef. And I know whats in it, for my germaphobic husband ;)
We do the same with whole pork loins. You can slice these into pork chops, make them as thick as you like, and package them 2, 3 or 4 in each bag, whatever you need for your family. I do different sizes as my kids are grown and I never know who might be coming for supper! I also use a vacuum sealer for this.
Hey stephanie,
I was wondering the best way to package it for the freezer?
I hunt and grind all my meat into burger meat. Ladies I know this may sound gross to you, but you can not tell the difference between deer burger and cow burger meat. If you live in the country there are always lots of people that hunt that dont eat the meat if you ask around you can probably get it donated to you. Then you just need a grinder. I personally at the end of deer season can bring home between 200-400lbs of burger meat for less than $50. If I asked for more deer I could easily get 1000-1500 lbs of meat I just don't know what I would do with that amount. So if you want to be frugal on meat find a hunter!
excellent tip! Thanks!
Hi Steph,
I know it sounds dumb, but it never occurred to me to flatten out the meat and freeze it that way...lol...I have about 12 "lumps" of burger hogging up the freezer right now :)
Thanks for the tip!
Kimberly,
I froze the meat in lumps for YEARS before it occurred to me to flatten it!
I'm all about buying meat in bulk!!! I bought 45 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast last week for $54! I was completely excited! If only I had freezer space for more!
Jennifer
http://www.bowdaciousbaby.etsy.com
When I am putting my meat in the bags, especially the snap seal ones, I will turn down the top of the bags about one small fold and after I add the meat I unfold it and I have a clean seal. This works well for the cheaper baggies that may not seal if you get anything on them.
Sharon,
Thank you!! That is a great tip! So true that the meat gets stuck in the zipper and won't close. I will try that next time!
Stephanie,
I like to cut the 5 lb. chubs into pre-made hamburgers as well.. you just slice the thickness that you want and put them in freezer bags with wax paper in between so they don't stick. Way cheaper than buying them already cut at the store!!
Karen,
That is a great idea! I have heard of doing that, but I've never tried it myself.
As a working mom, I like to cook up the meat before I freeze it. This way, when I am in need of ideas to make dinner, I can just take out the package, add the seasoning or put it in a pot of spaghetti sauce and dinner's halfway there!
I also precook most of my ground beef, I normally do 5 lbs at a time. I add onion and green pepper to it while I am frying it. This mix works for just about everything.
Nancy,
I like to pre-cook the meat too sometimes. It is a huge time saver on busy nights!