A way to save some money is assessing your meat cost per week, month, year…yes, it sounds ridiculous but you really can save money this way.
How much money do you spend on meat a month?
How much money is spent on meat in each meal you make?
For many of us, meat is at the centre of any dinner table whether that be for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A hearty dinner on most Instagram accounts includes a whopping great bit of steak, a whole chicken or a hog roast slowly cooking in a garden – but how can you save money on your meat budget throughout the week?
Even dinners on a budget can be done with meat in check, but some meats can be expensive so its all about knowing how you can cut your weekly/monthly food bill and save pounds.
There are so many economic pressures playing on our minds at present, and the price of everyday meat products can be cut – so perhaps this is a good place to start when trying to save some money.
Pigly is a website that helps you do this, and reassess your weekly meal costs. Specific cuts of meat often sell for more because they are more tender, or are a higher valued part of an animal Premium beef cuts are higher priced than other parts of the animal, because they have denser muscle fibres which make it more easy to consume.
Cheaper cuts of meat are less likely to have marbling. This means that the distribution of fat between muscle groups. Fat is well distributed within muscle groups in premium meats like angus or wagyu beef, and it tends to contribute to the flavour of the meat overall.
So how can you save money buying meat?
Get your game on:
Depending on what the season is, game meat can save you serious money in your food shop. This isn’t telling you to stop and pick up roadkill on the road, but simply telling you to shop around. Visit your local farm store and see what local offers are available on local meat choices.
Make your meat last:
Meat is a perishable item and it doesn’t keep for a long time without proper storage procedures. If you have a freezer large enough, then make sure you pop your meat into a freezer, but before you do – separate it into meal portions. This has helped me pre-plan meals and save money in every food shop I now do.
Use leftovers:
The remains of your Sunday dinner – DON’T THROW IT AWAY! Box it up in some tupperware and make a chicken curry from the leftover meat and vegetables. It will help you save money and not have to shop half as much as you did previously.
Preservation:
If you have some meat that can be preserved or processed then give it a try. All you need is to make sure you can either salt or dry your meat. Invest in a dehydrator and you can even produce some cured meats that you can use for up to 3-5 days afterwards.
Broaden your meat options:
Think outside the box, and consider some cheaper cuts of meat such as bacon, gammon, corned beef and the list goes on.
Fill your plate:
Yes, you heard right…but fill it with the right things. I have half a plate of salad or vegetables every night, a quarter of protein (meats or fish) and the other quarter of carbs. Not only has it helped us lose weight, but it has cut our costs of our weekly shop, and helped us to use everything in our fridge. We very rarely throw food away now, and leftovers go straight into the freezer for a quick lunch or dinner when we are too busy to cook.
So remember, the economy isn’t great right now but there are so many different online free tools out there that can help you to assess your personal finances, even your weekly/monthly meat food shop. Every little helps – so start budgeting.
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