Meat....How We Do It!!

It's Tipster Tuesday over at BeCentsAble and this week is all about buying meat. As you are well aware, I'm sure...meat is very expensive these days...but for us it is a must have with almost every dinner we eat. We have been trying to have at least one meatless dinner a week...key word trying!!! LOL LOL We are meat lovers, what can I say??!! So since not buying it is not a reasonable option for our family, I just try my best to do a few things to keep the costs down while enjoying our scrumptious meat-included dinners...LOL

Stock-Up During Sales- Why pay $4.69 a lb. for boneless chicken breasts when you can get it on sale for just $1.99 at least once a month?? For us we are a chicken loving family...so when it goes on sale...I stock-up!! We do not have an extra freezer with tons of meat stock-piled....but when the large family sized packs go on sale...I buy 2 of them to hold us over until the next sale. If I know we are going to have company over I buy an extra pack just in case. Yes, it is about $8-10 for each jumbo pack, sometimes totaling up to $30 in one week....but then in the next few weeks I am not buying ANY chicken....so it all evens out cost wise over the weeks!!


Plan Your Meals- I know sometimes you crave to have something for dinner at times...and I dare not tell you to deny yourself. But try to limit your cravings...to say maybe once a week, or so. We are big into meal planning!! If chicken and roast pork is on sale this week...that is what we will be eating, for sure!! Also make sure that the ingredients that go into whatever dishes you plan on making for the week are on sale or you have most on hand. I know my friend made lasagna a while back....just on the spur of the moment and invited us over for dinner...and she was blown away at just how much Ricotta Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, and Ground Beef are when not on sale!!

Smaller Portions- Maybe you have a large family, or maybe you only have a little chicken on hand...no problem...just stretch it!! Serve smaller meat portions....maybe instead of having spaghetti with a side of Chicken Parmesan...make pasta with chicken mixed in. This way you still have your chicken..but you did not have to break the budget buying so much meat!!

Do you know of any more ways great ways to save when buying meat? Be sure to check out BeCentsAble for more meat savings tips!!