Winner, are you hoping to learn a few smart ways to save money on meat?
Great! You’ve come to the right post.
Because here, I’m about to share with you how I save TONS of money on meat. (Without sacrificing my love for meat, of course!)
Is meat a staple in your kitchen? (Because it definitely is in mine.)
Then I bet you’re not looking for tips like “STOP EATING MEAT” because that’s just not an option.
Relax. I’m not about to take your meat from you.
But I will teach you how to enjoy your meat while saving money at the same time.
Now you can feel confident about making BIG savings when you create your grocery list.
Ready? Good. Because here are:
20 smart ways to save money on meat
#1: Buy meat in bulk
This is one of my favorite tips when it comes to how to save money on meat.
And that’s because buying meat in bulk tends to be cheaper than buying meat in smaller quantities.
But what would you do with all that meat, I hear you ask?
You’d package and preserve it. And then enjoy it according to your meal timetable.
This way, you can actually have months-worth of meat.
#2: Eat less meat per serving
I know! I just said I’m not taking your meat away from you. And I was serious. So, let me explain.
If you’re a meat lover like me, then you’re probably eating more meat than you’re supposed to, by dietary standards.
Visit Our World in Data‘s daily meat consumption per person in 2020. And you’ll see that in developed countries like US countries and European countries, people are eating more meat than is recommended.
And the effects are detrimental to your body. NHS says the meat in your diet should be cut down to 70g per day.
So, reduce your servings to only the recommended amount.
That way, you’ll save both your health and your money.
#3: Embrace meatless days to save money on meat
You don’t have to eat meat everyday.
Instead, you can embrace other sources of proteins like beans.
(Yes, this tip is as simple as that!)
#4: Cut meat into smaller pieces
This one is just to trick your mind.
One large piece of meat on your plate looks less satisfying than five smaller pieces cut from the same larger piece.
In reality, it’s the same amount of meat.
But your mind equates the five pieces with ‘more’.
In fact, this tip is very popular with weight watchers. (See? Bonus!)
#5: Serve a relish alongside meat
Are you perhaps having too much meat in one sitting because it’s the only relish you have on your plate?
Then you’ll probably eat a lot less if you add to your plate some delicious creamed spinach. Or fried cabbage.
Here’s a great tip for eating less meat in this case.
Start with the spinach/cabbage (or whatever relish) and only occasionally take a bite of your meat.
You’ll definitely end up eating less meat, that’s for sure.
#6: Be smart about where you buy meat
You’ll typically buy the same pound of beef for different prices in different stores.
And that usually happens with stores that have at least 1 middleman between their meat suppliers and the consumer (you).
And now YOU have to pay for all the middleman fees.
Also, stores in more expensive rental spaces tend to charge more for their meat than stores in less expensive rental spaces.
So the store is in a scenic place, great! But YOU are paying for that scenery.
Be smart about figuring that stuff out.
And you definitely can save money on meat.
#7: Cook meat as stews
This is yet another one of my favorite ways to save money on meat.
Because by adding vegetables to your meat, you can stretch even a few pieces of meat to feed an army.
Simply because the vegetables add volume to the meat.
And once the veggies are infused with juices from the meat, they are as tasty as the meat itself.
So that’s another plus: tasty variety to your dishes!
#8: Buy cheaper cuts of meat
If you’re knowledgeable about different cuts of meat (I’m not), then you know some cuts are more expensive than others.
For example, boney meat tends to weigh more on the scale that boneless meat.
So, keep that in mind next time you buy your meat.
#9: Raise your own meat
This tip to save money on meat might sound extreme. But hear me out.
If you have space for your animals (and you’ve checked the legal requirements for keeping animals in your home) then you can raise your own animals and slaughter them for meet as need be.
You can raise chickens, goats, cows, pigs, etc.
Winner, DIYing your food is ALWAYS a winning move.
Which is why you ALSO need to know these 15 great reasons why you should grow your own food.
So you can start a backyard garden.
And get going right away with these 30 easiest foods to grow at home.
#10: Buy your own animal as a group
You can get together with one or more people. And split costs to buy a cow, for example.
If you slaughter that cow and divide it equally amongst yourselves,
you can have a lot of meat to last you months.
All you need to do is preserve it.
Now you no longer have to worry about the costs of buying meat for at least several months.
#11: Buy meat on sale
Meat goes on sale for a number of reasons, one of which is because the meat is about to expire.
In that case, buy it for cheap. And preserve it.
#12: Eat the internal organs so you can save money on meat
OK. I know this is extreme. But it can save you a lot of money.
And that’s because organ meats are usually sold for a fraction of the cost of the same amount of regular meat.
And shocker! You can actually enjoy the internal organs.
But it’s not only about what feels great to your tongue.
Healthline talks about the benefits of adding organ meats to your diet.
And these include being a great source of iron and protein. And containing nutrients such as vitamin B12 and folate.
Here in my part of world, we eat animal organs, which believe it or not, are a rarity that we equate with luxury.
In other words, we tend to prefer the internal organs more than we do the meat itself (well, most of the time).
So, what do I mean by internal organs?
I mean feet, head, intestines, liver, kidney, heart, lungs, even blood. Pretty much every part of the animal (except the skin – we’re not that hungry!)
#13: Revive stale meat
If you neglected your fresh meat for some reason, and it ended up going a bit stale,
don’t throw it out just yet.
You can actually wash the staleness off with some good ol’ white vinegar. (It will take care of the rotting smell too.)
#14: Pre-package meat into smaller portions
If you preserve your meat as one large chunk, you might end up running out before the month is up.
So, the best soution is to pre-package your meat into smaller portions.
And then cook it according to your meal timetable.
Remember, a little meat can go a long way if you cook it as a stew.
#15: Go fishing
Fishing is yet another great way to save money on meat.
If you live near lakes and/or ponds, you can learn how to fish (not so difficult anyway) and catch your own fish.
Now you can stock up on those Omega-3 fatty acids, among many other nutrients.
In my village, we live next to the dam.
While we don’t usually get fish, we do get plenty when the dam overflows during the rainy month.
And if you preserve that fish, you can enjoy it for months to come.
#16: Eat game meat
Game meat tends to be a whole lot less expensive than beef.
Just the other week I saw giraffe meat that cost only a fraction of the cost f beef of the same proportion.
I know. It can be hard to get ued to the different taste of game meat.
But it’s only a matter of getting used to it. And once you do, you won’t go back.
While buying game meat is pretty inexpensive, I’ll tell you what’s even cheaper: hunting your own game meat.
That’s right.
(Make sure you’re legally permitted to do so, though. And that you’re safe at all times.)
#17: Always eat meat as part of a large meal, not as a snack
Limit your meat consumption to your main meals if you want to save money on meat.
Don’t snack on meat. Rather, you can choose from a wide range of inexpensive snacks.
Nuts offer a sufficient amount of protein, for example.
#18: Buy marked-down meat that’s about to expire
The clearance section can help you save money on meat.
Because here you can find meat that’s marked down in price.
The misconception about foods in the clearance section is that they’ve expired already.
But the truth is, no they haven’t. Their expiry date is admittedly close.
But until then, you can safely consume them.
#19: Preserve your meat
Use whatever perservation method works best for you.
And feel free to try new methods.
Here in my part of the world, we mostly use freezing, air drying and salting.
Preserving meat by freezing it can help you enjoy fresh meat for months on end.
And drying it makes it last even longer. Years.
#20: Take advantage of free meat at events
Here in my part of the world, I know many people who wait until there’s a big event, to have free meat.
And funerals, weddings, parties, and events in general offer such opportunities.
I know. This tip sounds like a bit of a stretch.
But it’s not if you take it as an opportunity to also connect with others.
Summary
Even if you’re a meat lover, you can still save money on meat by using the tips in this post. And the bonus pro is that they’ll help you stay healthy too.
Winner, have these tips been helpful to you?
In that case, please share your thoughts with us: what did you think of this post?