I save money on meat products by planning meals and shopping at wholesale clubs. I typically purchase enough meat to last at least 3 weeks. After I finish shopping, I divide the meat into gallon size plastic zip bags then freeze it until I am ready to prepare a meal. If you are looking to save money on meat products here are a few easy tips you can follow at home and during your next grocery shopping trip.

Plan your meals around what’s on sale. Purchase your local Sunday paper (or the Saturday preview) to view in store promotions. When shopping, take advantage of meat products “reduced for quick sale”. Prepare or freeze these bargains the day of purchase. Stock up when you find really great deals on items your family enjoys the most.

Buy in bulk. Compare the price of smaller packages of meat at your local grocery store with those at warehouse stores like Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s, etc. For example, you might be better off purchasing a 10lbs. bag of frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast once a month versus purchasing smaller, more expensive packages weekly.

Serve meat less often. Serve meat 2-3 times a week instead of daily and serve only “fist size” portions. Prepare other dishes like baked potatoes, salad, pizza, pasta, etc. as a main course on the days when meat is not on the menu. Instead of serving meat as the star of the meal include it as an added ingredient. For example, chop up 2-3 chicken breasts in soup versus preparing chicken breasts for each individual.

 Avoid purchasing pre-packaged or pre-sliced meat. Make your own ground beef or ground turkey patties instead of buying the patties pre-packaged. Slice steak into strips for stir fry or cut beef into cubes for stew. Cut chicken into strips for chicken fingers or into chunks for nuggets.