How to Save Money When Buying meat filling machine

Think you can't stock up on meat because of your tight budget? Well, buckle up! I'm going to prove that not only can you build your meat stockpile, but I'll also show you how to prep, process, and freeze meat, too!

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I get a ton of questions about how I shop for (and freeze) meat for storage. If you've been following me for long, especially on Instagram, you know my key to saving money is shelf cooking and meal planning. It's cooking first with what you have on hand, starting from your fridge, freezer, and pantry. Then you go to the store only for supplemental ingredients. The rest of your grocery budget is used to buy ingredients (preferably on sale) to keep on hand.

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Once you get those two things down, eating on a budget will be so simple and will even start coming naturally to you! So, you ready to see how we do it?

Make sure that you subscribe to my YouTube channel, I have new videos every Thursday! Click to watch the meat budgeting and freezer prep video online HERE, or click and watch me discuss stocking up on meat budget below:

See, shopping for (and freezing meat) is actually pretty easy peasy! It gets even better once you get in the habit of doing it weekly. Follow how I shop for and freeze meat for my family of 10, and you'll be a pro in no time!

Quick disclaimer: As you may already know, a budget of $25/week isn't the 'norm' over here, just something that we do during Shelftember! I usually recommend $100/person/month, starting at $300. You can find more info on that in THIS grocery budgeting post.

SOME CHEAP WAYS TO STOCK UP ON MEAT

Stock up on meat no matter your budget! Here's something I want you to think about: Do you. Do the best with what you have! While I might spend almost $200 to stock up on meat in a week, that doesn't mean you have to do that, too.

Even adding an extra $5 package of meat in your freezer is stocking up. So if you can spare $5, $10, $15, you're going to build up a fabulous supply! Here are some ways to save on meat:

• Split a Cow ' We have a lot of beef because we split a cow with a cousin using money from our family savings account, not our weekly grocery budget.
• Look for Yellow Stickers ' We got our pork on clearance and saved 30%! Meat with a yellow sticker is getting close to the sell-by date, and stores simply want to rotate their stock. It's still perfectly fine!
• Look at Savings, not Just Price ' Look for how much you're saving on the price tag, not just at what you spent. This way you can be sure you're really getting the best deal.

When shopping, I try to use half my budget for stockpile items and half for things we'll need right away. Another really easy way to look at this is 'buy one for now, and buy one (or two, if you can afford it) for later.' You should especially do this if something is on sale.

PORTION OUT MEAT FOR NOW AND LATER

So, as an example, with my $200 per week allotted grocery budget, I might spend about half ($100) buying meat (most of it discounted). Once I purchase the meat and bring it home, I process the meat in one of three ways:

• Cook, then Freeze ' With things like ground beef, I like to cook up a few pounds, divide it up, and then bag it (and freeze it) for meals later.
• Cook, then Eat ' For the meat we plan to use right away, I'll and prep and leave in the fridge, just to save some time.
• Bag and Freeze ' The rest of the meat gets processed and then put into the freezer for use at a later time.

A word on the 'Cook by' or Freeze by' date: when you freeze meat, you're basically hitting the pause button on the expiration date. Then it resumes once it's thawed. So, if you buy meat that's going to hit it's 'Best by' date in three days, you'll probably have three days from the time you thaw it again to use it.

Now that I have a plan for how I'm going to pre-prep my meat, I move to the next stage which allows me to save money (and time) since I'

FREEZE MEAT IN USABLE PORTIONS

Are you ready to freeze all of that delicious and wonderful meat? Here are a few things I like to keep on hand when I'm processing meat:

• Tongs ' Use a pair of tongs to handle the raw meat. This will keep your fingers clean and dry. Clean the tongs in between meats to help prevent contamination.
• Vacuum Sealer ' Vacuum seal meats you won't use as frequently and that'll probably sit in the freezer a little bit longer. Also, since tilapia is a more delicate meat, I vacuum seal that. I got my FoodSaver at Costco, but there are fantastic, affordable options on Amazon as well.
• Freezer Bags ' For meats you plan to toss into a crockpot (or meats you'll access more often), splurge, and buy quality quart and gallon freezer bags with thicker plastic and a quality zipper. Don't waste $5 in meat for a $.02 baggie!
• Anti-bacterial or Disinfectant Wipes ' Use some kind of disinfectant to wipe down surfaces and to prevent contamination.

Pro Tip: When I have meat I plan to throw into a crockpot straight from frozen, so I'm taking a minute now to trim off the excess fat. This way I don't have to try and do that while they're frozen.

HOW TO LABEL YOUR FREEZER BAGS

Look. Life gets busy, and meat sits in the freezer for a while. If it frosts over, chances are, you're not going to be able to tell pork from tilapia. This is why it's so important to take a few extra seconds to label your meat. For simplicity, I include the same information every time:

• What's Inside ' Even if it seems obvious now, you're gonna forget.
• How Many/Quantity ' I circle the number just so it doesn't look like the date.
• The Month & The Year ' Keep track of when you should be using things by.
• Optional: 'Use By' Date. If I have three more days on hamburger before it goes into the freezer, I could write on the package 'Use within 3 Days'. Since I only pull stuff out of the freezer when I'm ready to use it, this typically isn't an issue for me.

Pro Tip: If you're not adding the day to your freezer bag date, and you're freezing and labeling meat at the end of the month, move the date forward a month. This way the meat doesn't appear a month newer than it really is.

LET BUDGET BOOT CAMP HELP!

Saving money on meat is one thing, but saving up all of your 'bread' is important, too! If you love these money-saving tips, and you would like some extra support, then Budget Boot Camp is for you! It's our fun, online video program that makes managing your finances and getting out of debt a breeze. Check out what we're talking about'

Sounds awesome, right? We know you'll love it so much that we even have a 100% money-back guarantee! Plus, you can use the code FCFBLOG for 10% off at checkout. You're welcome. '

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REMEMBER: BABY STEPS SAVE YOU MONEY

Do what you can with what you have' and know that you don't need to buy all of your meat at once. You don't even need to spend $100 as I did. Just one at a time, or even one for now, and two for later, especially when you see meat is on sale.

Saving money when you shop becomes easier as you go! Definitely take things one step at a time. Go at your own pace, and you'll soon find yourself with a yummy, healthy stockpile of food your family will enjoy for months to come!

Whew, well there you have it! You now know how to get a good deal on meat, how to stock up, and how to freeze meat for later. Good luck! Let us know if you have any questions in the comments!

Looking for more great ideas?

• Use the 3-month rule before making any big purchases!
• A monthly budget is so yesterday' Try a weekly budget instead!
• Keep your money organized and give it a purpose with 7 bank accounts!

Meat you later!

Dr. Lyda G. Garcia, Meat Extension Specialist - Fresh Meat Processing, Department of Animal Sciences
Dr. C. Lynn Knipe, Meat Extension Specialist ' Processed Meats, Departments of Animal Sciences and Food Science

Background

During the 's ' 's, finding a local meat processor in the United States, commonly known as a meat butcher, was not hard to find. Back then, either the meat processor harvested (slaughtered) their own food animals and sold meat cuts out of their retail shop or hanging carcasses were shipped to them, as either halves or quartered, by rail car or refrigerated truck to be processed. As the large-scale meat packers began to expand, the introduction of boxed, vacuum packaged, subprimal cuts lead to the introduction of boxed meat. It was introduced in the later 's, but did not take off until the early 's. This extra step incorporated at the large-scale meat plant slowly began to reduce the existence of the local meat processor.

Today, grocery stores provide an array of meat cuts in various packages, flavors (preseason, marinated), precooked, etc., with full intent in providing a convenience to the customer by simply eliminating a step or two in the cooking preparation, which provides for a very wealthy country. With large-scale meat plants able to harvest thousands of food animals per day, the meat supply adds up throughout the year that sets the stage for grocery stores to provide all the products American consumers demand, plus some However, in recent days, the United States is experiencing a pandemic that has significantly impacted our food, and meat industries. With the many unknowns of the corona virus, this has led meat companies to exhaust all possible intervention steps to tackle this virus and eliminate, or reduce, its spread. This pandemic has caused many meat plants to either slow down or stop their operations temporary, or permanently, which initially forced a small ripple extending to our grocery stores. A piece of the puzzle that needs to be highlighted are our livestock producers providing food animals to these meat plants. Many of our producers have been left, scratching their heads, feeling frustrated and scared, trying to figure out what to do with their animals. Some producers have turned to local meat processors to help alleviate some of these worries.

Meat processors serve as the middleman between the livestock producer and customer. Over the years, due to the expansion of large-scale packers, meat processors have stayed in the shadows, for those who remain in the business are only appreciated by those who acknowledge them. You may not realize, but your local meat processor provides many benefits compared to a grocery store, as the history, knowledge, art, and passion of the business are the driver to offering this service. Your local meat processor plays a critical role in not just supplying meat products to American consumers, but also helping our livestock producers and providing job opportunities.

Large supermarkets have been buying some processed products (ham, sausage, bacon, etc.) from your local processors to provide local products in their stores.  Why not go directly to the source for these products?

Ohio and Meat Processors

With an estimated 3,585,000 livestock produced in Ohio, meat production remains a critical necessity. Currently, an estimated four hundred meat facilities exist in Ohio ranging from federal and state inspected to custom exempt. If there is something to learn from a pandemic, such as COVID-19,  it the critical role meat processors play in the lives of the everyday producer and consumer. With ~ 75% of the beef market shares coming from four large-scale beef packing plants and ~ 60% of pork coming from three pork large-scale plants, the pros and cons quickly surface when a pandemic arrives unexpectedly. As customers begin to question, the time has come to start looking into buying from a local meat processor. Below is a list of reasons why you should buy your local:

1.  Food comes directly from an Ohio producer.
2.  Buying local helps our farmers/producers of Ohio.
3.  Buying local helps the economy (business and industry).
4.  Help secure local jobs.
5.  Have an opportunity to ask questions directly with employees ' available customer service.
6.  Food transparency: It's easy to trace the origin of the meat that you are buying.
7.  You can get to know the employees serving you.
8.  Save money and still buy a quality product.
9.  Less chance of them running out ' for those offering a slaughter as a service.
10.  May find regional or culturally unique cuts and processed products that you don't see in large supermarkets.

Something to Know

These meat processors must be licensed under either the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service, Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) or your county health department to sell meat products.  Currently, licensed with ODA Division of Meat Inspection, there are 178 fully inspected meat facilities and 86 custom only facilities.  Most of the fully inspected facilities have a retail room where you can purchase fresh and processed products, such as sausage, bacon, etc.  The custom exempt facilities are intended to only provide a slaughter service for customers who own an animal, and some may have a retail space. 

A list of state meat processors can be found on ODA's website: https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/divisions/meat-inspection/meat-district-coverage-map

Sources:

Lyda G. Garcia, PhD
Assistant Professor of Meat Science
Meat Extension Specialist, Fresh Meat Processing
Meat Judging Coordinator
Department of Animal Sciences

C. Lynn Knipe, PhD
Associate Professor
Meat Extension Specialist, Meat Processing
Department of Animal Sciences
Department of Food Science and Technology

OSU Meat Science Extension: https://meatsci.osu.edu

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