With nothing but my meager life savings to live on, I had to find ways to save as much money as possible. I think I have done fairly well as I am now re-adding food back into my long-term storage, while physically spending much less than I use to on food.
Purchasing meats this way and preparing in advance helps me to stay on my Keto Diet and keep everything portioned controlled with getting all OCD over it too.
Learn about your local store
Sometimes we don't have a lot of choices on where to buy food. The little village about 4 miles from me has 2 grocery stores remaining. The only time I go to either of them is when I need something ASAP and don't want to drive all the way into the city. Being so far out, both have higher prices than I can get elsewhere at a lower cost.
There is a local grocery chain called Food Depot that has recently grown to where they now have about 40 stores spread out in an area roughly around Atlanta and out 40 to 50 miles as the crow flies.
Learn when is the best time shop
Most grocery stores have fairly regular times when they receive new shipments. Each usually has its own day of the week that sales start and they tend to mark down items that are about to expire just before the new shipments arrive. At my local Food Depot, the best time for me to find bargains is between 11 am and noon on Tuesday.
Don't be afraid to call a young employee off to the side and ask them when their delivery time usually it. In most stores, the best time to shop is one to two days before their mid-week delivery.
If your local store follows the laws, markdown meats are fine!
Many people believe purchasing marked down meat is dangerous. They've been lead to believe they are filled with bacteria and choosing to eat them will end up giving you botulism. Others think purchasing marked down meats is beneath them. I have actually heard people talk to their companion in a voice I was not supposed to have heard saying things like "I wouldn't be caught dead buying that". I just smile and toss a few more in my buggy knowing they are victims of the constant lies consumers are told to get them to pay more.
A few facts the grocery industry doesn't want you to know
1 - Almost every item that is on a mark down rack is still good AFTER the expiration date has passed. Some are actually good for weeks after the expiration. Meats probably have the least time remaining unless you process them for longer term storage asap, but they are still good for a week or more if kept at proper temperatures.
2 - Most meats are marked down BEFORE they expire. The laws vary by state, but most have some sort of limit on the amount of time they can sell meats after they expire. (many forbid it completely) If it is not expired, the only way it could be bad for your health is if it has been kept at room temperature for too long. Most stores watch this rule like a hawk because the health department can literally walk in at any moment and slap a fine on them if the temp is not correct.
3 - Ground meats can easily be cooked in advance, repackages in portion sizes, frozen and you end up with the main ingredient for your meal available within minutes (with a microwave) You save time and money by purchasing in bulk from the mark-down rack.
Today's Haul
Today I purchased almost 7 pounds of ground chuck and ground market cuts for Almost exactly $13. It works out to about $0.50 per 4 ounce serving.
I tossed it all in the wok and cooked it. Once drained, I'll package it in approximate 1 pound packages (before cooking weight), and freeze. Then I can take out a package and use it all in a casserole, or use just a little for a specific meal, being sure to use the remainder within a week or so.
Cost at other store
The same amount of ground chuck would have cost approximately $28 at the two closest stores to me. Ground chuck is selling for $3.99 a pound around here. I saved over 50% on what is basically the exact same meat. The only difference between the two is one had a few more days till expiration than the other. But both were still legal to sell.