Less Meat Equals More Cash

My grandparents were dairy farmers. Every year at Christmas, they gave each of their children a side of beef. Growing up, we had little money, and sometimes no other groceries to speak of, but we always had a ton of frozen beef. I took for granted that there would be meat at every meal.

After I got married and began food shopping for my family, I was shocked at the cost of meat. I found that I couldn't afford many of the meats that I grew up eating, such as beef roast. At $3.49/lb, it just didn't fit into my limited budget.

For a while, we experimented with lacto-ovo vegetarianism, but we only lasted about a year. My husband and I both love vegetables, but we hated most of the meat "substitutes," such as TVP and tofu. We missed the texture and flavor of real meat, and we decided that we'd be much happier eating less-meat meals, instead of no-meat meals.

I developed some rules for the purchase and use of meat, which allow me to stay within my budget, and still enjoy delicious, satisfying meals:

1) I only buy meats that are $2.00/lb or less. I can regularly buy whole turkey breasts for $1.84/lb, bone-in chicken breasts for 99 cents/lb, and 80% lean ground beef for $1.49-$1.69/lb. My one exception is beef roast. It simply cannot be purchased at this price, ever.

2) I use meat as an ingredient, instead of the main course. For example, when I purchase a 3 lb beef roast at $3.49/lb, I cook it in my slow cooker until it's very tender. When it's done, I cut it into three equal pieces. We eat one piece with horseradish, and lots of carrots and potatoes. I cut the other two pieces in half, to make four, 1/2 lb portions. These are delicious in soups and stews, or in gravy over mashed potatoes. This cuts the cost per meal to only $2.10, or about 50 cents per person. This way, I get to enjoy the flavors I love without breaking the bank.