5. Buy Cheaper Cuts of Meat
Fresh meat is often the most expensive item on your list. We will talk in the next point about how to reduce the amount of meat you buy, but assume that you don’t want to go full vegetarian just yet. Luckily, there are cheaper cuts of meat that can save you money and are still delicious as long as you understand how to prepare them.
One good example is cubed beef, labeled as stew meat. The only trick here is to cook it low and slow for a long time. Just fire up the old crock pot around midday and let your meal simmer until dinnertime.
You can save about $1 per pound if you buy a whole chicken rather than choice cuts, and it can be roasted in the oven or done right on the grill. Pork shoulder is also relatively inexpensive and like stew meat, is best cooked long and low.