Do you try to save money on meat by buying warehouse packs, then spend an hour splitting them up into appropriate portions when you get home? Do you hate slicing up chicken or beef? Do you have a family of carnivorous teenagers that cost you a small fortune every month? Or do you flip through a recipe book, hopelessly trying to find a dish that will work with your limited meat selection?
My tip for saving money (and time) is to get to know the butcher at a chain grocery store (Safeway, Sobeys, Save-on, but avoid Superstore/Loblaws). About 4 - 5 times a year, my mother and I make a list of all the meat we need to refill our freezers. We specify how much we want in each package, how many packages, and what kind of marinade (if desired). The butcher will accomodate many details like steak thickness, swedish-style meatballs, or cutting chicken/beef into stir-fry strips. The combined order is given to the meat department manager at a nearby Sobeys, and usually within a week we are contacted to come pick it up.
First of all we save money because the meat is all priced at "warehouse pack" pricing, regardless of the package sizes. Second, the manager will usually give a discount off the total price, but this is his own perogative and the amount seems to vary each time. And finally, because he values our continued business, he generally gives us the best cuts of meat (which I'm sure he can identify a lot better than I can). On our most recent order ($900), instead of a discount he gave us 2 huge boxes full of free meat that he needed to get out of his freezer, valued at over $200.
This tip isn't for everyone. Obviously it doesn't help vegetarians. You need to have a large freezer (mine is 17 cu ft), and it helps to have a friend or relative to combine your order with. Your local meat manager might not be so generous, though he should at least give you warehouse pack pricing.
