Have you Ever Wanted to Save Money On Groceries ? Learn How To Save 30%-65% Off Your Meat At the Grocery Store.
Over the years, I have tried to figure out how to save money on the most expensive items in my grocery cart. For my family, it has always been the meat needed for our meals. I tried to save money by purchasing meat from a membership club and the meat market. I had more success with saving money at the grocery store by applying two simple shopping strategies that anybody can do.
One day, when I was at the grocery store after I had put some fresh fruit in my cart, I went back to check to see if they had any turkey meat on sale. When I passed the meat, I noticed some had a sticker on the front with “Special Today.” Little did I know that what I discovered that day would continue to help me save lots of money on my meat.
One of the best decisions I ever made was to stop and take a closer look at the meat with the stickers labeled “Special Today” because I am now saving 30% – 65% off my meats. Since I have been shopping like this, my grocery bill has decreased significantly.
How do you find the same specials?
- Select items with a Special Today Sticker. Every day, the employees in the meat department check all the meat, and if it has a freeze-by date of today, they will reduce the price of the meat. If someone doesn’t buy that item that day, they must throw the meat away. The only caveat is that you must cook or freeze the meat the same day you purchase it. If it is chicken breasts, I will put about 3-4 of them in a freezer bag. If it is a whole chicken, I just set it in the freezer without cutting it into smaller pieces. Since they place the stickers on the meat in the morning, I go to the grocery store early on my grocery shopping days to see if they have some meat with the “Special Today” stickers. If it is I stock up.
- Sign up for the grocery store loyalty program to get a lower price. You will be asked to give them your phone number at the register. At Harris Teeter, it is called the VIC card.
- Some stores don’t require you to sign up for the loyalty program to purchase the meat at the markdown price. At Target, you are not required to sign up for a loyalty program to get the markdown price on the meat.
Does my main grocery store mark meats down like this?
To test this out, I went to two different grocery stores in my area to see if other grocery stores did the same thing. Below is a picture of meat marked down at Target. Oh yes, it’s not just the chicken. It is any meat with a sell-by date of today. They had the stickers on pork chops, chicken wings, and more. Harris Teeter was 65% off, and Target was 30% off. Check different grocery stores in your area to find out which one gives the most discount on the meat when it needs to be sold/frozen by that date.
REMINDER: When you buy the meat, you need to Cook or freeze the meat by the freeze-by date. I couldn’t believe I saved that much on meat, and the prices are lower than the weekly store sales or the prices at the membership clubs when I buy in bulk. When I see meat with these stickers that have been marked down, I buy some extra meat and freeze it for later. I take advantage of lower prices and have a stockpile for future meals, events, cookouts, and gatherings.
So, take a closer look if you want to save 30% or more off of your meat when you see the stickers like Special Today. It’s meat with a freeze-by date of today and has been marked down. You may want to buy some for you and your family. Just be mindful of your storage capabilities and how long you can keep the food in your freezer to avoid waste.
TIPS TO BEING SUCCESSFUL AT THIS AND TO PREVENT FROM WASTING YOUR MEAT
- Cook or freeze the meat the same you purchase it.
- Shop early in the morning to get the best selection.
- Buy meat on sale in bulk.
- Add an expiration date on the freezer bag.
- Check the dates on your frozen meat every week.
- Plan your weekly meals by what meat is in the freezer.
- Sort food in the freezer by the expiration date.
- Check the Link for Safely Defrosting Methods – The Big Thaw — Safe Defrosting Methods | Food Safety and Inspection Service (usda.gov)
- Check the FDA website – recommendations on how long to freeze meat –2018-03-06-FoodStorageCharts-English (fda.gov)
- Not sure how to tell if meat is spoiled? Link to the USDA Website The Color of Meat and Poultry | Food Safety and Inspection Service (usda.gov)
- Money Matters/up to 65% off of Meat by I Need To Know How.com
