I don't see you buying meat...

A GREAT question from a blog follower who was at my coupon class last night:

I follow you blog, see your transactions and don't see you buying meat! It kills my budget, how are you doing that?

Easy: I shop with the stockpile system.

I look for the low price and get enough to ride it out until the next time that price drops. When ground turkey is on sale for $1 a pound, I will buy 10-20 pounds of it, instead of just 1-2. I can eat ground turkey, once a week, for four months without having to buy it.

Now, this DOES require a chest freezer!

Inside my very full freezer, if you lifted the lid, you would see:

5# hamburger gravel
5# hamburger patties
5# Meat for pasties
3# meatballs
2# mini meatloaves
2# Swiss steak
22 # ground turkey
1 whole turkey
2 whole hams, sliced and shaved
8 bacon wrapped turkey fillet
2 pork tenderloin
2# pork chops
2# pork ribs
2 whole chickens
3# bone in breasts
3# drumsticks
6# boneless skinless
2# Italian sausage
2# polish sausage
5# brats (it IS Wisconsin, LOL)
8 packs hot dogs
2 beef ring baloney
5 packs bacon
10# breakfast sausage
4 packs baloney and summer sausage
3# salmon
1# scallops
2# tilapia
6 packs chipped beef

THAT is why you don't see my buying meat that often!
Last month I DID buy 20 pounds of ground turkey and one Cook's bone in ham that I had them slice for me. We have plenty of stuff (ALMOST 200#) to eat up. (and yes, it was all under $2/#)
:)
I DO want to pick up some seafood and corned beef this month - working the Lenten deals and St Patty's sales. Corned beef will still be yummy in April or May!

I talk about the Freezer Inventory List each month and at all my coupon classes. I teach that you want to use your food up before it's been in that freezer for 4 months, as you are starting to loose the quality of the food.

Here's the thing: meat can be in there EIGHT months, if you are tricky about it.

Freeze it for up to four months as a RAW meat. Thaw it and cook it. (never put frozen meat into your crock pot) Now you can freeze it for up to four more months.

I know, brilliant.

(I have my rare moments...)

• Frozen ground beef can then be turned into meatballs, hamburger gravel, etc.
• Chicken can be cooked and shredded, even seasoned and sauced.
• Ham can be diced and placed into soups, egg scramble kits or quiches.
• Pork can be cooked and diced or shredded - use it for anything that you would chicken.

You get the idea.

Now, I also use LESS meat in a meal than we used to. I stretch it with veggies or another protein source like beans or cheese. It's healthier for us and certainly stretches the food budget.

I hope that all makes sense - it was a GREAT question as you do NOT see me buying it often. I DO buy a lot of it (over 30 pounds last month) but I do it differently than those who add it to their weekly list or are beginning their stockpiles.

Trust me, my system DOES pay off in huge savings, you simply have to get through your store's selling cycle first.

Blessings-
Dannelle