I really think the meat department manager sees me enter the store and he goes to hide in the freezer rather than deal with my bargain hunting.
But…his lackey was not so fast. So….93% lean ground beef. $5.99/#. And then it was on ‘sale’ by.50/#. Okay, so now we’re at $5.49/#. Thats no bargain. BUT….since today was the last day of expiration, it was marked down an additional 30%. Now it’s time to try and set the hook…
“Hey…I see you’ve got all this ground beef marked down 30%.”
“Yeah, it expires today.”
“If you mark it down 50%, I’ll take all of it.”
“Uh..let me go in the back and check. I think the manager is in the freezer.”
And he comes back with a roll of ‘50%’ off stickers and starts applying them to the dozen trays of beef. End result? About 20# of extra lean for around $2.75/#… not great, but quite respectable.
It’s these little victories that add up. Anything that gives me an excuse to heave 20# of meat into the freezer is a good thing. Add in the pasta and spaghetti sauce sale from last year, and I can make a giant pot of rigatoni with meat sauce for $4.25, which comes out to less than a buck and a half a meal for three extremely generous (read: unhealthy) portions.
So, 93/7 isn’t great for burgers, but….blend it with the outrageously fatty 73/27 I got and you wind up with about 85/15…which is pretty much right where you wanna be for a cheeseburger.
Food is no laughing matter, man. I remember a time when I literally had nothing in my fridge except ketchup and not much else. When I can load up the freezer without unloading my wallet….well, you better believe I’m gonna jump on that.
‘…as God is my witness, I shall never go hungry again…’
Having had no food at various times in my life, this line really resonates with me. I feel good when the freezer is full & there are jars & cans of food on the shelves.
People have the odd idea that low carb (I have diabetes so the diet is for life) is expensive. But if you do it right, and know how to cook, it’s cheaper than junk food. We do have rib eye on occasion (someone needs to invent a cow that’s all rib eye!), but most of the time we eat pretty cheap. It tastes good because I know how to cook.
If I ever get my low-carb-poverty-style cookbook together, I’ll offer it here first. 😀
Good job! I think it’s always better to be a little food rich and cash poor then the other way around. While, I’m sure a person could eat a $100 bill, I’m not sure how well that person’s digestive track would handle it.
It (the 93%) tastes awful, butter much better for the heart. Maybe I could have avoided quad bypass surgeries, and stents when I was young.
Give thanks to the VETS.
Thanks
Chris in ME
Freudian slip, when I think of beef, butter comes to mind.
Much BETTER FOR THE HEART I MEANT TO SAY
You’re the only gun fag I know that has his head straight on Food First. After a certain point you’ll eliminate everyone trying to take your food ( or you’ll be dead and it won’t matter ), but you’ll still need to eat after that. I can go six months with what is in the freezer, and I only stocked it with meat on sale. Now I only have to buy what is on sale. It pays for itself quickly, then keeps paying you. What other prep returns money ( besides a debt free home )?
A business that generates a significant amount of undeclared cash with virtually no continuing investment.
Laundromat
Nail Salon
Junkyard (land investment heavy though)
Good buy, man.
I love the markdown clearance section in a local grocery. They often have steaks marked down by 75%. The last time they had thin cut T-bones. Bought every last package they had! I just wish I had a bigger freezer.
Better to mix up a whizzpig. Get bacon and grind it up. Bout’ half and half mix makes a hell of a cheeseburger. Although we keep a freezer stocked, we always pressure can meats. If that power line emp thing blows, no need for worry. It’s already cooked and shelf stored. We can ground beef, beef chunks, ham chunks, meatloaf, chicken and bacon. I love looking at that stuff.
I continue to be amazed at all the food that is reduced for quick sale at the grocery store. Having a full pantry and bulk buying means I can buy food when it is reduced. Sure beats paying full price and always shopping. And I do like to eat every day…like clockwork!
I know the place you get the meats and they always have good sales. Believe me while preparing for the unknown and feeding three littles (10, 7, and 3) saving a lot on food sure helps! Plus the bacon factory discounts rock.
Meatballs for your pasta
Fresh bread crumbs,soak in milk,add eggs and seasoning to beef,roll into balls,simmer Gently in sauce(don’t let them break up). You forgot the cheese(parmesan,romano,fontina,mozzarella),dry cheeses store very well and mozzarella(wet cheese) is easy to make.
Decent buy-got 5# chubs of 73% for $.79 last month(wouldn’t sell all 3 had minor damage(tear in plastic-pointed out to try for further discount) also got Prime quality Rib Roasts(prime rib)$5.99#(the cashier couldn’t believe it and called Manager to confirm) cooked up better than restaurant meal(and easy)
“Food is no laughing matter, man. I remember a time when I literally had nothing in my fridge except ketchup and not much else.”
Amen to that Brother Zero. I remember seeing how many meals I could make out of 1 pack of .10 cent Ramen Noodles back in the day. I always laugh at people when they tell me they are “Kraft Macaroni and Cheese” poor. So poor they can afford brand name food. So poor they can afford milk and oleo. Yeah right, tell me another one.
My experience is that this is the only country where “I have nothing to eat” actually means “I have nothing I want to eat”.
Wait…what? Milk and oleo? We used to have to eat the blue box with just the yellow powder and some I Can’t Believe It’s Not Cancerous.
You either have a freezer as big as a three car garage or a colon blockage the size of the Berlin wall.
Or both.
The new grocery store at the mall (luckys) had organic 90/10 for $2 a pound when they first opened 3 weeks ago. I usually get my meat at cash and carry, Smoked a brisket this weekend from them at $3/lb. The have 10 lb meat tubes of 85/15 for $2/lb as well.