How To Save Money On Meat

Let's face it, meat ain’t cheap. Despite being the cornerstone of most protein-based diets, it’s getting harder for men to get their meat fix as prices at the till continue to climb.

However, if you’re on a weight loss journey and are looking to tighten your belt both literally and figuratively, we’ve got some tips that will help you continue to dine out on some sweet red meat.

Buying meat in bulk is a great way to save money, particularly if you have enough freezer space to store it. Look to buy larger portions of meat that can be subsequently cut up into smaller pieces and put in the freezer for another time.

Also, make sure that your meat is versatile. You don't want to be stuck making the same meal over and over again.

ALDI, local butchers and meat wholesalers all offer meat in bulk, while some of the best meats to buy in bulk include chicken breast, topside and rump steaks, sausages and lean mince.

Sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s often something we overlook. Supermarkets and butchers often discount meat, particularly if they’re approaching their best-before date. While it may seem a bit silly to buy meat approaching an expiry date, remember that you can subsequently freeze the meat to preserve that freshness and cook it later. 

Just because a cut of meat is cheap doesn’t mean it’s bad. Sure, we’d all love to be wolfing down wagyu, tenderloin and porterhouse steaks every day but that’s not exactly cost-effective, is it?

Instead, you can buy cheap cuts like brisket, chuck and flank and then prepare them properly, so they taste as good as their more expensive cousins. In fact, we have a blog about the best ways to prepare cheap cuts of beef. 

This one is a bit of a cheat, but it’s a good one for ensuring you still can get hearty meat-based meals on a budget. One way to save money on meat is to make it go further by bulking it up with vegetables. 

Consider a spaghetti bolognese. Sure, the dish will generally need a fair chunk of mince, but you can reduce your reliance on meat by mixing in vegetables like carrot, zucchini, mushrooms and even lentils. Your new supercharged sauce will taste almost the same as its meatier counterpart, but you’ll get the health benefits of introducing an array of nutritious veggies, plus it will be cheaper to make. It’s a win-win!