Tips and tricks for saving money.

[OHYO]

A little tip for ground beef is Fresh Market on Tuesdays here. They have fresh ground beef for 3.99lb on Tuesdays. They also have chicken breast for around the same price per pound.

Edited May 28, 2024 by OHYO

[Cullenator]

Depending on the ratio of lean/fat that may not be a great deal

73/27 is cheaper all day every day at WallyWorld and 80/20 is only a few cents more.

 

Not trying to be a schmuck.  Just would need to know more than "fresh ground beef".

[pamlicopanther]

Nothing beats the rot rack clearance meats at food lion right at expiration

I keep my freezer well stocked at some great prices

[OHYO]

We bought 1/4 beef last year for 4.89lb from a coworker. Not a bad deal because of getting steaks and roast for the same price.We ran through the hamburger pretty quick. 
 

I'm not big on Walmart beef because of all the preservatives they add to keep it looking red/fresh. The hamburger at fresh market is 80/20 and ground on site from left over beef they have processed.

[OHYO]

1 hour ago, pamlicopanther said:

Nothing beats the rot rack clearance meats at food lion right at expiration

I keep my freezer well stocked at some great prices

We do this also. We use the vacuum sealer to repackage for freezer.

[PanthersATL]

For red meat, consider ordering online vs going to a local store. Snake River, Creekstone, and other reputable steak places (NOT Omaha or other mass-market advertisers) often have sales of prime NY or ribeye primals that you can cut down to your own desired steak sizes. Sale prices (again, for prime) can be lower per pound vs buying locally.   It might only be $1/lb less, but it's still less cost and higher quality.   You may also have a farmer out in the sticks that butchers/sells their own meat off the farm that could be worth trying out as well.

Sams Club and Costco meat prices are also competitive vs grocery store, and also seem to be generally higher quality/turnover vs grocery stores. (Costco does "blade tenderizing", which some people aren't fond of but shouldn't be a concern in general)

For chicken, grocery store sales will be better pricing than Sams/Costco. Sams will have Giant-Sized Chicken Pieces compared to grocery stores chicken sizes - which may not parcel out well to an individual household's meal planning needs. Costco's chicken pricing may be a smidge higher but they also package for the freezer for you

[Khyber53]

Here's a quick one for laundry to cut back on water and electricity. Unless you have a really grimy job like masonry, carpentry, road construction, etc... you really should just be using the quick cycle on your washing machine for all loads except for whites. And set your dryer to medium heat, it will make a difference. Also, use about half of the detergent that they say for you to. 

On top of the savings, your clothes will also last longer. 

[LinvilleGorge]

This thread is a great reminder to remember you're being gaslit when politicians and the media tries to tell you how great the economy is doing. The wealthy are getting wealthier at everyone else's expense.

[PanthersATL]

46 minutes ago, Khyber53 said:

Here's a quick one for laundry to cut back on water and electricity. Unless you have a really grimy job like masonry, carpentry, road construction, etc... you really should just be using the quick cycle on your washing machine for all loads except for whites. And set your dryer to medium heat, it will make a difference. Also, use about half of the detergent that they say for you to. 

On top of the savings, your clothes will also last longer. 

Agreed w/ above.

use cool/cold water wash/rinse unless you have a specific reason to use hot. 

consider using a lower temp dry cycle instead of Medium Heat if you'd like as well. Don't use "normal" or "hot" if you can avoid doing so
 

[PanthersATL]

If you have an irrigation sprinkler system at the house or are contemplating putting one in: tie it into a separate water meter instead of the primary water line to the house.

The primary water line will bill you for both water and sewer, while the irrigation-only meter will bill you for only water usage. Cutting out the sewer portion of the bill when you're only doing outdoor watering will save you money in the long run

[Happy Panther]

Quote

The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. ... A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. ... But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

...

[pamlicopanther]

1 hour ago, LinvilleGorge said:

This thread is a great reminder to remember you're being gaslit when politicians and the media tries to tell you how great the economy is doing. The wealthy are getting wealthier at everyone else's expense.

Yep, the majority of us have always been getting screwed but the screw is on big time right now

[PanthersATL]

2 hours ago, PanthersATL said:

For red meat, consider ordering online vs going to a local store.

also consider improving portion sizing. A good food scale seems like a silly purchase, but it's a handy tool to have for various things (baking! portioning for freezer! burger patty making!)

Instead of everyone at the table getting a 12-16oz steak, the average home meal should really be about 4-6oz of red meat per plate. So split that steak in half for double the meals.

[pamlicopanther]

8 hours ago, PanthersATL said:

also consider improving portion sizing. A good food scale seems like a silly purchase, but it's a handy tool to have for various things (baking! portioning for freezer! burger patty making!)

Instead of everyone at the table getting a 12-16oz steak, the average home meal should really be about 4-6oz of red meat per plate. So split that steak in half for double the meals.

Good suggestion

 

I use mine all the time

 

When I do burgers I get them all the same size according to weight