The following is a guest post on behalf of Financial Facts.
If you’re lucky enough to live within shopping distance of a butcher, you are luckier than you realize. Buying meat in a grocery store may be convenient, but you might be surprised at how much money you can save at an old-fashioned butcher. What you might not know is not only will you get a better deal, you may also buy meat which is tastier, healthier and a whole lot better for your health and your wallet.
If you’re used to shopping with credit cards, it might be a good idea to check out whether or not your butcher accepts them. They may even have their own affiliate credit cards, and it can pay to use a specialized card rather than a Mastercard credit card or a Visa credit card. At the very least, the butcher may accept a debit card with the Mastercard logo.
Since it’s all about saving money these days, here are 3 ways you can save money at a butcher.
1. Cheaper prices. Per pound, buying meat at a butcher can be cheaper than buying it at a regular grocery store. The butcher will have trimmed the fat and minimized the bone, and it’s likely he hasn’t injected his product with extra water or salt for preservation. This way you’re paying for actual meat, and not the additional fillers.
2. Better cuts. Not only will your butcher have better cuts of meat, it’s probably a lot healthier without the chemicals the grocery store may add to keep the meat from turning brown. You can buy a pork roast and have the butcher slice it up into chops, ask for specially ground meat, and even ask for freezer-packaged meat, often at no additional charge.
3. Great advice. Your butcher knows meat. It’s what he does. If you have no idea what to have for dinner, or how to cook certain cuts, he can tell you. Additionally, he can guide you to cheaper cuts of meat you might not otherwise have considered, saving you considerable amounts of money. He can tell you how to prepare it so it’s tasty so the family is happy with what’s on the table.
If you have credit available on your credit card, you can take advantage of a large meat purchase, such as a side of beef or pork and save even more money per pound if you don’t have the cash available. A much better deal than buying at the grocery store, and a lot better health-wise for you and the family.