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For the past sixteen-ish years, we have gotten a side of beef each year to feed our family. During that time, prices fluctuated, but the most we ever spent was still under $5 per pound (hanging weight). Grocery prices are up every where and that means at the butcher as well. The side of beef that used to be about $1200-1400 is now up to approximately $2600!
With prices being almost double what they once were, and our consumption changing as the kids have gotten older, we are opting to not get a full side of beef at this time. I know that sounds crazy since I have been so incredibly vocal about the benefits of purchasing beef by the side for years.
How We Came to Our Decision
Before the holidays, I saw a video from The Home Admin in my Instagram feed. I watched Stacie’s videos and what she was saying just made sense. She now spends about $300 per month on meat for her family. That is the beef, pork, chicken, and seafood that her family enjoys each month. She isn’t buying the cuts they don’t like, so nothing is going to waste. And while $3600 a year on meat may sound like a lot for your family, if you were already purchasing beef by the side ($2600) that would leave you with less than $84 per month for any additional meat, seafood, or poultry.
I started watching more videos from The Home Admin. I saw Stacie’s process of purchasing meat in bulk and then breaking it down for the her family. She would buy 40lb cases of chicken thighs, whole pork loins, and huge beef subprimals.
I could do that. There is a Restaurant Depot and Costco nearby. I already purchase our chicken in bulk. How hard could this be?
But before we can restock the freezer, we need to use up what we have.
Using Up the Beef We Have
So here we are, mid February, and 7 weeks into the pantry challenge and the freezer is starting to empty out. The bits that are left are the cuts we don’t enjoy as much. THese remaining cuts are from the side of beef we purchased on December 4, 2024 – 14 1/2 months ago.
- 1 skirt steak – One skirt steak isn’t enough to feed the five of us, so I usually make this on fajita night and offer with an additional protein so there are options.
- 1 sirloin tip roast
- 2 bottom round roasts – Over the weekend I cooked these to make homemade lunchmeat
- about 15 lbs of ground beef
- bunch of “soup meat” – This isn’t beef cubes as we’ve used those up already. I have no idea what is hiding in the butcher paper. I may defrost all of it, grind it, and then premake some burgers for the freezer.
The plan over the next week is to use up as much of the beef as we can and then start to restock the freezer with the cuts we like.
Where to Shop
In addition to the regular grocery stores in my area (Acme, ShopRite, Wegmans, Giant, and Aldi), we also have Restaurant Depot, Costco, and and the Bristol Amish Market. I also shop in Lancaster often, so I’ll be keeping an eye on the ads for Ebeneezer’s & SharpShopper as well. My friend Gloria just told me about Meat Stop Plus in Willingboro, NJ and said they have some incredible prices. And of course there is my favorite butcher shop – Bringhurst Meats in Berlin, NJ.
Although there is a a BJ’s and Sam’s Club nearby, we aren’t members so I won’t be checking them out. I don’t need yet another grocery store membership at this time.
Restocking the Freezers
I’m going to take you along with me on this journey in 2026 as we restock the freezers withe bulk meat & poultry. I will let you know where I shop, what I buy, and how much money was saved over buying the smaller packages. With prices going up, all of us are trying to stretch our grocery budgets a bit farther, and my hope is that a deal I find or a tip I share will help your family to save money too.
Meal Plan Monday – Pantry Challenge Week 7
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