There isn’t a whole lot of variety for this power cooking session but it sure has been nice to find already cooked meat in the freezer when I need it.

Target had these packages of ground beef marked down so I took advantage of the sale to get 10 lbs of lean ground beef for about $10, the pork for $1 and the Stouffers ($2.48 marked down) to pop in the microwave while I cooked.  I would normally try to mix in some ground turkey but this meat needed to be repackaged and frozen or cooked quickly.
It did take me the better part of an hour to cook all ten pounds in my little skillet, the first half with onions and Italian seasonings and the second half with taco seasonings. I chopped the pork into strips to use in a stir-fry while I waited and cut up veggies for the next few nights and put together some lunches for my husband. I preassembled a bag of chili with one bag of meat and we will be having that for dinner tonight and using the leftovers for taco salads this week.
A few tips for saving money on meat:
I used to pass up small packages because I didn’t think it would feed all of us. The one pound packages are perfect to use in recipes like stews, soups, pastas and stir-fry’s (my favorite!) and at $1 a package it makes for a cheap meal.
Target will allow you to use more than one markdown sticker on meats so if you see any packaged meat with two or more stickers it’s probably going to be a pretty great deal.
Consider using sausage which we are seeing a lot of coupons for lately. I found a lot of great recipes here after buying sausage on sale and then not nowing what to do with it.
Safeway frequently has meat and fish markdowns and it might be worth your time to visit the butcher to find out what days are best to stock up.  If you can be flexible with your meal plans it can save you some money.
Sams Club also marks down meat if you don’t mind buying in big packages.  I’ve seen them do it in the early mornings and most of the markdowns are gone by afternoon.
There is a BOGO Foster Farm coupon out right now for chicken in tray packs. You may have a lot of luck combining it with a markdown or using it at Albertson’s when they have BOGO deals.
Last but not least- meat is expensive and if it doesn’t meet your expectations be sure to let the company know. I was on the phone several times about Market Pantry items last week and am expecting some coupons in the mail any day now. The best part is that after giving the information on the products I was able to throw the items away rather than having to store them or make another trip to the store to return the items.
Anyone have any frugal tips to share this week?
Amie from Sam’s Club just sent me a note and let me know that Sam’s has recipes for all those great deals on meat. Is there anything Sam’s doesn’t have??? Thanks Aime!

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