Saving money on food expenses: Meat

Meat is probably the most expensive thing that I buy at the grocery store on a regular basis. It doesn't need to be so expensive though. If you have a freezer then you can save a lot of money on meat if you buy it on sale or on clearance when its near the expiration date. Remember that if you freeze meat you can use it months after the expiration date. Its not uncommon for me to see certain meats in my freezer that have expiration dates that have passed months ago. I have never been ill due to expired meat, I doubt you will get sick from it.

Things to keep in mind when freezing meats.

• Make sure that the meat is wrapped well. A little extra tin foil never hurts.
  
• Don't skimp on freezer bags, get the good ones to avoid freezer burn.
• Write the what its is and the date purchased on the packing.
• Don't leave the meat in the white paper. Its best to wrap it up in something better if you plan on saving it for a long time.

Another thing that I found to cut down on meat cost was by purchasing ground turkey instead of ground beef. I use this very often in making hamburger helper meals. No one can tell the difference.