$6/lb? Are you kidding Min?
Nope - not kidding.
Last week, I drove 45 minutes and purchased 168 lbs of grass-fed organic beef. The "hanging weight" was $4.10 per pound (that includes bones and yucky stuff...although I DID take the tongue and the liver because they were free and I have 2 different neighbors who told me on Facebook that if I couldn't figure out what to do with them, they would be happy to take them. But still...ICK!). When you figure out the actual price I paid for the beef that is now in my freezer, it works out to about $6 per pound.
I would hope it would come as no shock to you guys that I don't take advantage of every deal that I post on this site. My job is to post the best deals at the Grocery Stores as well as the Drug Stores, regardless of if they are on my shopping list for the week. Those of you that have been following this site for more than 6 months know that I have been making a VERY gradual (due to family resistance) move towards more whole and organic foods. This has kicked in to high-gear now that I have a daughter (concerns about hormones in the meat/dairy-related products..an ENTIRELY different post!)
So why am I telling you this? Is it so that I can gloat "HaHa! I had $700 in my account to write a check for a buttload of beef!"? Absolutely not. There is NO gloating here!
But I want you to know this....
Because I haven't paid for basic toiletries and have been saving 50-95% on my groceries for quite some time, I WAS able to pay for things that truly matter to me....like buying organic pastured meats.
So couponing isn't just about paying nothing for groceries and toiletries. It's is about saving money on the things that don't matter to you, in order for you to be able to spend money on the things that DO matter to you!
Now I just have to break the news to Brad that I want to buy a pig.......
What are you doing with the savings that you are getting from saving on groceries and toiletries (note: saying "being able to pay the rent/mortgage and NOT getting evicted" is still a great response. We all have different situations and I have received enough emails from readers to know that this is EXACTLY the case. There is NO shame in that!)
Ann M
Where did you buy from? I've been looking into buying a 4H cow here, or from the nearby butcher. Just haven't gone for it yet! Also, how much freezer space did $700 of beef take up? I wouldn't want to buy it just to find out I have no where to store it 🙂
Diana B
I'm excited that you posted this! Just last week we picked up 409 pounds of steer from a local farm! It's not certified organic but it was grass-fed and raised by a local family on a small farm and those are the things that are truly important to me. This was the fourth time we've purchased a steer (we bought 1/2 of a really big steer this time!) and it's always shocking how much it costs but this should last us 18 months. I love knowing it has more nutrients and Omega-3s and less fat than conventional beef and it tastes delicious. We also buy local eggs and chicken from time to time even though it costs a LOT more than store prices. But by saving so much using coupons I'm able to afford this better food for my family! Like you, I cut costs wherever I can to afford the really important stuff.
Anne
I have the same questions as the other Ann. I am sort of close to you and read Jo-Lynne's blog and have been interested in making the switch to grass fed beef. But I'm not sure how much space I would need in my freezer. Also, do they portion it out for you - ie, small packages of ground beef, steaks, larger cuts for roasts?
Thanks!
kelley
We just did the same thing for beef and pig. But luckily the farm is only minutes down the road and the farmer delivered it for free on his way back thru from the butcher. Even have nitrate free hot dogs, sausage and bacon. Well worth every penny we spent and will do it again. Looking forward to the turkey we are ordering too! Todays foods are pumped with so many hormones and chemicals, it is frightening. We avoid processed foods as much as possible and try and buy organic and non genetically modified foods. I know it costs more but well worth it.
Christine H
Whenever someone tells me they dont have time for couponing or that couponing is not worth it, I always ask them if they would rather spend their money to wipe their butt or to go on vacation? That usually catches their attention! After 8 years I was laid off from my corporate America job in 2008 but somehow we still afforded a trip to Disney less than a year later...1 week, 4 adults and a 9 year old. I looked for the best deals when booking it, I used my coupons to buy snacks to take into the park, we left the park every day at lunch and dinner time to go eat at a family or fast food restaurant down the street, we bought our souvenirs in WalMart (the WalMart that was near our condo sold the EXACT items that were sold in the park for a fraction of the cost) etc but everyone had as much fun as if we had paid full price for that trip. The fact that I had been couponing before allowed us to save up the money to go and then my deal hunting skills allowed us to go for probably 1/4 of the price that the average family spends!
Kathleen
I do the same thing! I try to get organic foods whenever I can. Although most veggies are the same price as non-organic anymore, the meats can still be up there in price. So I save money using coupons so I can buy the meat/milk that is better for us.
Kim @ Fishbowl Living
Awesome post! I love the balanced approach and the appreciation for the differences in our life situations. We bought a pastured turkey for Thanksgiving last year and it was DELICIOUS! It was the best turkey we've ever had. This fall we'll be getting another one along with a half pig from Woodsong Hollow Farm in Boyertown. The price is worth it to know that I am not feeding my sausage-loving family a ton of nitrates and nitrites and preservatives that only PhD toting scientists can pronounce! Which farm did you use to get your beef? Did you go to Wholesome Dairy?
miranda
I would also love to know where to go to get farm raised meat. I'm not in a position to buy half a cow right now but eventually I would love to switch our family to this process... but have no idea where to begin
Terra
Hey, right now the money I save gets redistributed to other necessities through out the month and some "funnities" too...I hope to be able to get to the point where I can actually "save" more - but we eat a lot of fresh foods and I haven't figured out how to capitalize my savings on those yet...even shopping sales I still spend about $60 a week just on lettuce, fruits, veggies etc - we do garden but in Colorado the season is short...
Diane Zimmerman
good for you. For those of you asking, 1/2 beef fills two standard rectangular laundry baskets (that's how I pick mine up at the butcher)--so it you have an full, upright freezer, plan on it filling half of your freezer (or two of the shelves fully packed). You can also brown and crumble a lot of the ground beef and put in ziplocks to freeze to save a little space, etc. I break off a chunk from a frozen gallon bag when I am ready to make chili, spaghetti, etc and plop it frozen right into the sauce--thaws quickly and makes a quick meal. 1/2 cow just about lasts just shy of a year for my family of 5. AND, if you are concerned about eating too much red meat, mix half of your organic ground beef with ground turkey once in a while (for meat loaf, tacos, etc). I encourage anyone to purchase for healthy reasons but it is also nice to pay for it and know you do not have to buy meat for another year--always in the freezer!
Nashon Smart
So the pig your buying are you going to raise it? My mom just got one and is raising it, and I grew up raising pigs. THey are interesting and very smart animals. Our first one was too little to stay outside by its self so we brought it inside and made a litter box for it and it was cleanner than a cat. They are great animals. Eventually we did take it outside and gave it a kiddy pool as its litter box and that made things so much easier to clean. Anyway just was wondering if your raising it or if your going to just buy the meat.
Diane Zimmerman
one more answer to a question. Typically, you buy your cow from a local farmer, etc. You pay him per pound, then he delivers it to a butcher. You pay him around $150 give or take to hang it, cut it, and package it. The butcher will ask you how you want it cut--what size packages, what kind of cuts of steaks, what you want and don't want, etc. The butcher should be able to guide you if this is your first time. Takes about 2 weeks to hang and process after it is delivered to the butcher. You should only keep the beef in the freezer for about 9-12 months for best food safety.
celia
My husband and I have fertility problems. Just getting pregnant cost us 5 grand(for example- 80 dollars a week in co-pays for monitoring and blood work). Not to mention the thousands we spent getting diagnosed and treated and fixed up to be able to even get pregnant. I try very hard to balance saving money with buying organic cleaners and food. Because I do think it is all related. And now that we have our son, we feed him organic food. We pay more upfront, but after years of research I do feel that we will come out ahead in the decades to come. So the money I save on paper towels and such helps us pay for what really matters to us. Sometimes when I pay nine dollars for a four pound chicken I get sticker shock too.
Jackie R
I am so glad you posted this! I have been going to the local farm mart and getting my meats there and also from Whole Foods (which I know isn't as good in the pastured department, but closer than the regular stuff) and from the Amish Market in Bristol, PA, and it's costing me more but I feel more peace of mind when I buy those types of meats. I am cutting our costs in other areas and couponing to be able to do that, and I was just explaining the idea of saving on things that are less important to spend on things that are more important to my husband and my friends the other night - they all agree with me so that's great! If you can believe it, I actually felt guilty about spending the $ on meat like that, but this post makes me feel somewhat better.
Shannon
Great post Mindi!! I am trying to stay as organic/whole food conscious as possible while still couponing and saving as much as I can each week. You're right; just because that junk food is on sale and you have a coupon doesn't mean you have to buy it! I am currently nursing a 4-month-old, so eating healthy is very important to me. I also have two 5-year-olds in preschool, and I am trying make a habit of healthy eating for them. I am still working on my couponing methods, but I have been saving enough so that I can buy free range chicken and eggs, organic produce, etc. on my $75 per week budget. The money I save is still going towards paying off my credit card debt, and once that is accomplished, I will be able to put even more into my kids' college fund 🙂
Jamie M
I bet you find that it tastes better! I grew up on a farm, and my parents still have beef. Their stuff just tastes so much better! My father doesn't claim to be organic, but his cows are mostly grass and corn feed. And he does not do the hormone treatments. That's why I only get my beef from them! I'm always disappointed when I buy stuff at the store!
CJ
I agree with you about what couponing is for. I too coupon so that I can afford other things. $1 off here and there doesnt seem like a lot but it does add up and pay off.
Melanie
I coupon to stay within my budget or beat it. Because that's how I can afford to live debt free (except for my mortgage) as a single working mother of two. I save up for a CSA (organic vegetables) every year and I love it. I'm really new to this level of couponing and this particular blog is great because it is balanced with realistic expectations. I live in a condo - I can't stockpile. But I can save. And do, thanks to Mindi!
Rory
We did a smaller pack back in October and loved it. Here in York we just got a stand in the Central Market that sells grass fed beef. I've heard there is one in Lancaster's Market; I would imagine there in one in Reading Terminal Station... And it is hard to go back to corn fed after having grass fed. Grass *tastes* so much more like beef.
Jolene
I would be interested to know where the stands are that sell grass fed beef. We're from Schuylkill County but my hubby goes to the farmers markets to sell windows. The farthest we got though was Saturday's market in Middletown. I would love to buy a half a cow but I don't know where to start.
Linda C.
Mindy, we must be psychically linked or something. I could have written your post myself (except for the part about having a daughter, which I do not have but totally understand the whole hormones-added thing). While I haven't made the jump to buying the whole cow yet, I have been sneaking in organic produce and grass-fed meat,and pastured chicken. I have a neighbor who sells his chicken's eggs at the deli nearby (they are soooooo good!) I live up north so I won't have the benefit of Farmer's Market until July, unfortunately. Being a life-long cheapo, it was a hard jump to pay the higher prices for 'whole' food, but my reasoning, just like yours, is that I save so much on everything else...why not??? PS: For anyone else thinking about their food alot more nowadays, can I recommend that you rent the documentary "Food, Inc.". It will change you, I promise!
Alecia Briggs
Anyone who wants to see a great reason for buying a whole cow or sharing a cow for meat should google 'pink slime'. This is a processing method for using inedible parts of the cow by "processing" it with ammonium. The FDA does not require this to be labled on the packaging, but most store-bought and fast food meat contains this stuff. Your only other options would be to become vegetarians or ask the butcher to grind your meat in front of you, but even then there is the problems of hormones, etc. Shop around to find a good deal, see if other families are willing to share a cow with you. Our family shares a cow with someone who has his own butchering equipment so we don't pay for that, we just help with packaging costs.