This is from a long time ago. Loblaws and their associates no longer seem to do this discount. Evidently, they just sell old meat at regular prices? No more cheap meat? Today, Canadians compare grocery flyers like military strategists and celebrate finding strawberries that don’t cost the same as a used Honda Civic.
Michael James asked a while ago, is Half Price Meat Safe? His lovely wife had started purchasing cheap meat. He wasn’t sure how safe it might be. I snickered at the posting. I know his wife. I thought her legendary frugality had gone off the deep end this time. However, in reflection, she does have a point.
Cheap Meat or Old Meat?
At our local Independent and Loblaws, you look for the red triangles on meat that say 50% off. This meat is well-marked. It is also well advertised as possibly being “dodgy”.
My wife started buying this product a while ago, as a way to extend our tight grocery budget. The meat seemed fine to eat. So far, we have not picked up any tapeworms or other parasites. This seems to be a good way for a family to stretch its grocery budget.
We eat the meat that evening (we are not gamblers; I don’t think the meat would last another 24 hours). That would be my major caveat to the whole scheme. I don’t think we’ll start buying day-old bread. However, we do typically have a look at the “mark down” items in the bakery section as well (with the same caveat about eating the goods quickly).
Does anybody else have any guilty frugal tips they’d like to share? Drop me a comment on this topic (I call it frugal, although I also know people who are pretty proud of the term CHEAP, and wear it as a badge of courage).
Modern Frugal Grocery Tips
If the legendary 50%-off meat sticker is gone, what still works?
Look for markdown racks
Even today, many stores maintain:
- Bakery markdown shelves
- Produce clearance bins
- Prepared foods nearing best-before dates
Freeze strategically
If meat is discounted and still within safe limits:
- Portion it
- Freeze it immediately
- Label it (Date of freezing)
Future You will appreciate the effort. Future YOU will also ask, “Why did I freeze so much ground beef 5 years ago?” if you are not diligently tracking what is in your freezer. A whiteboard or such could be useful here.
Use flyer apps?
Apps like:
- Flipp
- Reebee
- Grocery store apps
can help comparison-shop before leaving the house. It may also end up filling your feeds with plenty of cheap food stuff, so be careful there too. Most stores will inundate you with weekly on sale items, so you may not need this one that much.
Next Cheap Challenge
My complete loathing of paying Bank Fees has been written about many times. Now, I am looking at my cell phone bill. I wonder whether that is the next area to get CHEAP on. We shall see. If I could find a cell phone in a bargain bin that would work, I would buy it!
Cheap Postings
- I have become my Mother
- Cheap or Frugal?
- Portraits in Cheapness
- Are you Stupid cheap?
- 50% off Meat? Cheap, Frugal or Reckless?
- Thrifty, Frugal, Cheap or Reckless?
- Ten Things I Have Said That Have Saved Me Money
I use the used shower water to flush the toilet.
Personally, I think cable/satellite TV fees and cellphones are expenses I don’t need. I don’t have either.
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