Tracking sales and deals on meat

Zak

Zak

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I'm thinking about a nice roast for Christmas. I've noticed while shopping at various grocery stores that meat prices, especially beef, vary widely and there are often, but randomly, big discounts (e.g., 2 for 1 steaks) and sales.

Has anyone found a good ways to track deals on meat across, say, QFC, Safeway, Town & Country, and Costco?

I have a chest freezer, so if I found a great deal on a beef roast I could buy and freeze it for later.

Thanks.
 
Don’t really pursue meat at Safeway. We still get a flyer for QFC, think it comes with Sunday paper and you can find some deals through those ads. Also when at QFC I normally check their managers meat special area. From time to time you get some good Kalbi Flank steak deals and other cuts. And of course sometimes it’s empty or full of something I wouldn’t buy. We get emails from town and country and PCC (my wife signed up) and take advantage of their 2-1 deals or wild sockeye salmon at 9.99@ lb.
Costco is funny. Been keeping my eye on a prime tenderloin for Xmas. They didn’t have any but a week plus ago their choice tenderloin was 34.99 lb and today it was 29.99 lb. 🤔 Probably end up going to DD’s in Mt Lk Terrace for this desired 5lb prime cut.

My parents use to go in with another family and buy a cow and split half and half. Freezer was full for a while.
 
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I subscribe for the weekly email sales flyer at the two stores that I shop the most and buy cuts that are on sale and appeal to us.
I freeze some but most often plan meals with the sale items which really switches things up versus the same old stuff rut.
 
Zak,
No idea how to track it, but you might add WinCo and Saar’s to your list of stores. Both have big meat sections. Saar’s just opened a store in north Seattle.
SF
 
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Almost all the major grocery chains ads come out on Wednesdays and are available online.

Long standing tradition of prime rib roast is gonna sting this year.
 
If you have a Chef store (used to be cash and carry) near you check them out, and get on the weekly email list. They frequently sell whole boneless rib roast and New York strip roasts for a really good price. Take it home and throw it in the freezer for an hour or so, and then slice it into steaks the thickness you like. I vacuum pack those and they keep well for a year.
Costco frequently has decent prices on these whole roasts, although a bit higher, I think their quality is a bit more consistent. It is well worth the time to slice them at home.
 
Clean Willy said:
Almost all the major grocery chains ads come out on Wednesdays and are available online.

Long standing tradition of prime rib roast is gonna sting this year.
Click to expand...
Yeah with these beef prices we might do a ham this year.
 
My dad sent us a little Omaha Steaks frozen ham; my employer will be giving us a full size holiday ham next week; and my in-laws have ordered us a Honey-baked ham to be delivered. So there will be a special on ham at my house.
 
Nothing wrong with ham. Ham and scalloped potatoes. Left overs….. ham egg scrambles, kids love the ham cheese Hawaiian roll combo, I like it Hawaiin roll to with a good heated mustard. Then there’s always a good split pea ham soup. 😋

For decades it was pork country ribs (nothing wrong with that) but now broken free from extended family for our holidays we have been exploring more. Did the Lasagna one year. (Loved it). Doing the prime tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes and some veggies this year.
Already talking about doing homemade crab cakes, fish stew and either wild chinook or sockeye for Xmas next year. Might attempt to do some mussels too as an appetizer. I love mussels but never cooked before. Ham, Turkey, Chicken, Italian, steak, prime rib, roast, lamb, etc. it’s all good. The company and family makes it better.
 
I prefer lamb to nearly anything but sex.

I buy my beef by the 1/2 or 1/4. I have done it this way for 15 years. Grass fed. I prefer to eat healthy cows.

I would recomend doing the same in the future. It does take a freezer and a chunk of money up front. However, at 8-ish bucks/ lb it is worth it. Grass fed ground beef is an amazing product. The steaks are healthy. The other cuts make you learn how to cook.

For this year, do the chef's store deal. That was solid advice.
 
nwbobber said:
If you have a Chef store (used to be cash and carry) near you check them out, and get on the weekly email list. They frequently sell whole boneless rib roast and New York strip roasts for a really good price. Take it home and throw it in the freezer for an hour or so, and then slice it into steaks the thickness you like. I vacuum pack those and they keep well for a year.
Costco frequently has decent prices on these whole roasts, although a bit higher, I think their quality is a bit more consistent. It is well worth the time to slice them at home.
Click to expand...
Thanks, just signed up for the email list at the Lynnwood Chef Store.
 
nwbobber said:
If you have a Chef store (used to be cash and carry) near you check them out, and get on the weekly email list. They frequently sell whole boneless rib roast and New York strip roasts for a really good price. Take it home and throw it in the freezer for an hour or so, and then slice it into steaks the thickness you like. I vacuum pack those and they keep well for a year.
Costco frequently has decent prices on these whole roasts, although a bit higher, I think their quality is a bit more consistent. It is well worth the time to slice them at home.
Click to expand...
Oh that IS a solid tip, thank you!

Rib roast listed for *only* $10.19/lb vs. the $18.99/lb I've been seeing at QFC. Gotta buy a whole one and it doesn't list the grade but I'm gonna go check it out today.

Edit to add that they do offer 'Star Ranch Angus' for $15.19 and that is Choice grade so the $10.19 stuff might be Select and a no go for me.
 
If you have a large chest freezer, you could look into buying directly from local farmers in the future. Lots of options in Snohomish and Whatcom county. Some better than others. I've tried a lot of different ones over the years and a good farmer will let you try what they have beforehand to see if you like the flavor before you purchase. You can order as little as a 1/4 cow. High upfront cost but it averages out substantially cheaper than going to the store if you do eat a lot of meat. Our average cost over the last 5 years of doing it is around $8/lb for the hippie dippie grass fed/finished stuff so I'm sure there's cheaper options out there.
 
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