My Savvy Life This Week - Where's the beef?

My savvy life this week was filled with a little more excitement than usual when our cow had its calf.  Aww - so cute (except for the piles of manure, flies and other grossness).  Before you start getting all googly-eyed at these cuties remember that some day they could my dinner.  Yup - just like the 13 chickens I have running around the yard, I also currently have 2 cows, not to mention horses and cats. Anyone want a FREE Kitten - I'm serious!

#48, as my husband calls her, was one of our first 10 Holsteins and was also a twin.  Twin cows, with one male and one female,  are free-martins and apparently the chances of them having babies are pretty slim.  (But good 'ol #48 proved em wrong I guess.)   However,  sweet Tim The Toolman, unoffically Tim the midwife, decided that 1 week out from having my third child we ought to invest in 10 calves, including free-martins, and wouldn't it be so fun for the kids.  It wasn't really an investment, he said, because they were being given to us for free and there was also almost no cost for the hay in our fields.  He did forget to tell me the part about the back breaking labor of hauling hay! (On a side note, have you ever had to bottle feed an animal?  You guessed it, just like a baby they need to be fed constantly at all hours of the day and night. )

Tim, #48 and Baby Heffer

My husband was such a proud papa as he hooked twine around the calf's hooves to help birth the baby.  (I won't show you those pictures).  He exclaimed in delight how much milk that momma cow could give now.  "That's so nice" I said - "but who's gonna milk it"?  Not me! Seriously folks - not me!  Cows and chickens are his idea of food storage and frugal living while they're my idea of a hay devouring, poop making, fly storage living.

Truthfully, it is actually more expensive to raise your own beef than buying it at the store and I really can't tell the difference in taste - not a beef connoisseur I guess.  One might call me a city slicker.  And guess what, the calf is a girl and girls are more valuable! YAY GIRLS - except girls have more babies, which means more poop, hay, flies... you know the cycle!  So I've been wondering, can you "fix" a cow without your husband noticing.  Hmm, an idea worth looking into!

Cooking With Coupons: How To Save on Meat (Part 1)

Cooking With Coupons: 

 Where's the Beef?

So you think saving money on meat means sacrificing taste and quality? Wrong! Saving money in the meat department is as simple as talking to your trusted local butcher. Don't be afraid to ask questions about the quality of specific cuts or even haggle over prices with your grocers' butcher, says Matt Mendonsa, meat manager for Reams Foods Springville. “They can often give a better price when it's for a good cause, i.e. birthdays, family reunions, weddings, or to build your food storage ? especially when buying in bulk.”

Bulk buys on meat are a great way to go, but make sure you stock up in the “off season.” Unlike produce, meats often cost more during high demand times of the year. Here's some tips for saving even more on your meat:

Chuck or Round, what's the difference? Chuck is the more flavorful cut of meat as it comes from the neck portion and is full of flavorful collagen. Buying cheaper-priced cuts of chuck roasts or steaks still gives great flavor without high prices. Often these cuts may be tougher, but slow-cooking methods like crockpots and braising or more intense pressure cooking (a new-found favorite) easily overcome this dilemma and results in tender, moist and flavor-rich food.

Steaks and ribs are usually $1 to $3 more per pound in the summer and roasts are usually $1 per pound more in winter, says Mendonsa. However, during big holidays, many grocers will actually offer meats at significantly reduced prices and even lose money to get your business on other holiday staples. Stock up during these times.

Buy in bulk! When prices are low, buy in high volume. Instead of buying 1 pound or roast at a time, buy big and freeze for future use. Fluctuation in prices won't affect you, because you have meat to spare. And ask your butcher to freezer wrap it. Most butchers will freezer wrap your meat for FREE! Simply take any cello wrapped meat from the case and your butcher can repackage and wrap the meat to your needs. This saves you using your own bags and cuts costs even more! Just make sure you give your butcher some lead time if you're buying in higher volumes so they can schedule your wrapping.

Search your store for the reduced price section. Many stores mark down close-date meat every morning. You can get quality meat for significantly cheaper this way. Just make sure you cook the meat or freeze it soon after purchase. Finally, find a butcher you trust, give them plenty of time to find the best deals for you, and you will be surprised on how much you can save.