The buying in bulk risk

We have all experienced it some time or another.  You walk in to your grocery store and they are having a great sale on meat and you think to yourself 'that is a great deal, I better stock up'.  What better way to save money then buying in bulk, right?  While it is true that buying your meat in bulk can be a huge relief to the budget, but it is best to be done with some forethought.  Because in the same way that it can be a money saving option it can quickly become a costly one. 

When you are buying meat in bulk there are two things to consider.  One, are you cooking for a large group of people, if so you may need to use up all of the meat you are purchasing.  And two, if you aren't going to be cooking up all of the meat at once how much you will use now and how much you should freeze.  A bit mistake I use to make was buying meat and when I got home I would put the entire package in the freezer.  But the problem is once you defrost the meat it really isn't the best idea to then refreeze it.  So you end up having to use up the entire amount.

I wasted so much food cooking it all up and feeding only two people.  So I came up with a method that for me has saved me money and I am pretty sure if do the same for you.

When I get home from the store I open up the package and set aside portions.  Now what works best is if you know ahead of time the kinds of dishes you will be making and how much meat you will need.  What I found is that as time went and I began to pay more attention to what and how much we ate I discovered that it was quite easy to judge how much meat I was going to need for a dish.  Remember just because a recipe says you need a certain amount doesn't mean you have to.  I found most recipes are designed to feed at least four and seeing as how I mostly cook for two I almost always half the recipe.  Once I have set aside my portions I place those portions in a zip lock back with a label and the date.  Then when I am ready to cook up a meal with the meat I can grab on of my pre-portioned bags and only defrost it.

Another way, if you are blessed to have a meat market where you purchase you meat at, you can have them individually wrap up your portion sizes for you. That way all you have to do is thrown them in the freezer.  Keep in mind they might not be too happy to be asked to do that during peak hours so be mindful of this request. 

What ever method you use, pre-planning your bulk purchases will help save you money and stress in the long run.