Carrie Rocha from Pocket Your Dollars has some great advice on how to keep your grocery budget in check, and still be able to eat the things you love:

The cost of beef has gone up and is rising due to the extreme drought in the western United States. Let’s talk about how to save on your favorite types of beef.

• Ground beef. Substitute ground turkey. You can save as much as half of what you’d pay for beef and, I know from experience that your family won’t know the difference in tacos, spaghetti, and meatloaf. I even use ground turkey for burger patties for the grill.
• Steak. Buy lower-priced, slightly tougher steaks, then invest $20 in a really good tenderizer. Learn to use your tenderizer and it’ll pay for itself many times over before the summer is done.
• Cubed beef pieces for stir fry or stroganoff. Again, you can get a lower-priced cut of meat and do one of two things to get it super tender:
  • Slice it paper thin
  • Use your pressure cooker – which is what I typically do and I promise it’s not hard

Of course, no matter the cut or kind of beef you really do need to watch sale prices this year more than ever before and stock up on what you need when the price is right.

HOT DEAL: Get 2 pounds of Osmocote plant food free-after-rebate if you purchase it before the end of June. I’ve got the rebate form at pocketyourdollars.com.

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