One Caveman’s Financial Journey

This weekend on our monthly trip to Sam’s Club to stock up our pantry, we went in with our usual shopping list of diapers, cereal, cleaning supplies, frozen foods, and ground meat.  We nonchalantly strolled through our “open while under renovation” club warehouse as we have every month for the last few years - completely unaware of what horrors lie ahead on our trip.

We finally came upon the butchers area to find it completely shut off and empty.  Apparently, they’ve decided to start their renovation work in the most man-friendly section in the store.  In front of what used to be the butcher’s shop was a line of almost-bare open refrigerators housing what little meat they felt like stocking for us hungry cavemen.  But since ground beef was on the shopping list, I had to endure the heartache and scrounge and forage through this embarrassment of a so-called “meat section.”

When I finally weaved through the other emasculated hunters (we’re a sad lot, really), I beheld a horrific sight: There were only two packs of ground beef remaining!  I picked one up as fast as I could, but was immediately shocked at how light it felt.  No, this wasn’t a product of my upper body workouts, this meat pack really was lighter.  I checked the price tag and my fears were confirmed…  The pack that once held six pounds now held just five and at a surprising $2.89/lb.

Discouraged, I nearly resigned myself to a leaner chili season this winter.  That is, until I glanced to my left and beheld a glorious sight: The meat log!

The Meat Log

I had seen these rolls of ground beef stacked neatly next to the meat packs many times before, but I always dismissed them as some obsenely-shaped sausage product.  This time, I warily set down my 5lb pittance of ground beef and examined this hefty log of meat. After a little poking and prodding, I noticed the price tag and discovered that this was, in fact, the exact same ground meat I was about to buy in a meat pack - only much cheaper.  I do believe I embarrassed my wife with the exuberant “whoop!” that snuck out upon my discovery…

All these years, I believed I was being frugal and getting a great deal by buying a meat pack and freezing its contents in one-pound packs for later consumption as I passed up on a much better deal sitting mere inches to the left. It just goes to show you that you that there might be a better price available if you simply glance around.

How did I keep missing this deal?

I’ve been buying ground beef in meat packs for at least four years. Considering the $0.35/lb savings for this tube of meat versus a meat pack, I’m sure I’ve spent over $100 more than I had to - if only I had known about this 10lb ground beef log. But don’t worry; I’m not too torn up over it. I’m just glad I found out about it now. Now I can look forward to lugging home my very own meat log every month or two, and that makes me feel like a successful hunter caveman!

Featured in the Festival of Frugality 11/4 Election Day Edition at Bargain Briana.

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