Before I go into the post, I just want to remind people that this time of year is a high volume time for the cat populations at the Yavapai Humane Society. I imagine it is pretty high everywhere. Because they have so many cats on hand, Yavapai Humane Society has a special deal. All cat adoptions have been dramatically reduced. The normal adoption fee for kittens is $95 and adult cats go for $75. right now kittens will be $47.50, adult cats $37.50, and there will be no fee to adopt a senior cat five years of age or older! I was just there yesterday, and it was crazy crowded with fabulous felines!
www.yavapaihumane.org
One of the best ways to trim any budget is with the grocery bill. It is one of the easiest ways to make adjustments, and it is definitely a budget item with more flexibility than say your rent or mortgage. I am pretty proficient at saving money on meat by knowing my price limits, when to buy, and when to stock up. Sadly this just doesn't help me when it comes to steaks. The fact is I just do not know what makes a good steak, but I know what doesn't taste good. This breaks down to I don't realize it until it is too late! This caused me to look for tips on picking good meats and cooking them. Here is what I found.
1-- For good high-quality beef, look for fine needled graining of fat or marbling throughout the meat. Also be aware of the color of the fat around the outside. It should be white. Any other color signifies lesser quality.
2-- A great cheap steak is a "Chuck Eye Steak." This steak is cut next to the ribeye. It is not as pretty but supposed to be very tender and great on the grill.
3-- To save on stew beef, buy a chuck roast and cut it up yourself.
4-- Talk to your butcher. Your butcher can give you insight into what is the best cut of meat for your budget without sacrificing taste.
5 -- Sirloin is a good cut. Choose top sirloin or butt steak which are both fairly tender.
6-- Another good buy is flank steak which is great for marinades and dry rubs.
7-- Brisket is always a good buy and tastes amazing when you braise it.
8-- Cheaper chicken is the legs, thighs, and wings. These are also the parts that have the most flavor. I have really learned to embrace these darker meats. You can save lots of cash by exploring your recipe options.
9-- It is also cheaper to buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself or bake it and make use of all the leftovers. I have made at least four different meals out of one 4 pound whole chicken.
10-- Tip for roasting chicken. For a juicer chicken roast the chicken breastside down for part of the cooking.
11-- Buy turkey legs for a bargain price and use them to make soups and casseroles.
12-- Tasty and reasonably price are pork loins which are often boneless and center cut.
13-- When grilling, the fresher the meat the better.
14-- Braising makes even tough meat tender. There are lots of great tips out there for this technique. Here is a link to a great video how to: Braising
15-- I found this awesome handy Cooking Method Guide that matches cooking methods to various cuts of beef. I picked this up from the Beef It's Whats for Dinner website. Check out the link below. It is a great tool!
LINK: Matching Cooking Methods to Beef Cuts Ensures Success
Here is also a link on knowing your cuts and how to cook them!
LINK: Knowing Your Cuts and How to Cook Them
All Things Free:
National Donut Day is June 4th and in celebration, participating Krispy Kreme shops will be offering a free donut to their customers. Follow the link below to their page where you can find a link of participating stores.
LINK: Free Donut at Krispy Kreme
Dunkin' Donuts will also offer a free donut on Donut Day, but theirs is with the purchase of a beverage, and honestly if you like great coffee this is not going to cramp your style!
LINK: Free Donut at Dunkin' Donuts with beverage purchase
If you have cats or dogs, you might like to pick up the free sample at walmart.com for Purina Smart Blends. These samples are great to see how the food is beneficial to your pet, and they are handy to have around when you suddenly realize you need to pick up some food for your pet.
LINK: Purina Smart Blends for Dogs or Cats
Taster's Choice has free samples of their awesome coffee singles again! If you haven't tried this yet you might want to sign up. My mom loves these. Follow the link below.
LINK: Taster's Choice Gourmet Coffee Singles
Addison Road's new CD is coming out very soon, and right now you can get a free track at FreeCCM! The song is "Change in the Making" from their upcoming CD "Stories." FreeCCM still has free music from Jonny Diaz, 33Miles, Mike Farris and Joy Whitlock.
LINK: FreeCCM
iTickets.com has a great free download this week from Carolina Story's album When the River Met the Sea. The song is "The Apple." Check it out.
LINK: iTickets
This is free with purchase. Spend $10 at a Bath and Body Works store or online and get a full-sized body care item free (up to $13.00 value). If you make your purchase online, simply add a $10 item to your cart, pick you full-sized body care item, and use the code FREEBC at check out. If you are heading to the store, print the coupon found at the link below. Offer good until June 10th.
LINK: Free Full-Sized body care item with $10 purchase
Shopping
Don't forget to load up your store loyalty cards with coupons from Cellfire. Truly Cellfire is one of THE easiest ways to use coupons. I have also been lucky to have coupons from Cellfire taken off my order as well as my own clipped coupons. Follow the link below to get started.
LINK: Cellfire
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