TikTok's Costco Hack For Saving Money On Ground Beef Is A Butcher's Secret
As the cost of living in the United States continues to increase, fellow Americans are always looking for a way to save a dollar and one TikTok user is looking to assist, at least when it comes to how you shop for your meat. How bad have things gotten at the store? Last year, Vox reported that meat, milk, and egg prices surpassed the general inflation rate for goods. In fact, prices for beef and veal increased by 14.3% between April 2021 and April 2022. Addison Jarman, known for her hacks to save money on the social media platform, has revealed a Costco secret to help consumers get more bang for their buck.
In a video shared on TikTok, Jarman advises against getting the traditional individually wrapped packs of ground beef that shoppers typically purchase while sifting through their grocery lists and instead encourages people to "ask the butcher for a 10-pound chub." It's a large tube of meat, and according to her, this is not something that consumers will see advertised for sale in the store. It is an item that has to be specifically requested.
@addison.jarman How to find cheaper meat at Costco 🙌🏼 #costcohack #moneyhack #groceries
What is a grocer's chub?
Now that this hidden gem has been uncovered, it's a must to explore it. Meat + Poultry interviewed Deli Star Corp. owner Dan Siegel, who broke down different styles of meat packaging. When it comes to grocery stores operating without a butcher, the format that is generally used is called the stretch-wrapped tray pack. These are the individual packages typically found in the meat department. But the tube-shaped chub has advantages for the experts and shoppers.
According to a Reddit poster, a chub may contain "ground beef that's only 92-95% lean." They said that ground beef sold on the Costco floor is 88% lean and, at the time of the post, cost $3.49 per pound. For a 10-pound chub, a consumer would have only had to pay around $2.99 per pound. But note that the price will vary depending on the location.
While asking for the chub may be cost-efficient, for some people it could be too much to handle. In this case, the meat department may be willing to split the package in half to make the portions a bit more manageable. And the price isn't the only advantage. Siegel explained that the chub packaging acts "as a barrier [that] can prevent any surface oxidation." It allows the product to last for up to 35 days without any issues. Moreover, stretch-wrapped tray packs only allow up to 18,000 of meat to be transported in a truck. On the other hand, the chub allows up to 40,000 pounds.