$6.90 per pound.
For ground beef.
That’s not a rib eye or filet – that’s plain old hamburger. According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics dataThis is a new American record. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, ground beef has topped nearly $7 per pound for the first time in history.
Steak? They now average $13.02 per pound, up 70% from January 2020.
The price of ground beef has increased 77% over the same period.
Why? Pick your poison.
The US cattle herd has shrunk to its lowest level in 75 years – by nearly 86.2 million headsThe youngest to occupy the White House since Harry Truman. Years of severe drought and record feed costs are part of the story.
Part Two: The US-Mexico border is closed to the import of live cattle due to a flesh-eating parasite called New World screwworm. Due to this, more than one million fodder animals are strangled every year.
And the kicker? Don’t expect quick relief. The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects beef prices to rise another 10% in 2026, and analysts say the herd probably won’t start rebuilding until 2028.
Cold comfort, I know. But you don’t have to go ahead and pay.
Here are five battle-tested ways to keep beef on the menu without setting your wallet on fire.
1. Grind your own beef
This is the single best step you can take.
Pass by the pre-packaged ground beef and move on to whole cuts. Chuck roast often costs a pound or two less per pound than the ground stuff – especially when it’s on sale. The same applies for sirloin tip and round eye.
Pop it in the food processor for 30 seconds and you’ll have fresh ground beef.
No mill? Most supermarket butchers will grind the corn for you for free. Just ask.
You’ll get better quality, control fat content and reduce your cost per pound by 15% to 25%.
2. Stretch every pound
Old restaurant tip: Ground beef is the most expensive ingredient in most dishes, so work harder on it.
Add cooked lentils, black beans, finely chopped mushrooms, rolled oats, or my mom’s secret – ½ cup cheese. The 50/50 mix is nearly indistinguishable from the all-beef version in chili, tacos, meatloaf, Sloppy Joes, or spaghetti sauce.
Lentils yield about one pound per pound and triple in volume when cooked. This means that combining $7 ground beef with $1 lentils brings your effective cost to about $4 per pound.
Same plate, same taste, half the bill.
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3. Chase Markdown
Every grocery store has a special manager’s section near the meat bins, usually marked with yellow or orange stickers. Discounts ranging from 30% to 50% are available once the meat sale date is reached.
It’s completely safe – you just have to cook it or freeze it the same day.
Ask your butcher or meat manager when they usually mark. In most stores, this happens first thing in the morning or just before closing.
Build your shopping trips around that window and you’ll regularly buy ground beef and steak at lower prices than five years ago. We’ve covered more clever steps like this in “14 Unusual But Effective Ways to Save on Groceries.”
4. Go big at the Warehouse Club
If you have a Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s, beef is one category where a membership really pays off.
Bulk packs typically run 20% to 30% less per pound than supermarkets, and the quality is often a step up.
The catch is portion control. That 5 pound tray of ground beef will be dry by Thursday if you don’t break it down.
Here’s what works: Divide it into 1-pound flat discs (a thin disc, not a ball — it freezes and thaws faster), squeeze the air out of freezer bags, label with the date, done.
If you buy beef this way a small chest freezer pays for itself within a year. Meat goes straight to number 7 on our list of the best things to buy at warehouse stores.
Not a warehouse club person? The cheapest grocery stores across the US routinely beat Walmart by 8% or more in the general basket – Aldi and Lidl lead the pack.
5. Eat less cow
I know I know. But listen to me.
Even one meatless dinner a week saves a family of four between $300 and $500 a year at current beef prices. Lentil chili, black bean tacos, mushroom bolognese, or a big pot of bean soup hit the same comfort-food notes for a fraction of the cost.
Your cardiologist will also send you a thank you card.
You don’t have to become a vegetarian. As the Chick-fil-A commercials advise, eat more chicken. It’s cheaper and better for you.
You just have to accept that beef doesn’t have to be the center of every plate. The biggest grocery savers I know are meat eaters; They don’t eat it every night.
bottom line
Beef prices are not going back to 2019 levels. Not this year, not next year, maybe not for the rest of the decade.
So the question is not whether to adapt or not. That’s how fast it is.
Pick two of the five tricks above and try them this week. You won’t beat record-high beef prices by complaining about them — you’ll beat them at the meat counter, in your freezer, and on your dinner plate.
The cattle market may collapse. It doesn’t have to be your grocery budget.