Befriending the butcher is the oldest trick known to shopping. It started back in medieval times and continues today, just not as strong. With supermarkets importing much of their food, finding the right place to shop is growing more difficult by the day.

Taking a good look around in your city, as well as a few outlying areas can still prove useful when looking for the best deals on items you buy regularly.

Butcher – Finding a local butcher is the best thing to do if your family consumes large amounts of meat. The butcher can provide certain cuts that you may not always find in larger supermarkets. Not only can they make specialty cuts of meat for you, they always know what is fresh and can provide tips on how to prepare certain types of meat.

Many butchers also can provide lower prices on meat because they are distributing operations. When the meat has to be sold to a supermarket, you have to pay the mark-up from the butcher as well as the supermarket that bought the product. Many butchers, if you get to know them over time, will be able to let you know exactly when meat goes on sale.

If you are looking for the best possible deal, inquire about purchasing an entire portion of a feed animal, or splitting one with your friends. Buying a whole cow or pig will stock your freezer, allow you to get the cuts you desire and can hold a huge reduction in price due to the quantity. This is the way to go when looking for the cheapest, but best quality meat that money can buy.