$100 for a box of meat
By Mike Thayer
I love to cook and grill (and bake too thanks to Cindy!), I have a well stocked pantry, I've got a freezer full of goodies, which is mostly meat for grilling.
One thing I don't love however, is grocery shopping. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I hate it, but it's time consumption that doesn't feel all that productive.
So last month, I tried a meat subscription club, Butcher Box and while it was convenient to have meat delivered to the house and the meat was good quality stuff, the price per pound was a bit high at $8.86/lb., which included 2 pounds of 'free' promotional ground beef. Pricing the same cuts at the local grocery store would have been at a cost of $7.26/lb. So even though Butcher Box is 'giving' me 2 pounds of 'free' ground beef per month for life (for as long as I subscribe), that 15 pounds of meat total per month is still coming in at $8.86/lb.
Timely delivery, great packaging, all meats in great shape
Still drawn to that convenience factor however, this month I tried a different meat subscription club, called Good Chop. A box of meat cost me $100, a mix of beef, chicken and pork, which cost me less than the $133 Butcher Box cost me. Good Chop is running a special right now, a discounted price for my first few boxes of meat that normally cost $149.
Here's what I got delivered today: Two kinds of steak, ground beef, ground Italian sausage, boneless/skinless chicken breast and a pound of bacon.
Like Butcher Box, the shipping was on time, the box was nicely packed, all meats frozen and in great shape, complete with nicely portioned packaging for each meat. So in comparing the two meat subscriptions on that basis, there's no difference, same quality service provided.
It is nice to have meat delivered to your door
Here's where Butcher Box stands out from Good Chop. They're less expensive than Good Chop. I only got 11 pounds of meat in my first Good Chop Box, which breaks down to $9.09/lb. I get more meat at a lower price per pound with Butcher Box. And when this Good Chop discount ends and I have to pay regular price that will be about 10 pounds of meat for $149, or $14.99 per pound! NO THANKS! I don't have to go through a taste testing to know that price difference will or won't be worth it. It just won't be. Besides, neither Good Chop or Butcher Box can beat the prices of buying locally.
Just 11 pounds of meat from Good Chop, I got 15 pounds from Butcher Box
I'm giving Good Chop just 2 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap stars. While my initial out-of-pocket expense is cheaper than Butcher Box, when you figure in the price per pound, Good Chop is actually more expensive. Neither Good Chop or Butcher Box are wallet friendly options, buying local is the way to go with a far lower price per pound. The convenience of having meat dropped off at your door be damned!
$pend Wisely My Friends...
Related: Meat Subscription Review: ButcherBox and free ground beef
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