Costco Shoppers Are Using This Hack To Save Hundreds of Dollars on Meat
Meat prices may be cooling slightly, but they’re still far higher than they were a year ago — beef and veal prices decreased by 0.4% from February to March, but they're still 12.1% higher than they were in March 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Those price hikes are causing many shoppers to feel squeezed at the butcher counter.
Costco shoppers looking to save on meat have come up with a viral "hack" that can lead to big savings — here's how it works.
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Buying Whole Cuts at Costco Can Lower Meat Costs
Instead of buying precut meats, Costco shoppers have been opting for large slabs and slicing them into individual portions at home. TikTok user Sara Scarbo demonstrated how she turned 12.5 pounds of beef top loin steak into 17 individual steaks, simply by doing the portioning off at home.
"For $124, I got 17 steaks, so that comes to around $7.30 a steak, which is a really good deal," she said in the video. "We are a family of five, and usually we do about three steaks per night ... so this is going to last us a long time."
While the process does entail some patience, a vacuum sealer and a sharp knife, Scarbo said the savings are worth the effort.
"This is probably going to be our new favorite hack because this made a lot of sense financially," she said.
How Much Costco Shoppers Can Actually Save on Steak
The payoff becomes clearer once you break down the numbers. An ABC News report found exactly how much this hack can save:
Cost of USDA Choice ribeye steaks at local supermarket: $27 per pound
Cost of USDA Choice ribeye steaks at Costco: $17.99 per pound
Cost of whole ribeye subprimal at Costco: $12.99 per pound
By opting for an oversized 21-pound slab of the whole ribeye subprimal at Costco and cutting it into 15 portions, the savings amount to roughly $300 compared to what you would pay for the same amount of supermarket steak.
For those with large families who eat steak regularly, this "hack" can really pay off.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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