Meat prices are at a record high; here’s how to save on rising costs

PITTSBURGH — Retail beef prices are expected to remain high through at least 2027 and may climb by as much as 10% more.

A reduction in the national cow herd, caused by severe drought over recent years and the advancing age of American farmers, has created a supply shortage. This tightening supply comes at a time when consumer demand for beef is higher than ever.

Alternate Options

To manage rising costs, experts recommend swapping popular cuts of meat for lower-priced alternatives. Swapping filet mignon for strip steak saves about $13 a pound, while substituting chuck eye for rib-eye saves about $11 a pound. Choosing a porterhouse instead of a T-bone steak can also yield a savings of $6 a pound.

Save with Apps

Shoppers are also using mobile applications to find savings. The app Flash Food allows consumers to find grocery store deals on meat approaching its best-by date.

Beef Shares

For consumers with extra freezer space and money to pay upfront, purchasing beef shares offers another way to buy in bulk. Beef shares involve consumers, families, friends and neighbors splitting the cost of a whole cow to lower the per-pound price compared to retail rates.

Dustin Heeter is a seventh-generation farmer and livestock educator who operates Heritage Hills Farms in Saltsburg, Indiana County, with his twin daughters. Heeter raises about 12 cows each year to sell directly to consumers.

Heeter explained that buyer interest in beef has reached historic levels. “We’ve got the greatest consumer demand now that we’ve ever had,” Heeter said.

Heeter noted that purchasing beef directly through bulk shares offers significant cost reductions compared to grocery store prices. “If you bought good steak, it was probably on the upper side of $25 a pound,” Heeter said. “Last year our prices were five and a quarter a pound and that was across the board.”

The Heeter family is currently working to expand their local herd to help meet high consumer demand, though Heeter said growing the herd will take several years. 

Nationwide relief for the beef market is not projected until 2028 or 2029, keeping beef prices elevated for several more years.

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