 costco worth it for meat?
#216669 - 11/19/2008 02:24 PM |
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so, finally, i think finances are starting to return to normal, which means i'm planning on returning to full raw for the dogs.
there's a costco 5 minutes from my house.
$55 for a membership.
is it worth it for buying meat?
keeping in mind i don't have a separate freezer (but am keeping my eye out for a free one from craigslist. hopefully will be successful getting a new free washer and dryer that way, since my dryer doesn't work (line drying is more environmentally friendly and cheaper though, so i don't mind), and having a washer with a functioning spin cycle would kick butt. have an email in and am crossing my fingers.)
Teagan!
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Re: costco worth it for meat?
[Re: Jennifer Mullen ]
#216671 - 11/19/2008 02:47 PM |
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How much would you pay elsewhere and how much would you pay at Costco? Times how many per year? Also, can you buy Costco packages that you have room for?
And has the dog eaten Costco poultry, most of which has flavorings, etc., injected, I believe, and which a few dogs are sensitive to.
These will answer your question.
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Re: costco worth it for meat?
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#216672 - 11/19/2008 02:57 PM |
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I don't know what I would pay at Costco, that's why I was asking....do they have good deals on meat?
Flavourings injected? Really? I didn't know that happened to meat at all. Yeech....ummm, I'm thinking that sounds not-so-nice. Maybe I don't want to go the Costco route....Thanks Connie!
Teagan!
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Re: costco worth it for meat?
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#216673 - 11/19/2008 03:05 PM |
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And has the dog eaten Costco poultry, most of which has flavorings, etc., injected, I believe, and which a few dogs are sensitive to.
Costco up here is under the watchful eyes of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and if you buy basic chicken parts that's what you get. Any flavourings or other taste enhancers have to be listed on the label by law.
Costco Canada uses Lilydale Farms Chicken .. this is what I buy it is the cheapest by weight, but I feed it to my family and very rarely feed it to the dog as I have a better source for my RAW food for the dog.
http://www.lilydale.com/product/productDetail.cfm?product_id=10
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Re: costco worth it for meat?
[Re: Geoff Empey ]
#216675 - 11/19/2008 03:11 PM |
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oh phew. i was yikesing about what might be available from grocery stores too.
i think i found a place i can get 40lbs of chicken backs and other parts for $10, which seems like a great deal. however, i've absolutely no concept of how much 40lbs is. i'm assuming i'll need a proper freezer for that, was wondering if costco allowed good prices in smaller sizes.
Teagan!
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Re: costco worth it for meat?
[Re: Jennifer Mullen ]
#216678 - 11/19/2008 03:42 PM |
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40 lbs is what I get and it fits on one row of my upright freezer. 40 lbs will NOT fit in a top freezer of a fridge. 40 lbs = apprx 18kg. Though with the colder weather put some it in a cooler out on the back porch.. One of the benefits of living in Canada in the winter, everywhere is a potential freezer!
The Costco thighs run about 12-14$ a package as you see on the lilydale link. They average about 2-3 kg if I remember correctly. So if you can get 40 lbs for $10 that is about the same price I get my chicken parts/backs for as well. Even though the thighs from Costco there is a lot of meat on them. The Chicken backs are a lot more boney by comparison. So you get what you pay for, but dogs don't need gourmet meat pieces to survive and be healthy either, they do better with a prey model diet IMHO.
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Re: costco worth it for meat?
[Re: Geoff Empey ]
#216681 - 11/19/2008 03:59 PM |
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40 lbs is what I get and it fits on one row of my upright freezer. 40 lbs will NOT fit in a top freezer of a fridge. ....
However, 20 pounds is no problem with my top freezer on the 'fridge. (Bottom freezers are set up differently and may not hold it.)
I've bought 19.5 pounds of Smart Chicken when it was almost half off. They were whole birds so I cut them up, because they would not have fit whole. Cut into pieces, they fit with room to spare for frozen vegetables, etc.
I wish I had room for a separate freezer, but I like to mention that a raw diet, even for three, is doable without one. (We don't want folks waiting for a freezer to switch. )
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Re: costco worth it for meat?
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#216693 - 11/19/2008 05:04 PM |
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Thanks Connie and Geoff.
I bet I could ask the place for 20lbs, I'll look into it. I did find a freezer (chest) for free on Craigslist, but I haven't heard back.
Connie, you for sure don't need a stand-alone freezer to do raw for three dogs. The lack of one wasn't why I moved to partial raw/mostly kibble (that was money, though I've never been sure grain-free kibble is cheaper). I am now hoping though to be able to get deals like the 40lbs for $10, but I need some place to store it. And hoping to be able to, if I see a good deal somewhere, stock up a whole bunch of stuff and store it.
For instance, I'm getting a delivery from Grocery Gateway tomorrow, enough to last the dogs for a few weeks at least, and I still don't have a standalone freezer (I do, however, need to clean out my fridge and freezer tonight!).
Teagan!
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Re: costco worth it for meat?
[Re: Jennifer Mullen ]
#216698 - 11/19/2008 05:18 PM |
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Locally I find costco does have a consistant high quality product for meat but not better than the local butcher. Very few places left anymore where you can name the farm your steak came from at a reasonable price.
I usually pick up most of my dog meat from the local butcher who happily sets aside good dog cuts for me and I can order 20-40lb boxes for an exceptional rate. Usually straight from Draper Valley farms which is excellent quality chicken.
Once or twice a year my brother and I do a split on a cow that I buy at the local livestock auction. Last time I went on a slow weekend at the auction and picked up everything for about .75 a lb on a decent sized steer and $30 a head for lambs.
If these options were not locally available I would probably do my shopping primarily at Costco or Costcutter depending on who was cheaper for the parts I wanted.
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Re: costco worth it for meat?
[Re: Jennifer Mullen ]
#216704 - 11/19/2008 06:04 PM |
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Thanks Connie and Geoff.
I bet I could ask the place for 20lbs, I'll look into it. I did find a freezer (chest) for free on Craigslist, but I haven't heard back.
I am now hoping though to be able to get deals like the 40lbs for $10, but I need some place to store it. And hoping to be able to, if I see a good deal somewhere, stock up a whole bunch of stuff and store it.
For instance, I'm getting a delivery from Grocery Gateway tomorrow, enough to last the dogs for a few weeks at least, and I still don't have a standalone freezer (I do, however, need to clean out my fridge and freezer tonight!).
You wouldn't believe the goodies I found for Sasha when we cleaned out both of our freezers!! Git on 'er Jenn!
You know having a freezer is not the be all and end all I've found. I'd go with the smallest that you can find. The danger of having a bigger freezer is being unorganized and not rotating your stock. That includes your human food too, you wouldn't believe the freezer burnt stuff I found in my freezer there was lots.
It is to easy to not be able to manage a bigger freezer. Where having a smaller one doing the first in first out is actually more economical. That is from 2 big points.
1. Not spoiling food by keeping it to long and having it freezer burn or otherwise spoil.
2. The extra hydro used to run a bigger freezer, especially if it is freezer burnt stuff you end up keeping cold.
That's what has happened to me with a bigger freezer.
If you plan your purchases and watch for sales no reason why you can't manage feeding all your dogs with a smaller freezer.
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