Stabilising family meat bills

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 7

Stabilising family meat bills

Meat costs for a family of four can be held to less than $3 a week, according to the Department of University Extension at the University of Otago. It needs careful planning beforehand, and a good knowledge of meat costs and servings. The department has planned four weekly menus to show how costs can be controlled.

One serving of meat o. fish a day is the rule in many homes. Eaten in a varied diet with eggs, cheese, milk, cereals and vegetables, thjs will provide adequate protein. On a weekly basis, you would buy 2J'b meat or fish for a man or teen-age boy, 21b for women and teen-age girls, Jib for school-age children, and up to Jib for pre-school children.

Thus for a family of four —father, mother and two schoolchildren of say eight and 10 years—about 71b of meat or fish would be needed each week. If the average price paid for meat and fish is 45c a pound, this gives, a weekly total of $3.15 for this particular family. It can be done for less, as the following examples show. Menus and costs All meat and fish in the menus are fresh and of firstgrade quality. Prices given were those ruling in Dunedin retail shops n mid-March. Inauiries made in Christchurch recently showed that some prices were a little higher than in Dunedin. But it would be possible to provide these menus at the prices given by shopping round for meat and fish.

From 8-91 b of meat and fish were bought each week. As some contained bone, the actual amount eaten would be less. The average cost per pound is approximately 34c, well under the estimate. There is still money in hand to buy bacon or saveloys, for breakfast or lunch dishes, or if preferred, to increase the quality or quantity of the main course meats. Costs could be reduced still further by buying in bulk, or at wholesale prices, and by using frozen or lower grade meat and fish.

Each housewife can hold her food costs by similar means. She can follow the menus given. above, substituting other meats if there is any her family dislikes. There are many other low cost dishes which could be included. Or she can set her own upper limit, and plan each week’s meat order so that the total does not exceed this figure. As the family grows, or as the market conditions change, the price fixed must be re-set at intervals if it is to be realistic.