$6.90 a pound.
For ground beef.
That’s not rib eye or filet — that’s plain old hamburger. According to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it’s a new American record. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, ground beef has crossed nearly $7 a pound for the first time in history.
Steaks? They’re now averaging $13.02 a pound, up a sizzling 70% since January 2020.
Ground beef is up 77% in the same stretch.
Why? Pick your poison.
The U.S. cattle herd has shrunk to its lowest level in 75 years — about 86.2 million head, the smallest since Harry Truman was in the White House. Years of brutal drought and record feed costs are part of the story.
The other part: The U.S.-Mexico border is closed to live cattle imports because of a flesh-eating parasite called New World screwworm. That’s choked off more than a million head of feeder cattle a year.
And the kicker? Don’t expect relief anytime soon. The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects beef prices to climb roughly another 10% in 2026, and analysts say the herd probably won’t start rebuilding until 2028.
Cold comfort, I know. But you don’t have to roll over and pay.
Here are five battle-tested ways to keep beef on the menu without setting your wallet on fire.
1. Grind your own beef
This is the single best move you can make.
Walk past the pre-packaged ground beef and head to the whole-cut section. Chuck roast frequently runs a buck or two less per pound than the ground stuff — especially when it’s on sale. The same goes for sirloin tip and eye of round.
Toss it in a food processor for 30 seconds and you’ve got fresh ground beef.
No grinder? Most supermarket butchers will grind a roast for you for free. Just ask.
You’ll get better quality, control the fat content, and shave 15% to 25% off your per-pound cost.
2. Stretch every pound
Old restaurant trick: Ground beef is the priciest ingredient in most recipes, so make it work harder.
Mix in cooked lentils, black beans, finely chopped mushrooms, rolled oats, or my mother’s secret — a half-cup of cottage cheese. A 50/50 blend in chili, tacos, meatloaf, sloppy joes, or spaghetti sauce is nearly indistinguishable from the all-beef version.
Lentils run about a buck a pound and triple in volume when cooked. That means stretching $7 ground beef with $1 lentils brings your effective cost to roughly $4 a pound.
Same plate, same flavor, half the bill.
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3. Stalk the markdowns
Every grocery store has a manager’s special section near the meat case, usually with yellow or orange stickers. Meat hitting its sell-by date gets discounted 30% to 50%.
It’s perfectly safe — you just need to cook or freeze it that day.
Ask your butcher or meat manager when they typically mark down. At most stores, it’s first thing in the morning or right before closing.
Build your shopping trip around that window and you’ll routinely catch ground beef and steaks for less than they cost five years ago. We’ve rounded up more clever moves like this one in “14 Unusual but Effective Ways to Save on Groceries.”
4. Go big at the warehouse club
If you have a Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s nearby, beef is one category where the membership genuinely pays off.
Bulk packs typically run 20% to 30% less per pound than the supermarket, and the quality is often a step up.
The catch is portion control. That 5-pound tray of ground beef will dry out by Thursday unless you break it down.
Here’s what works: Portion it into 1-pound flat discs (a thin disc, not a ball — it freezes and thaws way faster), squeeze the air out of freezer bags, label with the date, done.
A small chest freezer pays for itself inside a year if you buy beef this way. Our list of the best things to buy at warehouse stores puts meat right at No. 7.
Not a warehouse club person? The cheapest grocery stores across America regularly beat Walmart by 8% or more on a typical basket — Aldi and Lidl lead the pack.
5. Eat the cow less often
I know, I know. But hear me out.
Even one meatless dinner a week saves a family of four somewhere between $300 and $500 a year at current beef prices. Lentil chili, black bean tacos, mushroom Bolognese, or a big pot of bean soup hit the same comfort-food notes for a fraction of the cost.
Your cardiologist will send you a thank-you card too.
You don’t have to go vegetarian. As the commercials for Chic-fil-A advise, eat more chicken. It’s cheaper and better for you.
You just have to admit that beef doesn’t need to be the center of every plate. The biggest grocery savers I know eat meat; they just don’t eat it every night.
The bottom line
Beef prices aren’t going back to 2019 levels. Not this year, not next year, probably not for the rest of the decade.
So the question isn’t whether to adapt. It’s how fast.
Pick two of the five moves above and try them this week. You won’t beat record-high beef prices by complaining about them — you’ll beat them at the meat counter, in your freezer, and on your dinner plate.
The cattle market may be broken. Your grocery budget doesn’t have to be.
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