Another way to look at it.

[Sam]

Dad always asked, "How much does it eat?" meaning what is the cost. Dad also taught me that cheap is expensive as you have to replace the tool or article of clothing. Growing up I also learned that what is going out is more important than what is coming in.
In our 40+ years of marriage my bride and I have had to pinch many a penny and do without to take care of our two kids. Only bought one new car in that time and that was back in 1986. We did put our money into stocks and cashed them out over the last 15 years to buy our property and build our cabin without a mortgage. We still look for ways to save money.
Food, especially meat is expensive at the store, so we don't buy our meat or eggs there. Instead, we go straight to the source and buy in bulk, saving a great deal of money in the process. I made friends in the Amish community and buy from them and get quality food that I don't have to worry about.
Every two weeks I buy between 10-15 dozen eggs that are brown, free range and very tasty. the cost is $2.50 per dozen, and we split the cost with friends of ours, thus saving them money as well. I also just bought a side of beef for $2.00 per pound cut from the bone. The meat was packed into large bags that I bought home and placed into one of our freezers to process later. I will cut into steaks, roasts, chunk meat and ground our own hamburger. We have a vacuum sealer that comes in handy for long term storage.
If you cannot grow your own, go to the source and buy in bulk to save a great deal. The Amish are quite pleasant to deal with and honest as well. I buy our firewood from their mill at a cost of $30/per cord that I bring home in my F150.

 

[Amish Heart]

We do the same in our amish community, and always volunteer to help with processing, butchering, any of that. Eggs are also sold here, just to locals for $2.50 a dz. We just bought half a cow, and it was about 250 or so lbs, for $600, but it was all cut and wrapped...hamburger, steaks, roasts. Just helped with pig butchering...two 300 pounders. They weren't our pigs, but I came home with 2 boxes of fat (to render) and 6 lbs of sausage, for helping. Really didn't expect anything. I shared 12 of our roosters that I butchered with two amish ladies (our neighbors), and one took all the meat home, canned it, and gave some to me. I got a bushel of beets last summer from a neighbor, freeze dried them and shared them around. Will probably do the same again. I planted beets, but rabbits got them. I needed help last month with three large Tom Turkeys, so amish neighbor and his wife came over, I wrangled them, he killed them, she helped dress them, so I gave them one of the three. She canned hers, and I ground our two. I've already got hands raised to help butcher our next round of roosters, and this time, I volunteered to grind them up for freezer patties, so we can all have our own Chic fil a at home.

 

[LadyLocust]

I have been in this boat a long time. I get a whole beef from some folks (same folks every year). I had chickens until we moved. I now get them from a friend with as she puts it "too many birds." The other part of it (& I'm not trying to attack or insult anyone or the choices they make) but I say God didn't create us to be dependent on mass transportation for a healthy diet. I would rather spend and extra dollar now to save in health $100 later in life.