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Home » Chicken » How To Save Money | Chicken

How To Save Money | Chicken

Published: Apr 22, 2020 · Modified: Mar 29, 2022 by Steven Pennington · This post may contain affiliate links.

This is the honest truth here folks, all done by the math and the numbers. The trick is really on us when shopping at the grocery store. The cost associated with buying a whole chicken verse an already pre-cut up chicken is very large indeed. So large, with some pieces, the additional cost is 60% more... I have a solution that is guaranteed to work and will help you begin saving money. All at no cost to you. ?

How to save money
⬇️ Table of Contents
  • How To Save Money At The Grocery Store
  • Video Explanation
  • Whole Chicken Cost
  • Chicken Breast
  • Chicken Thighs
  • Chicken Tenderloins
  • The Chicken Oyster

Culinary Quiz:  Name the known hidden piece on the whole chicken. ? Most people don't know that it even exists.  I'll give you a hint: "_-_-_-_-_-_ Cracker" <six letters> then Cracker. Answer on the next line below ↩️

Answer: The Oyster (Explained in the post below)

How To Save Money At The Grocery Store

Learn to cut up your own chicken. The amount of saving year over year is a large number for a family of 4. Explore the cost of each piece of chicken. There is a clear winner and loser in the way of cost and which to choose to save money.

Important Note: I will be weighing each, 1 chicken breast, 1 leg, 1 thigh, 1 wing, 1 tenderloin, 1 chicken oyster. Then compare prices per pound for the whole chicken verse the pre-cut chicken pieces.

We have two important numbers -

  • The cost per pound of a Whole Chicken ✅
  • The cost of each "Pre-Cut piece", legs, breasts, thighs, wings, etc. per pound ✅

Culinary Measurements

One 1 Pound equals 16 ounces oz.  | < / > |  8 ounces oz equals one 1 cup. Try to remember.

At any time, if you would like to check the numbers include below, here is the web link to the generator I used to compile the numbers ⬇️

percentage difference calculator

Video Explanation

saving up to 800 a year buying chicken

Whole Chicken Cost

The Whole Chicken equals $1.07 per pound - which means every single piece costs $1.07 per pound regardless of which piece of chicken. Not varying in price from piece to piece (breast, leg, thigh, wing pre-cut / prepackaged). That's the value of the whole chicken...What are the savings?

price per pound of whole chicken

Chicken Breast

Pre-Cut?  Chicken Breasts - Cost: $1.89 per pound

Does that sound good?

Are you sure about that?

What if we could get it down to $1.07 a pound, saving $0.82 per pound when buying chicken breasts.

pieces of chicen breast precut in packaging

Process: I cut up one whole chicken, then weighed each piece = first the chicken breast weighs in @ 11.4 OZ

Learn to cut up a Whole Chicken Yourself? - Demo Video

  1. Cut Up Your Own Whole Chicken - Step by Step
  2. Whole Chicken Cut Into 10 Pieces

THE MATH:  Chicken Breast (11.4 ounces (divided) / 16 ounces ? = 71.25% percent of one pound.

So the chicken breast weighs around ¾ of a pound.

MATH: Percentage of chicken breast to one pound = 71%  ---   0.71 X (chicken breast Pre-Cut = $1.89  Cost Amount = $1.34

The percentage number (71%) is our multiplier against the price per pound. In this case, the price for Pre-Cut chicken breast is $1.89 a pound.

THE MATH: (chicken breast pre-cut price per pound = $1.89  0.71(multiplier) X 1.89 =  Cost = $1.33

MATH: Percentage of chicken breast to one pound = 71%  ---   0.71 X (chicken breast Pre-Cut = $1.89  Cost Amount = $1.33

Whole Chicken SELF-Cut Breast -  This is the same breast as used in the weighed numbers above. Which is the only way to get honest numbers.

THE MATH:  0.71(multiplier) X ( $1.07 costs per pound - whole chicken)   ( 0.71(multiplier) X 1.07 =  $0.75 ) 

MATH: Percentage of chicken breast to one pound = 71%  ---   0.71 X (chicken breast Pre-Cut = $1.89  Cost Amount = $1.33
chicken breast price comparison results

Chicken Legs

Whole Chicken MATH:   

? 0.31(multiplier)   X ( $1.07 costs per pound – whole chicken) =  $0.34)

Pre-Cut Chicken MATH: 

? 0.31(multiplier) X (chicken breast pre-cut price per pound ($1.79)  Cost = $0.57

cost difference legs precut cost verse whole pieces purchased and you cut them yourself

Where You See The RED Arrow is the Prices Per Pound - Cut Up Chicken

50 percent more expensive to have your chicken legs precut for you at the grocery

Chicken Wings

Whole Chicken MATH:   

? . 25(multiplier) X ( $1.07 costs per pound – whole chicken)  Cost =  $0.26 

Pre-Cut Chicken MATH: 

? .25(multiplier) X (chicken breast pre-cut = $2.59                   Cost  = $0.62

chicken wings cost comparison

Where You See The RED Arrow is the Prices Per Pound - Cut Up Chicken

83 percent more expensive to have your chicken wings precut for you at the grocery

Chicken Thighs

Whole Chicken MATH:   

? 0.42(multiplier) X ( $1.07 costs per pound – whole chicken)  Cost =  $0.45

Pre-Cut Chicken MATH:

? 0.42(multiplier) X (chicken breast pre-cut = $1.99                 Cost  = $0.84

price comparison chicken thighs

Where You See The RED Arrow is the Prices Per Pound - Cut Up Chicken

60 percent more expensive to have your chicken thighs precut for you at the grocery

Chicken Tenderloins

Whole Chicken MATH:   

? 0.13(multiplier) X ( $1.07 costs per pound – whole chicken)  Cost =  $0.14 

Pre-Cut Chicken MATH:

? 0.13(multiplier) X (chicken breast Pre-Cut)  = $3.79              Cost  = $0.49

chicken tenderloin price comparison

Where You See The RED Arrow is the Prices Per Pound - Cut Up Chicken

111 percent more expensive to have your chicken tenderloin precut for you at the grocery

The Chicken Oyster

Position of the oysters in a chicken

Chicken Oysters

Oysters are two small, round pieces of dark meat on the back of poultry near the thigh, in the hollow on the dorsal side of the ilium bone. Some regard the "oyster meat" to be the most flavorful and tender part of the bird, while others dislike the taste and texture.

Compared to dark meat found in other parts of the bird, the oyster meat has a somewhat firm/taut texture which gives it a distinct mouthfeel. It is also customary for the cook to be given first preference to the oyster meat.

In French, this part of the bird is called sot-l'y-laisse, which translates, roughly to "the fool leaves it there", as unskilled carvers sometimes accidentally leave it on the skeleton.

Chicken Oyster Location - Found on the bottom side of the chicken spine

You can feel them with your fingers. They will be plump with a nice soft touch. Make a cut on both sides and use the knife to free the chicken oyster. #chefstreat

chicken oyster how to remove

Conclusion

If a chicken costs $7 and you purchase one chicken a week for a year = it equals $364 annually

Pre Cut Up Chicken - All 8 pieces = 50% more expensive purchase = equals $ 728 annually

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