My friend in Chicago swore by buying a whole chicken instead of parts

She told me to get a whole chicken for about $8 and break it down myself. I was sure it would be too much work and messy. Last month I finally tried it with a bird from the local market. It took me maybe 15 minutes with a good knife and a video guide. I got two breasts, two thighs, two drumsticks, and two wings, plus the backbone and neck for stock. The same amount of parts bought separately would have cost me nearly $15. Now I do it every other week. Has anyone found other meats that are much cheaper this way?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_dixon4d ago

I mean, is saving seven bucks every two weeks really a life hack? You spent 15 minutes of your time, plus you had to clean up raw chicken juice. That's a whole thing. For some people, that time is worth more than the money saved. It's not like you're buying a whole cow.

robinson.angela3d ago

My neighbor does this with pork shoulder.

cameronmurray2d ago

Yeah pork shoulder works great for that. Kevin_dixon has a point about the time trade off, but for a lot of people that weekly prep is just part of the routine anyway. The real win is having the meals ready to go.