The Budget Costco Ground Beef You’re Missing Out On, According to a Mom of Four

Costco is a well-known one-stop shop for savings. Whether it's kitchen staples like olive oil and soy sauce or microwavable conveniences, the sheer number of budget-friendly choices for the home cook never fails to amaze. You might think meat is an exception, given the rising cost of chicken, beef, and more, but mom of four and money-saving influencer Addison Jarman shared the most brilliant Costco hack to save serious bucks on ground beef.  

Pick Up a Chub of Ground Beef to Save Money

Addison revealed her money-saving hack on social media. Instead of buying individual packages of ground beef, which are typically pre-packed in one-pound portions, opt for a 10-pound chub of ground beef. Chubs are sold in long cylindrical tubes and are generally cheaper price per pound than the smaller packages. 

At a Central Virginia Costco, ground beef chubs were sold for $3.29 per pound in early June. A Costco near Miami sold them for $4.39 per pound. The price will fluctuate and depend on your location. 

If you’re about to say you’ve never seen chubs at your local Costco, that’s because you need to specifically ask the butcher for one. 

It’s important to note that the chubs of ground beef at Costco are 92% to 95% lean. With such little fat, this ground beef is perfect for dishes like chili, sloppy joes, and saucy pasta dishes, where the meat is simmered in liquid to ensure it stays moist. However, it might be a bit too lean for burgers, where an 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio (80% lean meat and 20% fat) is ideal for the juiciest results.

One more thing Addison shared: The chubs of ground beef are not organic or grass-fed, so if buying organic is important to you, stick with the individual packages. However, if you typically buy conventional ground beef, a chub is a budget-friendly choice when shopping at Costco. 

When you get home, divide the ground beef into portions in zip top bags, freeze them, and you’ll have ground beef ready to be turned into an easy dinner whenever you need.

7 Weeknight-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes

• Cheeseburger Casserole
• Loaded Sheet Pan Quesadillas
• Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce
• Chili Mac and Cheese
• Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
• Scrambled Eggs with Spinach, Beef, and Mushrooms
• Easy Hamburger Soup