How to Save Money on Grilling

Hosting a July 4 get-together Thursday?

If so, there’s a good chance that you’re going to do some grilling. Since there’s a lot at “steak” when hosting an Independence Day bash, we thought we would compile a few ways to cut a few dollars off of your grilling bill without looking cheap.

1) Marinate- Marinating not only adds flavor, it tenderizes the meat. This allows you to purchase cheaper cuts of meat like skirt or flank steak.

2) Eat more veggies- It’s not only better for your health, it’s cheaper too. Buying more veggies allows you to purchase less meat and they’re great on the grill. Make kabobs as part of the menu.

3) Make your own dry rub- Those $4 bottles of dry rub are easy to make on your own. The internet is full of great recipes. Make enough to last you the whole summer and you’ll notice the cost savings.

4) Don’t waste heat- If you’re using a charcoal grill, it takes a lot of time and money (relatively speaking) to heat it up. Grill as much as you can until the coals burn out. Grill extra chicken for salads and lunch sandwiches, make soups or other meals that take a while to cook, or make a beef stock for use in sauces. In other words, why heat up the grill to cook a few hamburgers and waste all of that charcoal-flavored heat that will persist for hours?

Related: Are Hot Dogs Losing Popularity as a July 4 Favorite?

5) Ask the butcher for scraps- There are always leftover pieces when they’re done processing the meat. Those scraps are great for kabobs and stew meat. Throw them in the crockpot for great flavor. Best of all, you can pick the scraps up cheap. Often around $1 per pound.

6) Don’t serve whole steaks- Not everybody will eat an entire steak. Instead, cut them into strips or medallions so people can take smaller portions.

7) Head to the warehouse- Not everything at Walmart WMT’s Sam’s Club or Costco COST are cheaper but meat usually is. Sam's Club has the reputation of having amazing meat at low prices--an internet cult following of sorts. And get there early. The markdowns of expiring meat often happen first thing in the morning.

8) Don’t fall for the “grill frills”- If you go cheap, it will likely be in the garbage within a year or two but if you fall into some kind of bromance with that $500 grill with all of the extra burners, rotisseries, and LED display that only shows contact sports, you’re paying a lot of money for features you’ll rarely use. Do your home homework before heading out to purchase a new grill.