Five Alternatives to Deli Meat that Save You Money

I am a huge fan of bringing your lunch to work, but the cost of lunch meat continues to boggle my mind. While browsing through the online grocery ads this morning I was once again blown away by the high cost of lunch meat. I’m not sure who in their right mind would pay $7.89/pound for Boar’s Head Ham (on sale, regularly $8.89/pound)! In the same flyer you can get New York Strip Steaks for $6.29/pound. I’d take a steak over a ham sandwich any day.

If you are paying that high price for lunch meat …. STOP right now. Here are some sandwich alternatives to deli meat (when meat is a must) to replace the costly lunch meat option and save you money.

1.  Chicken Salad – You can get Boneless-Skinless Chicken Breasts for as low as $1.99/pound and then stock up. Put them in the crock pot with just a bit of water or chicken stock. When done cooking, dice or shred, add a bit of mayo and mustard, and mix with some onions, grapes or celery and you’ve got a wonderful chicken salad that you can eat alone or on a sandwich.

2.  Grilled Chicken – With the same $1.99/pound chicken you can split the breasts length-wise to make thinner “fillets”. The thinner “fillets” are better on a bun and you can double the number of pieces you get out of a package. Next grill or bake a batch for making sandwiches for the next day or so.

3.  Whole or Spiral Sliced Ham – If ham is a must then watch the sale flyers and buy a whole ham or spiral-sliced ham for $1.99/pound or less. They are always on sale around all the holidays. Cook it (if needed) and cut it off the bone in slices for an authentic ham sandwich that’s way better than the deli meat slices!

4.  Pre-Cooked Boneless Ham or Turkey – These tend to come in smaller sized options if a big whole ham is too much. You can ask the meat manager to slice it for you at the store and once again you are saving a bundle over the deli meat.

5.  Pork Loin – If a Cuban sandwich is your thing then pick up a pork loin and bake or grill it up for a sandwich treat. Again, $1.99/pound on sale.

If meat is not a must, there’s always the veggie sandwich route or the old standby peanut butter and jelly!

What I love about all these options is that the quality is far better than deli meat, the cost is MUCH less, and while some may not be quite as quick and convenient — if you prepare them on a Sunday night, for example,  you will then have your sandwich fixings ready for the week to grab-and-go.

More frugal tips from Living Frugal Tips … that save you money!