Beef, Pork Prices Could Shoot Up: Here's How to Save

Last year, beef and pork prices were up an average of 6%, hitting carnivores' wallets hard every time they were at the grocery store. With wholesale meat prices already up 25% more than last year, the USDA is now warning consumers that this year's increases could be even worse.

Bacon is the cut that's most in danger -- prices for 50% lean pork bellies, the raw material for the best bacon, are up a whopping 64% from last year at this time, to $1.44 per pound. Until last year, the price of pork bellies had never gone above $1 a pound. Now, thanks to high corn prices, prices are rising alarmingly. Just two weeks ago, $1.23-per-pound pork bellies had the USDA predicting beef prices would be up 5.5% this year; they're now predicting a 6% or 7% increase.

With all this depressing news about the protein most Americans count on to center their meals around, how can WalletPop readers still eat frugally? I can think of lots of ways: