That's crazy!
I think you'll find your chicken broth is cheaper and lots better of you use chicken wings.....they make such a nice rich broth.
But if the breast was $1.00 and the whole chicken was $1.09...I wonder what just the feet would cost?
Linda C

I stocked up on boneless skinless chicken breasts just last week - $1.68/lb. Now look at the other prices!

Whole Chicken - $1.79/lb
Thighs (w/skin&bones) - $2.39/lb
Drums (w/skin&bones) - $2.39/lb
Wings - $2.59/lb

Wings are ALWAYS expensive here and I have no idea why! Maybe the BSCB were the loss leader for the week, but chicken has been VERY expensive here in general.

Alexa

I didn't even look at the price of wings! I don't like to mess with wings, it's just too much trouble for the amount of meat. But I did notice that they not only sold wings, but they also sold the mini-drumstick part of the wings in packages by themselves. Darn, I wish I'd noticed the price!

Store branded chicken price per pound currently:

BSCB: between $4.29 and $4.69 depending on package size
Tenders: $4.99
Split bone-in breast: $2.99
Thighs or Drumsticks: on sale $1.29
Whole roaster: $.99

Did someone mention chicken feet?? (wink) :-)

Right now Safeway until the end of the day has whole chicken for 79c lb limit 3 and bone in breasts for 99c limit 3. I'm going to stop by and pick up 3 wholes after work today.
If you have a Safeway or (ralph's or von's) can't remember which is in with Safeway..the sale ends today.

You buy wings....the "flitter" part if you can, not the mini drum stick....just toss the meat and buy chicken breasts for the meat in your soup....
wings are for broth...I put a package of wings in with the carcasses and stuff I have frozen and boil it up for broth.
Linda c

Wow.... I've never even considered that a whole chicken could be MORE expensive than the parts. I've always assumed it was cheaper. I know it's cheaper than the boneless skinless chicken breasts (which I can't stand anyway). A whole chicken is a lot to fuss with... especially if you freeze it and then have to thaw it out.

I usually buy drumsticks for broth because they are easier to mess around with, but I've never done a real price comparison. I should, then maybe I wouldn't feel guilty every time I buy something that isn't a whole chicken!

Whole chicken prices do vary greatly between stores and between store brand and national brand.

May, was the chicken you priced a frier or some other kind?

Bobby,
Good question! I don't know! Once I saw the price I just went back to looking at the parts! I honestly don't know if it was a frier, or what brand either. They had one choice of whole (it's a small store) and it was 1.09.

Now, granted, the parts WERE on sale, but I think the regular price of chicken breasts is something in the area of 1.29/lb. So even then, only 20c more per pound than whole. But they have their $1/lb sale regularly, often enough that I never pay regular price. Go figure.

I might just stop off on my way home tonight to satisfy my curiosity on two things: frier/brand, and price of wings.

Chicken breasts here are usually about $2.29 a pound, not for boneless and skinless, that's the bone in chicken breasts. Boneless and skinless are about 50 cents a pound more. Thighs and drumsticks are about $1.99 a pound, if you buy those individually. Like Alexa, I find that wings are outrageous, higher than any other "part", the last time I looked at wings they were nearly $3 a pound because people like to cook a bunch of wings for parties, BBQs, whatever. I never buy them because I don't like chicken skin and wings are pretty much all skin, LOL.

So, what do whole chickens cost here? $1.19 regularly, anywhere from 79 cents a pound to 99 cents a pound, they were 88 cents a pound last week and I could buy a whole rotisserie chicken for $3.99, about $1 a pound already cooked.

The real deal is usually on the leg/thigh quarters, I can normally buy a 10 pound bag for 39 cents a pound, or $3.90 for a bag that holds "approximately" 10 pounds, although it usually weighs in at between 10 and 12 pounds. Yes, I weigh 'em and buy the heavier ones.

Annie

On sale I can get split breasts (the ones with the bones) for 99cents/lb. I don't bother with boneless since I collect the bones for broth.

Walmart sells legs/thighs 10lbs standard for 5.50 so .55/lb

Whole Chickens at the vegetable store up the road have frozen whole chickens at a standard price of $3 each. This is for chickens weighing between 3 to 3 1/2 pounds. The grocery store has unfrozen chickens $1.39/lb, .89 on sale.

Here in CA, the whole chicken is much cheaper than the individual parts. If you live in an area with a Hispanic population, it is worth looking into the 'carniceria's' aka: Mexican market. The meats (chicken or beef) are much cheaper. Here in CA where everything is expensive, I find them at .79 - 1.29 per lb.

Usually the whole chicken is cheaper. Usually under a dollar here in Indiana. I think the broth is richer with the bone in chicken. I am not that fond of the white meat for broth. The white meat is okay to add to the broth after you have it cooked from the whole chicken. About all I use chicken broth is for chicken and noodles, so I don't know what you had in mind. I personally like dark meat better than white, but do buy both.

Does CA mean Canada or California? I generally think of Canada first, even though I live in California, but the populations are about equal. Then there is the confusion of LA - Los Angeles vs Louisiana! Of course Los Angeles County has quite a few more people than Louisiana...

I bought chicken breasts (with bone) for 99¢ a pound last week-end, and they were cheaper than whole chickens, but that's what was on sale. I'll buy what's on sale, but I prefer thighs or a whole chicken. I should have bought some thighs to cook with the breasts, even though they are more expensive.

If you live in an area with a Chinatown, you can go there and buy live chickens and have them butchered and plucked for you. My ex-roommate in San Francisco, Bernard, went to Chinatown, bought a live chicken, took her home, and named her Debbie. She was a really stupid chicken and eventually got loose. She used to roost on the stretcher under our dining table. I've told this story before, so forgive me if you've already read it.

Lars

Safeway/Dominicks had the whole bird at .79 this week, the Asian supermarket has the BS breast for $1.69 and legs/thighs for .49/#. And teh big roasters are going for .99/# the last several weeks here. Go figure.

But still a good price over beef/pork/lamb.

holy moly I want to shop where you people do! Around here, NE Ohio, a whole roaster goes for .99/lbs on a very good sale, normally 1.98/lbs, BSCB is around 4.79/lbs, split ch. breasts 4.00/lbs, wings 3.50/lbs, and quarters 2.80/lbs. The bargain places, Aldi's, Save-A-Lot, and Food-4-Less are only slightly better. I've had my best luck at Sam's Club and at a local processing plant that has a retail outlet.

Augie

If you have access to a local processing plant, see if you can buy feet. They make awesome broth! We used to raise chickens but had them processed at a USDA plant. They were always surprised that we wanted the feet. If we didn't take them, I think they probably sold them!

I just this past weekend got over being a "chicken brand" snob. I had been buying Bell & Evans chicken breast for $6.29 a pound from the butcher. I almost didn't want to cook anything with it because it was so expensive! Plus, I was getting tendons in all the breasts, which I didn't like at all. Then I was on this website and they were raving about Costco's beef, so when I was there this past weekend I thought I would be brave and try their pre-packaged chicken breasts. I got a package of breasts, all natural, no preservatives. I think there are 6 (maybe 8?) packages, 2 breasts to a package. It came to $18.39 but I have enough chicken to last us a month (we eat a lot of chicken at our house). Let me tell you they are so huge one breast would have fed both my husband and myself (I do pound them a little thinner so they are uniform in thickness). I really thought I would be returning it, but they actually tasted just as good (if not better) than the Bell & Evans . I was really impressed. Next I will try their ground beef (I'm a ground beef snob too). On the beef site people were saying they bought a rib eye roast and cut into steaks. They had pics and it looked gorgeous.

Sorry, I forgot to mention Costco chicken is $2.99 a pound.

The cheapest I can get BSCB on a regular basis within reasonable distance is $2.99/lb... if I buy 5lb packages. The only time I buy BSCB is when I don't feel like cooking. The whole package gets dumped in a pot and boiled. That give me meat for a week. Some are eaten reheated in butter, some shredded w/bbq sauce, and one or two chopped back into the broth with a bag of frozen mixed veggies. Fine eats for a few days without really doing any cooking. I used to do a couple an the George Foreman grill but they are not much better then those reheated in the microwave... and more work.

Whole fryer chickens have been available for .79/lb or the last few years. These are the best value by a long shot. I smoke them on the grill eating wings and a leg for dinner, breast meat is pulled out for sandwiches, and the carcass w/leg/back/thigh/ribs goes in a soup pot to boil the bones bare. The skin I feed to Dolly after I've boiled it. Lots of eating for about $4 a bird.

Local raised, slaughtered, and frozen are $5 each.

: )
lyra

Kathya - is that the price for chicken breasts because at our Costco whole chicken is 99 cents. We usually stock up with what is on sale - mostly for our dogs who get fed raw. Right now we have whole chickens on sale for 69 cents/lb - last week was breast halves (skin & bone in) for 99 cents. I will stock up for us if it is Foster Farms or Zacky. I guess I am a "brand snob" BUT my dad was a meat wholesaler (bought from packing houses and sold to butcher shops (before the giant markets/box stores came into being)) always told us to buy california chickens because you never know how "fresh" the other brands from outside California were.

I'm terrible with remembering the price of things, but I did just stock up because split chicken breasts were on sale for $1.29/lb. I almost exclusively buy BSCB because I cut them into chunks and use them for pad thai, put them in salads, make a few different pasta dishes with them, etc. I also grill them to have with salad or veggies just for me and hubby on nights it's just us eating. But it's been so long since I cooked chicken with the bone in, I wanted to get some and the price was right. I also bought a couple packages of leg quarters because hubby and son prefer dark meat, while daughter and I prefer the breast. Anyway, boy did they have so much more flavor grilled with the bone!! I took some of the skin off to avoid the fat and calories, but I did leave a little bit on and that added so much more flavor as well. And they didn't dry out the way the boneless often does.

I don't bother with wings much as they're too much fat and skin. And I rarely buy a whole chicken - if I do buy one, I buy it already cut up into pieces. Most of the time I buy halved breasts and leg quarters.

My BIL used to be a meat wholesaler and altho he doesn't do it for a living any longer, he still has all his "connections" so every now and then I'll buy 10 pounds or more thru him. I usually am buying steak tips and/or ribs and shrimp at the same time, so I can't really say what I'm paying individually for each. I know I'm paying a lot less than in the store, and I'm getting far better quality because it's restaurant grade - especially the beef.

Lisa

I can get BSCB for $2/Lb on sale and roasters for $1/lb on sale. I don't even entertain the regular price. Parts make no sense around here, I heard that wings were in short supply prior to the Super Bowl in the northeast and as a result they were twice the price of BSCB which is ridiculous.

I find Costco meats to be cut for WWF diners not normal humans and I can usually do better price-wise at the local mart if the protein is on sale. I've bought whole pork loin for $1/lb, veal scallopine for $6/lb,, filet mignon for $5, bottom round for 1.49, eye round for 2.99, lump crab for 10/lb. When it's on sale buy it! Reading the local circulars can be very beneficial. :)

Well wouldn't ya know, BSCB is on sale for $1.79 today. I've never seen it that cheap. Better make room in my freezer!

One thing I really miss about living in the US was how much cheaper it was to buy groceries. I'm always amazed at how little somethings cost compared to our prices.

Chicken breasts were on sale this week for $4.49 for bone in.

Boneless are on this week for $6.59 and whole chickens two in a package for $2.49 a pound.

Fresh Chicken wings are $3.99 per pound.

Ann

cabogirl, yes it is $2.99 per pound for chicken breasts at Costco. Since I was paying more than double that for Bell & Evans I was thrilled, not only at the price, was the quality - better than Bell&Evans. I've seen the little roasters at Costco also (don't know the $)and I've heard they are good but husband and I don't like dark meat so it would be a waste for us. The breasts are meant for WWF appetites but, hey, that's what knives are for. I can take just one of those breasts (from the pack of 2) and pound it for chicken piccata or something and one breast will feed both of us! I'm trying to cut down on size of portions of meat and increase the size of portions of vegetables, salad, potatoes, not only for the cost but because we can get our required protein from the smaller amount just fine. We had relatives stay with us from England a few years ago and they eyes were wide in amazement at our portions, especially of meat (not so much at my house but at restaurants).

I just checked my local sale flyer and whole roasting chickens are 79 cents a pound this week. Boneless sirloin is $3.99 a pound, boneless ham is 99 cents a pound, ground chuck is $1.79. Boneless pork loin is $1.99 but pork steaks are 99 cents a pound.

Annie

Posted by leona_diet (My Page) on Wed, Mar 25, 09 at 8:07

I think the whole chicken is better. Because you can see that it is a whole, normal looking chicken, not "something" with giant fillets, wings, drums. Listen, I always want to know "WHAT" me and my family has for meal. Or do you people believe the ADS in store?

Leona you are a strange bird yourself.