I find that I get a better deal by buying a whole chicken and cut up myself. That way I can use the carcass and boil it up with whatever veggies I have in the fridge to make soup or stocks then freeze for later.
Also, I have been buying medium ground beef for the past 3 or 4 years for $2.99 a pound. The grocery store I go to didn't have any for a couple of weeks and last week they reappeared but are now $4.89 a pound for the same thing. Guess I won't be buying anymore unless it goes on sale.