Buying chicken on a budget

If you are buying meat on a budget, buy chicken bone-in and with the skin on. It's cheaper. That does not mean that you need to eat the skin, but simply de-skin it yourself. If you are not buying a whole chicken, thighs tend to have more meat per pound which can save you some money. Make sure you save your chicken bones. Freeze them and use the bones later for making chicken stock, if you already have the bones, the stock you can make from it is practically free.