Recently I purchased this ground beef log from a local walmart.  I purchased it as it was discounted to a price of 8.39. I knew it had a higher fat content, but I was using it for sloppy joes so I could just drain off the excess water and fat.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fpl-Food-LLC-73-27-Ground-Beef-5-Lb/15136795
What suprised me, was how much actual fat and liquid where in there!
After I cooked the ground beef, I drained it, then let it sit overnight for the fat and liquids to solidify. I was totally amazed at how much it weighed!

The weight of the fat was 15.4 Ounces and filled a 16 oz dip container. I then weighed the liquids that were left, they weighed 12 ozs.  To simplify that means out of the 5 lbs, 1 3/4 pound was fat and liquid. That means the  ground beef  weighed 3 1/4 pound.
When looking a the package, it seems like a great deal at 8.39 for 80 ounces (5 lbs) the cost is about 10 cents an ounce, or 1.60 a pound. When the amount of fat and water are taken out, the price is now about 16 cents an ounce or 2.58 a pound, which is just about a dollar higher! 

The regular price on this somewhere around 11.00. Paying full price, it would come out to about 3.38 for a pound!  An astonishing price for those thinking they are getting a good deal.

As our food prices continue to escalate, in order to stretch our food dollar, we need to have an increased awareness of what we are buying, and the quality of that product.  For the purpose of the ground beef, and at the price I paid, I am ok with what I found. Had I paid the full price, I would have been a very disgruntled shopper. Would I ever buy this product again?  After this, probably not. I usually buy chuck roasts and grind them myself, that way I can control the amount of fat I have added to the product.  For those unable to grind their own meat, then buying a more expensive product might not be such a bad idea!

By the way, for those that are wondering, the taste was just fine for what I made.