Buying meat in bulk from a butcher is more cost effective as long as you have the freezer space to do so. This last time I bulk ordered meat I requested to have some of the extra fat packaged up. The butcher adds some fat to the ground pork, but otherwise it would either go to waste or they would use if to make and resell lard in their shop own shop.

We have bought meat in bulk for YEARS, but until recently we had never known to request the fat to make our own lard (and tallow– from beef)!