You don't need to spend a fortune on meat to be a carnivore. In fact, most people end up saving money because they no longer waste it on things like alcohol, coffee, snacks and supplements.
Where to source your meat:
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Local regenerative farmer. Find a farmer in your local area and get to know them and learn how they raise their animals. Buy direct from them in bulk and it will work out better for them and for you. Eg. you can buy a half cow and you get all the cuts at prices similar to ground beef.
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Befriend your local butcher. Butchers throw out the fatty cuts of meat because it's not what the market wants, this gives us a huge advantage because we can source fatty cuts cheaply. They also throw out fat off cuts so they will give them to you at a really cheap price or even free sometimes. Butchers also love it when customers appreciate their products and take an interest in what they do. So take some time to chat with them, put some effort into finding the good ones, and you will be rewarded.
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Buy in bulk from wholesalers or CostCo. Purchase the large pieces of chuck, rump, scotch, porterhouse, brisket etc. and slice it up yourself at home to save money. Some of these wholesalers will even slice it up for you which is amazing service.
What to purchase:
Beef - buy the whole pieces and slice them up yourself. You do not need to buy sliced rib eye or scotch fillet all the time! Go for the less popular cuts and you will save money and they are still delicious you just might need to put a bit of effort into preparing them like dry-brining. Also, buy fat off cuts from grass finished cows and it will cost you almost nothing and there is lots of nutrition there.
Lamb, pork and other cuts - again go for the less popular cuts and if you prepare them well and it's a well-raised animal then it will be delicious.
If possible buy meat from animals who ate a natural diet. This means grass finished beef and lamb and pasture raised pork and chicken (ideally not fed soy or GMO feed). I prioritise these things over getting the expensive cuts. One of my favourite meats is lamb forequarter chops which are super cheap here in Australia because they have bones and they're not pretty but the flavour is beautiful, meat is tender and they have lots of fat.
Find a farmer in your area!
This is a worldwide database I created to help you find a farmer in your area who sells direct to the public. It's editable so if you know any amazing farmers selling direct please add them to the list: Buy From The Farmer
All the best,
Simon