FOR many households, the grocery bill is growing – but one money-savvy mum has managed to slash hers by half.
As cash-strapped families are struggling to make ends meet, Nicola Richardson, who has two children, has revealed how she’s cut her food bill by more than 50 per cent thanks to six simple tips and tricks.
The 37-year-old, who works in the education sector, regularly shares budget cooking tips on YouTube, ranging from detailed shopping lists to weighing out ingredients.
She told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: “Life is busy! I feed me and my two children on £45 a week. At one point it was nearer £100 so I’ve pretty much cut our food bill in half.”
According to the mum, from the North East, she swears by planning all of the meals every week and basing her shopping around what’s already in the fridge.
To make sure she doesn’t waste money, Nicola will write a list of items she has – and this nifty trick also ”helps with impulse shopping as well”, the Mirror reported.
“Buying cheaper cuts of meat and more vegetarian options automatically makes this cheaper. Weighing out ingredients so you don’t use too much also helps.”
The thrifty mother also advises keeping an eye out for yellow stickers, which many shops often offer at the end of the day.
But while cheap food may sound like a great deal, the cash-savvy mum urged to only buy the items if you’re actually planning on using them.
She explained: “Definitely meal plan and write a shopping list – planning on what you’re eating and then writing a shopping list means you are less likely to impulse buy and buy things that you don’t need which end up being thrown away.”
“If you can manage to time this, yellow stickers can be a really good way of saving money on food. I also use a couple of apps, such as Olio, that give away free surplus food which has been very helpful, especially towards the end of the month when money is tight.”
Other sites to look out for include Karma, Too Good To Go and No Waste.
As well as swearing by strict shopping lists, the 37-year-old also sticks to batch cooking – which not only saves her money but also time.
A life-saver when life and work schedules get busy, Nicola said batch cooking ”can also be a lot cheaper – things are often cheaper in bigger quantities so it makes more sense”.
According to Nicola, using a slow cooker is a total game-changer when batch cooking for the family.
The foodie will chuck all the ingredients ”and leave it to work its magic”.
Money saving experts at HSBC UK have revealed their top tips to saving cash on your food shop.
1. Set a budget
Creating a budget will help to stretch your budget. Start by working out how much you spent on food over the last three months, then each month you get paid, set aside a certain amount for food.
2. Plan your meals
Make a list of your main meals for the coming week, including the ingredients you need, and stick to it. Don’t get drawn into offers for things that you don’t need. If you already have some food leftover from the week before, try to see what you can do with that first.
3. Think about when and where you shop
It’s best to shop on a full stomach so you don’t get tempted. Shopping less often can help you to think about what you buy and it may help you to stick to your budget.
4. Go online
Shopping online is a good and easy way to manage your budget. It can also help to track expenses, whilst also preventing impulse buys.
One of her favourite recipes is goulash, as well as delicious chicken fajita wraps with rice in – and according to the mum, you can even freeze cooked rice.
“They take 30 seconds to heat up in the microwave and so are such a great thing to have in stock for tea time. You could do chilli and rice in them too.”
The total bill of just £45 a week includes everything – breakfasts, lunches and dinner for the family-of-three, the mum said, adding ”it takes a bit of balancing to get it to work some weeks”.
“We tend to have similar things each week for ease more than anything; anything that makes a school night go easier is a good thing.”
