Feed your family for a week on a budget

A money savvy mum-of-two has cut her weekly shop in half by simply cooking from scratch and planning ahead.

Kayleigh Hughes, who blogs for PromotionalCodes.org.uk, worked out she could save heaps of cash on her family food shop by cutting the takeaways and making her own healthier alternatives.

The 28-year-old has an eye for a bargain and regularly shares her top tips on how to save money during everyday life.

Kayleigh, who lives in Grantham, Lincolnshire, put together a week’s plan of evening meals for her family of four and cut her food bill to £42.16 by cooking everything from scratch.

According to the national average, families can pay in excess of £85 every week on their supermarket shop.

The weekly rota included recipes such as corned beef and chorizo hash, honey and Cajun sticky belly pork and sticky sausage and potato salad.

Not only were the meals cheap and cheerful, but also simple to make and less fattening than standard processed foods you regularly see on the family table.

Also among the list were alternatives to food normally bought at the local takeaway. This included make your own fried chicken with homemade chips, corn on the cob, beans and coleslaw, beef and noodle stir-fry and homemade beer battered fish and chips with a side of minty mushy peas.

A standard KFC takeout for a family of four would cost over £20, but by making her own at home, Kayleigh paid just £9.58 for the ingredients at the supermarket.

This is similar to a regular fish and chip supper for two adults and two children – with Kayleigh only paying £5.80 in total, cutting it down to just £1.45 per person.

The cheapest meal on the week’s plan was the sticky sausage and potato salad recipe, coming in at £1.01 per person and totalling at £4.24. This can not only be whipped up in around 20 minutes, but the recipe will make more than needed, meaning you can freeze and use again.

Many of the ingredients used throughout the week, such as the spices for the make your own fried chicken, can be kept in the cupboards once bought – meaning the weekly food bill will be cut even further once you are fully stocked up.

Kayleigh said: “I noticed that one of my biggest outgoings was my weekly food bill – I was spending lots at the supermarket on items that we didn’t necessarily need.

“I worked out that by planning ahead and cooking recipes from scratch, I could actually cut down on the foods I bought and only buy what I needed. This not only saves you cash, but cuts down on food wastage too.

“All of the recipes are not only delicious but a lot cheaper than if you were buying processed foods. It was full marks each evening from my husband and kids! I enjoyed experimenting too and seeing each meal come together.”

The week’s plan of recipes and costings: 

Total for the week: £42.16