FEEDING your family – fussy or not – can stretch your purse strings at the best of times, but what if your food is on the turn?
One money-minded TikTok mum has come up with a way to rustle up dinner for less than one pound a head – but her technique has divided opinion.
Over 26,000 people follow Duchessofthrift, who describes herself as a thrifty mum buying no new items in 2022.
She also shares energy and money saving tips on a regular basis, from stain removal hacks to lazy Sunday roasts and how to cut your water bill by planning your daily shower at the gym.
She’s raised eyebrows this week after revealing she saves money by giving her sons out-of-date dinners.
In a recent video, posted on Wednesday, the savvy Brit told fans she cracks out old vegetables from the fridge instead of buying more from the store.
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“To save a bit of money on the food bill I’m forcing the boys to have a vegan meal every week,” she confesses to fans. “I’m laughing because they love their meat.”
The mum goes on to describe her 65p-per-head meal – a creamy cauliflower, potato and chickpea curry.
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She spent just £2.60 on ingredients, taking most from her cupboards no matter what the best before date advised.
Zooming in on her ingredients, she explains: “I bought the potatoes three weeks ago and they’ve not gone sprouty.
“I’ve got some onions, also out of date,” she adds, listing each element of the meal.
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“The tin of chickpeas was cheaper than buying the dried ones and boiling them for as long as they needed because the hob’s quite expensive.”
Then she lists the spices, including curry powder and garam masala “that’s as old as God’s dog,” she quips. “Then there’s some cumin that’s probably as old as my son but I’m sure it’ll be alright.”
After frying the onions and chilli, she adds them to a slow cooker along with the spices, cauliflower, potatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk and chopped tomatoes.
“I’ll leave that on medium all day and see what happens,” she says.
Last month, Which? Compared supermarkets to find the cheapest store to buy 48 items including Heinz beans, milk and tea bags.
Aldi came out on top, costing £75.61 on average. It’s a steal against bigger superstores, but savvy savers were grateful to the thrifty TikTok mum for sharing her cheap and cheerful meal.
They had a few nuggets of advice to share, too.
“Don’t throw away the chickpea water – it’s Aquafaba – you can make all sorts with it,” said one.
Another suggested: “If you have out of date herbs and spices I believe you just need to use a bit more as they lose some taste.”
The dish was a hit in the TikTokker’s household, as she explained in the comments: “As long as they [the vegetables] are not stinky or rotting I’m eating them. We waste too much because of best before dates. We ate it and everyone is still alive.”
The FSA (Food Standards Agency) recommends that we always check if food has a use-by or best-before label.
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After the use-by date, don't eat, cook or freeze your food – it could make you ill.
A best-before label is about quality, not safety. Flavour and texture may change, so look out for mould, taste to see if food is stale and use the 'sniff test' to smell if dairy products have soured.
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