A 23-year-old mother from Manchester shared her tips of feeding her family-of-three for £150($185) a month.
Bonnie Shaw who works for Network Rail said she uses the batch cooking method as they lead a busy life.
The young mum told LatestDeals.co.uk: “There are only three of us in our household but we all eat different things – I’m dieting, the partner isn’t and my baby is very fussy!’’
“I batch cook because we are a busy family, we both worked full time prior to lockdown and cooking three different meals every evening after work became a nightmare.’’
She says batch cooking helps her to manage her calories and by using this method the waste of food also reduces. “We started ordering food all of the time and it wasn’t good for any of us,’’ Bonnie continued.
“Batch cooking is great for me because I can control my calories for each meal for the week, my partner can have a meal of his choosing every night without the mess of washing up, and we waste less.”
The mother also donates food to a local sheltered accommodation which offers helps to vulnerable people. She added, “I know I have food in my cupboards that will go to waste if not cooked.’’
“I waste less and do a good thing for others at the same time!” Before Bonnie adopted the idea batch cooking, she used to cook three different meals daily and two-thirds of it would go into waste.
Bonnie used to spend money on shopping without a proper plan but now everything has changed. She said, “Now everything we don’t use, we cook and donate or give away. My bins are never full any more!”
She encouraged other people to try her money-saving idea as the lockdown period has already resulted in a shortage of items. The mother said, “I take advantage of the reduced section where I can through the week (there are some fab offers if you shop after 15:30) and then I base my meals for the week using the items I pick up.’’
“This means two shopping trips but I only do this every two weeks. My tips would be to make the most of the reduced section as there are some great bargains you can find there.’’
“Once you have your reduced items, make a plan of what you need to make the meals – make your list and stick to it. Shop at different stores to find the best bargain.’’
“I shop at Aldi for my staple items as they cannot be beaten, but make the most of Tesco’s reduced section. Your local meat markets will also have some fantastic offers on.”
Bonnie revealed her batch cooking takes a whole day but she then gets free for two weeks. She advised people to make a meal plan to reduces waste and save money.
Bonnie said: ”Make the most of the time you have available – we have a lot more time to find bargains, and a lot more time to cook. My batch takes me a full day, but then I don’t cook for two weeks. Find a method that works for you and stick to it!”
“No one enjoys being at home all day every day (at least most people) but I’m trying to make the most of the time at home, as we will probably never have another long period at home again. We’re getting odd jobs done and getting organised.’’
‘’Even if you don’t want to batch cook, planning your meals saves you money on your shop and reduces waste. At these difficult times, I try to waste less and give more – let’s help our communities where we can.”
The money-savvy mother writes the expiry date of her frozen food on its label and even adds how to cook it. Now she spends half of what she used to spend in past on shopping.
Bonnie added: “I used to spend over £300($370) a month on shopping without even thinking and now I spend half that – sometimes less if I’m being extra careful.
“Donating has been a new thing since the lockdown, but I will definitely continue to do it in future – it costs me nothing and I throw much less away!”
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