Anybody living in the UK will understand what a huge impact the rising cost of living has had on them. It seems as though everything becomes so much more expensive each time you head to the supermarket, and it's had a very real, negative impact on everybody's bank balance.
But one mum has shown that you can make your supermarket shop a whole lot cheaper after she admitted she and her husband used to spend a whopping £450 a week on groceries - but she's managed to slash the cost to £80, leaving other parents wondering just how she's managed it.
Zoë Smedberg, who posts on TikTok as @zocohomes, admitted that she was "embarrassed" about the amount she used to spend on groceries per week, calling it "absolutely ridiculous."
She said that in that amount of money, it wasn't just groceries from a supermarket - it also included "going to Starbucks pretty much every day, sometimes twice a day", but she had two children and said her life was a "chaotic s**tshow."
Zoë also admitted that they ate a lot of "quick convenience food" each week to try and cut down time spent thinking about and making food.
She then went on to say that she'd managed to get her food spend down to £80 per week, encouraging others by saying "if I can do it, anyone can."
She then said that she'd done a food shop the previous week for £40, and made five meals with it, and had done some additional top-up shops to get further essentials such as snacks, and milk - these shops cost £17, £3 and £3.
Zoë then shared she'd done another shop to get nappies, crisps, chocolate biscuits, bread, milk, bananas, a whole chicken, baby potatoes, tomato puree, a tin of coconut milk, and a curry spice packet.
She explained that she'd use half of the chicken for lunch with a salad and baby potatoes, and then she'd use the rest of it to make a curry that evening. The day after, her plan was to use the chicken thighs she'd previously bought in the big shop, and then she'd do another big haul - but she'd got the week's groceries for under £80 - and she was really impressed with herself.
In the comments, people were horrified at the amount of money Zoë was spending, but she confirmed that she had "bad spending habits", again encouraging people to try spending less.
One mum wrote: "Totally the same we have a three-year-old and ten month old we are spending a fortune!"
Someone else said: "Glad that you managed to find a balance now that works."
Another sympathised, thanking her for her honesty: "I love your honesty, we have absolutely been in the same boat towards the end of pregnancy and newborn CHAOS! You're doing amazing."
"Go you!! Well done for making changes", a TikToker praised.
Could you spend £80 or less per week on groceries? Let us know in the comments.
