A mum-of-11 claims she has cut her food bill in almost half by feeding her entire family for less than £4 per meal.
Michelle Bannon saw her monthly food costs go from £1,000 to £600 when she started buying products from Asda 's Just Essentials range.
The 36-year-old mum decided to become more inventive due to the cost of living crisis and now manages to feed her family of 13 on a budget.
The maternity consultant regularly posts her meals on social media to show other mums that there is no shame in ditching branded items and buying value products to save money.
Michelle says mechanical engineer husband Craig Bannon, 38, and children Chloe, 18, Charley, 14, Emily, 13, Lacey, 11, Libby, nine, Ollie, eight, Lottie, seven, Connie, five, Joey, three, Jessie, two, Jorgie, one, can't taste the difference.
Hearty meals including fishcakes, home-made chips and mixed vegetables cost just £3.91, while she managed to feed her family a sausage pasta dish that set her back just £3.36.
Michelle, from Rotherham, South Yorks, said: "I used to spend £1,000 a month on food before I was savvy. We go through a lot of food.
"We'd get brands and would spend quite a lot. I'd buy two big lasagnes for tea but now I can make my own.
"Before the prices went up, I got the food shop down to £130 per week.
"Now, with the prices going up, we're hitting around £150. Because we're a big family, people think we spend a fortune."
She said Asda's Just Essentials range is "great" and allows her to save a lot each month.
Michelle explained: "As long as you know how to cook, you can make anything from anything.
"I made the kids fishcakes, chips and veg and it was really cheap.
"I used around 3 kilos of potatoes from a 7.5kilo bag, two bags of fishcakes and a kilo bag of veg - and the kids loved it.
"Why would I fork out for the expensive brand when the kids enjoy it anyway?"
She added: "Pasta is always a good one. Everyone loves sausage pasta and you can make it as cheap as you like.
"We get 20 sausages that cost £1.20 and if you slice them up it goes further, 1.5kilos of pasta, some veg, tomato puree, a stock cube and you can add cheese depending on your budget."
Michelle and Craig spend the extra cash on days out as a family or or treat the children to the occasional McDonald's.
The mum said: "We have a bit more money to do a bit extra and have fun, we're comfortable.
"We let kids be kids, let them out and don't keep them locked up so we have extra on days out or a cheeky McDonald's or a treat."
Michelle says she was forced to become more inventive throughout the pandemic because she wasn't able to get to the supermarket as often and there wasn't enough food available for her large family.
Although she likes to support local businesses, she has ditched her weekly trip to the butchers and cut her milk deliveries down from three to one a week.
Rather than spending two hours in the supermarket every week and filling up two trolleys, Michelle pays £6.50 per month for deliveries.
Michelle said she became "more savvy with money and really inventive" during the pandemic due to restrictions.
She explained: "I wouldn't say I've always budgeted. The problem was I couldn't always cook but Covid did me a lot of favours because I learned new cooking skills.
"With the food restrictions, I had to be more inventive because we could only get two bags of pasta. It was an absolute nightmare."
She added: "I get a milkman delivery once a week for £10. I used to have him three times a week but I've cut it down because it's not feasible but I liked to do my bit and support that local business.
"I used to get meat from the local butchers. I feel for them but there's a big difference in price compared to the supermarket.
"I like to support businesses but we're feeling the pinch. I can get burgers for £2 to feed us all rather than £10 from the butchers.
"The quality might not be quite as good but I've been giving everything from the Just Essentials range a try.
"If we don't like it, I don't get it again but I haven't found anything we don't like."
Examples of Michelle's budget meals
Cheesy bean bake
20 Sausages - £1.21
Four potatoes - 50p
Four tins of beans - £1
Cheese (250g) - £1.20
Total = £3.91
Fishcakes and homemade chips
2.5kilo potatoes - 99p
2 bags of fishcakes - £2.20
1kilo mixed veg - 72p
Total = £3.91
Sausage pasta
20 sausages - £1.21
1.5kilo pasta - £1.05
Tomato puree - 50p
Stock cube - 60p
Leftover veg - N/A
Total = £3.36
