Carer who had just a FIVER a week for food shares her best budget tips including creamy soup and stews

A WOMAN who used to live off £5 per week for food has shared her top tips on how to get through Christmas if you’re on a tight budget.

Nicole Olivia James, 25, from Wales, used to work as a carer with irregular working hours and was left with £24 a month for food shopping – for herself and her cats.

Despite having very little money, savvy Nicole managed to prepare easy and delicious meals from scratch – and even ended up with extra change to spare.

“I was living in that situation for about two years, it was not easy and I wouldn’t wish that stress on anybody,” she told Jam Press.

“It’s really easy to fall into that kind of situation and super hard to get out, but it is possible.

“I was working as a carer at the time and would work as many hours as I could.

“Due to living alone, all bills would rely on my wage, so I had to do a lot of hours to cover costs.

“I adored my job and my customers made everything worth it, they were family – I miss them all so much. Unfortunately, the hours were not consistent so this would leave me short some months.”

The thrifty carer ditched pricey branded items for cheaper alternatives and opted for vegetables like carrots, and lentils, beans, pasta and rice to help bulk up her meals.

You can make any meal delicious with the right herbs and spices.

Nicole Olivia James

Also, she batch cooked and made large portions to freeze and eat during the week, whipping up a variety of meals including stews, casseroles, Shepherd’s pie, pasta bakes, potato pies, spaghetti bolognese and chilli.

For example, Nicole combined a stew pack from Lidl for 89p and a £1 pack potatoes to make a meal, which would generally last her between four to five days.

Her top tip is to always write up a grocery list before going to the store.

She said: “My favourite place to shop is Lidl and occasionally I would shop around for good offers.

“Most weeks, I had less than £5 to spend and roughly just £24 left to last the month after paying all my bills.

“This would have to include my budget for my cats too.

“I was able to survive on such a small budget by batch cooking meals, cooking from scratch and reducing food waste by bulking out food with added vegetables or lentils.

“I added grated carrot or lentils to anything with a sauce as it bulks out a dish without changing the flavour.

“I also ditched more expensive brands for cheaper alternatives and most of them taste way better anyway.

A couple of days before payday I would rely on my tins and dry food that I had stocked up on with my spare change

Nicole Olivia James

“If I ever had some spare change I would stock up on beans, pasta, rice and a few other tins including herbs, spices and stock.

“You can make any meal delicious with the right herbs and spices.

“A few of my low-price meals would be packed with vegetables to create a balanced diet.

“Stew packs from Lidl are only 89p and a bag of potatoes is £1, with that I would be able to make a meal last four to five days using just these two items.

“I make a lot of stews, casseroles, Shepherd’s pies, pasta bakes, potato pies, spaghetti bolognese and chillies.

“These meals are easy to make large amounts for cheap, meaning I could freeze them or eat them through the week.

“I would adapt meals so that I wouldn’t get fed up. A couple of days before payday I would rely on my tins and dry food that I had stocked up on with my spare change.

“My favourite meals would be either a Shepherd’s pie, spaghetti bolognese or stews.

“These meals are super filling and tasty️.”

Even though she had very little money for food, Nicole would also cook for her neighbours and give a helping hand to those who were struggling with food expense.

She said: “My neighbours’ children love my spaghetti bolognese and a friend of mine loves my creamy vegetable soup. “I love to cook for and help people when they are struggling.”

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