Frugal mum feeds her family for just £3 a day after shopping for groceries online and at Waitrose… and the meals really do look delicious
A THRIFTY mum has made it her mission to prove it’s possible to feed an entire family-of-three for just £3 per day.
Frugal Jane Ashley, 47, is able to whip up breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for a day on an extremely tight budget.
The mum-of-one was inspired to take control of her spending after speaking to a friend who works at a local food bank.
After hearing about the struggles of people living on very little money, she vowed she would do her bit to help.
Even though Jane isn’t a professional chef, she has found inventive ways of changing recipes so that they can feed everyone at a bargain price.
While before she could "easily walk out of the shop with £150 worth of shopping", Jane is now able to bag bargains in upmarket supermaket chains like Waitrose.
She shares her delicious meal plans on her blog, which features mouth-watering dishes including tacos with guacamole and pomegranate salad and Thai green curry.
As well as sharing her recipes online, Jane also offers up free money saving advice for other families.
Her top tips include ordering your groceries online to track your spending or sticking to your shopping list without getting drawn in by deals online.
JANE’S TOP TIPS FOR FRUGAL FEEDING
- Always, always have a shopping list.
- Check what you have run out of or need before you write your list. From Saturday to Friday, we write down what we are eating on what days and who will be working late or out so that we only buy what we need.
- Never go shopping when you are hungry or hungover, you'll end up buying sweets and snacks!
- Check your prices, supermarkets are always putting them up or down. If it's expensive that week don't get it. Swap it for something else and be flexible.
- Buy supermarket own brands. I've taste-tested lots of different ones and if cooked well, you can't tell the difference. Why pay £2 for something that can cost 35p?
- If you don't trust yourself to not overspend in the supermarket, then order online. That way you can't be tempted and you can see how much you are spending as you go along.
Graphic designer, Jane, who lives with her photographer husband Phil, 50, and 19-year-old daughter, revealed: “You don’t need fancy ingredients to cook good food.
“Before I started my blog, I could easily walk out of the supermarket with £150 worth of shopping – but I’ve learned to more frugal, less wasteful and still eat well.
“Hopefully my blog should offer something for everyone to help you to save money, whether you’re a poor student, struggling to feed a large family or even if you’re just trying to save some funds towards a holiday”
Jane also suggests planning meals in advance in order to cut back on food waste.
She said: “I do as much prep work as possible for the weekends in terms of baking cakes and making curry pastes.
“And I’ve seen other recipes where people use half of a lemon or a quarter of an onion to create a meal for under £1 which is great.
“But at the same time, supermarkets won’t sell you a vegetable or fruit in that quantity.
“So in my guides, I’ve shown how you can use the rest of the ingredients for other meals to help you save money.”
JANE'S FRIED BEAN TACOS RECIPE
Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 3 garlic cloves, chopped, 2 x 400g cans blackeyed beans, drained and rinsed, 3 tablespoons cider vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
For the guacamole 1 small garlic clove, 2 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander, 1 chilli, 2 avocados sliced, halved and stoned, Juice 1 lime
For the salsa About 100g pomegranate seeds, 1 chilli, finely diced, 1 small white onion, finely diced, Small handful fresh coriander, chopped, A few leaves of lettuce, sliced,
To serve 8-12 homemade wraps (our chapati recipe) or tortillas, chipotle or other hot sauce, Sliced lettuce (optional)
Method In a large frying pan, heat the oil and add the garlic. Fry until golden, then add the beans. Pour in the cider vinegar, maple syrup and spices along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, to taste. Cook until warmed through, crushing gently with the back of your wooden spoon, then set aside. In a bowl crush the garlic, coriander and chilli into a rough paste. Scoop in the avocado with a little salt and crush roughly – you want it chunky, not smooth. Squeeze in the lime juice and set aside. Mix the salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Heat a griddle pan and quickly griddle the tortillas and stack them to keep them warm in a low oven. Reheat the bean mixture. To serve, put 1-2 heaped tablespoons of beans on a tortilla. Top with a big spoonful of guacamole and some salsa, a little sliced lettuce, hot sauce and a dollop of vegan yogurt.
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