A MONEY saving mum has shared how meal planning has transformed her life, and given her back much-needed cash in the process.
Social media star Duchess of Thrift took to her TikTok page to show her followers her easy step-by-step guide to getting it right in no time at all.
She explained that each week ahead of her shopping trip, she creates a word document, broken down into each meal she and her family will be eating on a particular day.
Next to the dishes – which ranged from chorizo and chilli pasta to Vietnamese pork balls and noodles – was what ingredients are required.
Other meals on the menu for the seven day period included fajitas, chicken burgers, sausage and mash, honey chipotle chicken and a cauliflower, chickpea and potato curry.
The next part of the process is writing a detailed shopping list with every food item that is needed to make the tasty dishes.
The Duchess of Thrift explained: “On my shopping list, I’ve broken it down into categories in the supermarket.
“So I’ve got meat, veg, the carbs bit and then seasonings,” she continued as she once again showed the word document and how much each item and section would amount to.
She went on to say: “So I’ve written down all the ingredients that I need on the left, and then on the right I’ve price matched them by using the Sainsbury’s website.
“I’ve gone through and found the cheapest versions so I know what to look for in the supermarket.
“I’ve also noted down what I’ve already got in the cupboard.”
Duchess of Thrift then revealed that the total cost of her meals for a family of four for six days was £27.84 – an amazing £1.16 per meal.
The organised, full-time working mum added that not only does the preparation save her time, but also money.
She continued: “Once you’ve got a template like that – whether it be on a piece of paper or you scribble it down in a book, or even on your smartphone – you can start planning meals.
“I do an inventory of what I’ve already got in the cupboard, so I know I’ve got some stuff, and actually you can plan your meals around some of the stuff you’ve got.
“So a bit of planning really, really does save you money and time in the long term.”
