I’m a mum & I feed my family of four for £1 per person – here’s how you can do it too

A mum of two has found a way to support her family for just £1 each and wants to share her tips to help others.

As food prices skyrocket and energy bills blow bank accounts, Zoe Chamberlain has managed to figure out the best way to get great bang for your buck at the supermarket.

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Common household groceries, including breaks, milk and butter, have suffered some of the worst price spikes, but this savvy mom has found the most inexpensive ingredients to buy.

Zoe has shared all of her tips and recipes for keeping the weekly shopping budget under £30, which is around £1 per person in her family.

“When Jamie Oliver suggested supporting the family for £1 a day, I decided to give it a try,” she told Birmingham Live.

The mother of two does her weekly shopping at Aldi and, despite the uninspiring list of ingredients, manages to cause a sensation in the kitchen.

The key to saving money was finding adaptable, cheap but fresh ingredients and planning hearty meals that produced lots of leftovers.

“This isn’t fancy food, it’s an everyday dinner that kids love to eat and that fills them up!”

Here’s how she did it:

Sunday: Fried Chicken

Zoe said she made fried chicken with potatoes, carrots, broccoli, peas and gravy.

To take it further, each family member had a thigh or mace to save part of the chest for another day. The bones were also used to make a broth.

Monday: Cottage Pie

The proud mum used half the ground beef to make the British staple cottage pie, adding onions, carrots and peas to the braised meat and topping it with cheesy mashed potatoes.

The other half of the meat went into a sauce that was used for a bolognese another night.

Tuesday: Chicken Curry

Zoe cut a few contemporary corners by using a pre-made Aldi curry sauce and adding ingredients alongside cooked chicken to enhance the flavor. A can of tomatoes also went in to further stretch the meal and it was served with rice.

Wednesday: Spaghetti Bolognese

Bolognese sauce made from the leftover meat on Monday was reheated and added to spaghetti, then sprinkled with shredded cheese – “a dinner that’s ready to go”.

Thursday: sausage casserole

The modest but hearty meal was prepared from defrosted sausages that were cut into chunks and braised with onions, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, canned tomatoes and cannellini beans with some herbs and spices.

“Always a winner with the kids,” she exclaimed.

Friday: pasta carbonara

After frying bacon, Zoe added it to spaghetti already coated in eggs, cheese, peas and herbs.

Saturday: Chili con carne

The leftover bolognese sauce returns. This time it was added to red kidney beans, lots of chili powder, shredded cheese and steamed rice to make a healthy chili.

Zoe’s complete shopping list

The full Aldi ingredient list that kept the mum-of-two’s weekly grocery store under £30:

• Whole Chicken – £4.79
• Potatoes – £1.25
• Mushrooms – 85p
• Carrots – 28p
• Onions – 55p
• Garlic – 89p
• Broccoli – 69p
• Sauce Granules – 99p
• Red pepper – 43p
• Frozen Sausages – £1.99
• Frozen Peas – 85p
• Basmati rice – 89p
• Curry Jar – £1.19
• Ground Beef – £4.19
• 2 Passata cartons – 49p each
• 2 canned tomatoes – 38p each
• Mixed herbs – 49p
• Chili powder – 59p
• Bacon – £1.35
• 2 packs of spaghetti – 28p each
• Eggs – £1.55 for 6 free range eggs
• Mature Cheddar – £2.69
• Red Kidney Beans – 33p
• Cannellini Beans – 59p

The total for the week = £29.72

(£4.29 per day or £1.06 per person)