A mum-of-two has revealed how she’s slashed her weekly food bill and how to whip up nutritious meals for less than £1.

Heidi Ondrak, 51, a project manager from Plymouth, Devon, is a self-proclaimed “savvy saver” who shares her top tips on how to see your money go further – especially for families.

As the UK experiences a cost of living crisis, with increasing prices and bills, many are finding themselves struggling to afford the essentials and make ends meet.

The mum-of-two previously hit headlines after sharing how she saved £5,000 through only buying second-hand clothes – but still rocked designer looks.

“We now have very little disposable income after bills have been paid for, as everything has crept up – water, television, petrol and food,” Heidi said.

“Our energy bills overall have skyrocketed from £98 per month to £266 per month.

“Our food bill was getting silly, as we were walking around the supermarket blindly and throwing stuff in the trolley, wasting food and overbuying stuff we already had at home.

“We still ordered take out and the two boys in the house like to do bodybuilding, so they eat a lot of protein and this can work out very expensive.

"But now, I've saved £30 a week on my food shop in only three months."

The 51-year-old claims making an inventory of what's in her fridge and freezer has helped her avoid wasting food. Batch cooking meals and using leftovers to "bulk out" other meals. Another tip she lists is to be on the hunt for reduced items.

A mum-of-two has revealed how she’s slashed her weekly food bill and how to whip up nutritious meals for less than £1.

Heidi Ondrak, 51, a project manager from Plymouth, Devon, is a self-proclaimed “savvy saver” who shares her top tips on how to see your money go further – especially for families.

As the UK experiences a cost of living crisis, with increasing prices and bills, many are finding themselves struggling to afford the essentials and make ends meet.

The mum-of-two previously hit headlines after sharing how she saved £5,000 through only buying second-hand clothes – but still rocked designer looks.

Now, she’s revealed how to keep those purse strings tight with the weekly food shop and how to whip up a nutritious meal for only a few pennies.

“We now have very little disposable income after bills have been paid for, as everything has crept up – water, television, petrol and food,” Heidi told NeedToKnow.Online.

“Our energy bills overall have skyrocketed from £98 per month to £266 per month.

“Our food bill was getting silly, as we were walking around the supermarket blindly and throwing stuff in the trolley, wasting food and overbuying stuff we already had at home.

“We still ordered take out and the two boys in the house like to do bodybuilding, so they eat a lot of protein and this can work out very expensive.

"But now, I've saved £30 a week on my food shop in only three months."

Here are Heidi’s top tips.

INVENTORY

As the family-of-four aim for variety, they often shop for new items each week, without realising the food they still have left over.

In a bid to minimise waste, and spend their money wisely, she suggests creating an inventory of the fridge and freezer prior to going shopping.

She said: “Take a look at what you already have in the kitchen that you could use to make another meal.

“There’s an app called Kitche which you can use and it will give you recipes that can be made with leftovers.

“Make a list of meals for the week, as planning is key, and you can use apps such as Mealtime and Yummly if you get stuck for inspiration.

“But if you prefer paper, write all your meals and the ingredients down, then cross reference them to make sure you’re buying items which can be used in another meal.

“Often, bigger packs are cheaper, so this really helps.”

BATCH COOKING AND BARGAINS

In order to cut down on waste, many supermarkets offer “yellow sticker” items, which are close to their best before date.

She uses these items to whip up nutritious meals and batch cooks to ensure she’s getting the most out of her money.

Heidi said: “I will cook things like a bolognese and batch cook, before turning it into a chilli for the next day.

“I will prepare meals in roasting bags and cook two lots of different foods in the slow cooker to save on energy.

“I use leftovers to bulk out meals, as well as lentils.

“There is a myth that eating fresh is expensive, but I think it’s cheaper and if you plan, you can make food last.

“Adding bulking ingredients which are healthy like pulses and grains, means I eat a high-protein, macro balanced diet.

“My challenge is to eat as healthily as we can as a family and always get a good balance.

“A pack of cheap pies is around £2 and chips are £1.30 – you can buy a pack of chicken breasts for that and make something healthy like a stir fry.”

For the mum, her top choice of supermarket is Sainsbury's and Aldi, but for yellow sticker items, she picks Morrisons, as she believes they offer the best bargains.

She said: “Morrisons are great for end-of-the-day bargains, as their deli counter and hot food-to-go section reduce things hugely.

“They also have a great discount on fruit and veg, but I’ve also had pies and bread for as little as 7p before, which I freeze.

“For treats, I use Too Good To Go and I’ve collected sushi platters, Greggs bags, as well as packed lunches from Costa and Starbucks.

“I also use Olio to collect freebies.”

ONE POUND MEALS

Using online tools and these bargains, she researches budget meal ideas with a focus on these factors.

After finding protein on offer, such as pork for £3 and chicken thighs for £4.49, as well as bulk buying fruit and vegetables, she claims her meals cost only £1 per head.

She said: “One meal is a pork goulash, as I found the pork on offer and I added in onions and peppers from another meal, as well as garlic, lentils, chopped tomatoes and some old potatoes.

“In total, it only cost me £4.40 – so a fresh meal from scratch for only £1.10 per head, which I cooked in the slow cooker.”

She’s also whipped up chicken casseroles, frittatas and a “three-day mince fest” – overall, this cost her £12.

Heidi said: “For the casserole, I use chicken thighs, onions, carrots, potatoes, pearl barley, stock and frozen Yorkshire puddings.

“Typically, this costs £6.79, but will last us two days – so eight meals for 84p a head.

“For the frittata, I use leftovers, such as eggs, feta, salami from the week before, pepper and onion, which costs 58p a head and I often chuck in a handful of chips with this.

“You need the biggest pack of mince [for the fest] and on day one, I make a bolognese, with a chilli on day two.

“I’ll add two cans of chilli beans, chilli powder and serve with rice, but if I need to bulk it out, I’ll add extra peppers to make it go further.

“On day three, I make a burrito and put the chilli in wraps, cover with cheese and air fry for 15 minutes.

“It lasts us for 12 meals, so a bargain at less than £1 a meal.”

Before carrying out these hacks, she used to spend £120 a week on the food shop for herself and her husband, Dave, as well as their two kids, Daisy, 13 and Archie, 15.

Now, she claims to spend only £90 a week and while many believe Aldi and Lidl are the best supermarkets for cheap food – she believes Sainsbury's is the top winner.

Heidi said: “I always used Aldi, but have noticed this has gotten really expensive recently with things rising.

“I’ve started using Sainsbury's which is surprisingly cheap – especially if you buy loose veg rather than pre-packed and weigh out exactly how much you need.

“[Using these hacks] have helped to close the gap on my energy bill deficit and I’m no longer in my overdraft.

“We are lucky to have two incomes and people who are on benefits, as well as pensioners, will struggle – especially as it gets colder.

“You need a nutritious hot meal for your body to function and kids need nutrition to concentrate in school.

“Poor diet can impact energy levels and your physiological and psychological health."

In a bid to help struggling families, she shares her top “savvy saver” tips on TikTok, where she has racked up 157,000 views and nearly 7,000 likes on one video about how she's reduced her average meal cost.

However, she’s been surprised with the amount of people who can relate, but understands that more families are really feeling the pinch.

Heidi added: “I guess I’m a normal anxious mum who’s trying to juggle our finances and it really resonates with people.

“In normal times, I’m comfortable, but our household is really being squeezed and I guess there’s a lot of people out there like me.

“I grew up in the 70s with very little and learned how to live frugally from my mum while times were tough.

“Always ask for help, as there’s no shame in collecting food from free apps and sites.

“You’re helping to stop food from being wasted and also local free sites, such as Freecycle, have loads of give away meals where people have cooked too much.

“I recently cleared out my freezer and found some fish the kids wouldn’t eat, so I found it a new home and they were grateful for the meal and I was grateful it didn't go to waste.

“If you have friends on a lower income, or have debts and bills which they are struggling with, check in on them.

“If you have a kitchen sort out, see if there’s anything they want which you won’t use and offer them dinner if you cook an extra meal.

“It’s really tough right now and we need to help each other out in any way we can.

“We’re all struggling to different degrees.”

ENDS