Mumsnet users reveal how YOU can cut your food bill… including trying a meat-free day, ditching cereal for porridge and bulking meals up with beans

MUMSNET users have shared their simple, easy-to-follow tips for cutting the price of your food bill.

A user called ‘UnicornsS***Rainbows’ took to the parenting forum to ask for advice on how to slash her £170 a week spend to £100.

She explained that she had to feed a family of seven – three adults and four kids – all of whom have varied eating habits and dislikes.

She said her husband “doesn’t eat much fish and isn’t keen on salad”, she’s not big on “cauliflower or sprouts” and her kids don’t like “mashed potato, fresh tomato or peppers”.

The mum added that she has a daughter with autism who “has some food issues but not many”.

The youngster “isn’t a fan of bred” but “adores rice and pasta”.

She concluded: “Would love to be able to cut down to £100 a week (can cut back on some brands) but that’s not very realistic, but hoping taking £50 a week off will be.

“We are quite big carnivores but will happily eat meat-free sometimes.”

Penny-pinchers rushed to dish out their budget advice.

A user called ‘toastymarshmallow’ commented: “I find doing things like jambalaya or chicken fried rice lets me get away with not serving loads of meat but it still feel like a meaty dish.

“Things like mince… I buy the cheaper ones and drain the fat and cook for a longer time.”

She said her family have a “super cheap meal” a couple of nights a week to keep costs down, such as “eggs, bean and toast, or lentil and carrot soup”.

Meanwhile, a contributor called ‘80sWaistcoat’ said she follows Jamie Oliver’s advice by “cooking a joint then using up the leftovers”.

She said: “It’s actually a fairly frugal way of cooking for a lot of people.”

‘KonMarieMyC***Away’ shared a variety of her simple food bill hacks.

Her “easy wins” included swapping luxury brands for store basics, cooking from scratch and visiting cheaper supermarkets such as Lidl or Aldi.

She added: “Halve the meat in all your recipes and bulk up with lentil, beans, mushrooms etc.

“Have as many meat-free days as you can. Veg chilli or curry are things you’ll often not ‘miss’ the meat in. Or fun things like cheese toasties; cheese and spinach crepes etc.

“Get rid of breakfast cereals and have porridge instead”.

‘UnicornsS***Rainbows’ said she usually gets a shop “delivered from Sainsbury’s” as it “takes longer” when she walks around stores with her children.

Other tips included creating a weekly meal plan so there is less food waste, using a comparison website to check for discounts and checking online for voucher codes.

Bargain-mad mums have also shared their money-saving tips.

Coupon queen Kayleigh Hughes swears by cashback websites and printing off vouchers.

And, thrifty Kate Haigh halved  her annual food bill by £3,000 by buying meat in bulk online.