Mum-of-four feeds family for week on less than £5 using ‘genius’ food-sharing app | Personal Finance | Finance

A mum-of-four has shared how she managed to feed the family for an entire week for less than £5 using a clever app and some imagination. Jeannette Campbell, 43, from Thrapston in Northamptonshire, picked up a huge haul of budget price meals using the Olio app, which connects users with each other and with local businesses to share surplus food and other items, rather than throwing them away. 

Among its various partners is Iceland, with the collaboration giving shoppers access to £2 “Lucky Dip” bags containing mystery groceries, as well as real-time yellow-sticker discounts. The waste-saving tool makes it easy for Britons to spot items they can pick up locally at a fraction of the usual cost, and Ms Campbell used it to get massive discounts.

The savvy shopper was able to pick up a week’s worth of meals for a mere £4.03 rather than the £56.69 she would have spent at full price.

Ms Campbell, who cooks for her children aged six, nine, 17, and 21, says she challenges herself to “look at what’s in the cupboard or fridge and ask, what can I make out of this? It takes a bit of imagination, but that’s half the fun!”.

The bargain hunter says she has always been passionate about avoiding waste and staying within her budget, but it “doesn’t mean sacrificing flavour or quality”.

She added: “It just means being open to looking at your ingredients in a different way.”

Ms Campbell shared her £4.03-week with the help of “genius” Olio and Iceland:

• Monday: Quesadillas – yellow label wraps, ham and lettuce from Iceland, topped with leftover cheese. Cost: £1.75
• Tuesday: Baked Courgette Boats – courgettes and houmous from Olio. Cost: £0
• Wednesday: Veggie Stuffed Garlic Balls – leftover rolls, plant-based mince and cheese from Olio, plus the extra courgette. Cost: £0
• Thursday: Smashed Croissant Pizza – croissants from Olio, yellow tag chicken from Iceland and homegrown veg. Cost: £1.20
• Friday: Ready Meal Feast – a selection of frozen ready meals from Olio for a stress-free night. Cost: £0
• Dessert: Fruited Frozen Yogurt Slices – cinnamon rolls, yogurt and yellow tag blueberries. Cost: £1.08

By the end of the week, she had put together a mix of varied dishes for the family to enjoy, whilst helping to prevent needless food waste.

Ms Campbell said: “It’s so satisfying to turn something simple into something delicious. Being willing to take a risk and step out from the ordinary – it really is possible to make a meal from almost anything.”