A mum-of-seven has revealed how she looks after her family on a budget and claims she’s saving £2,000 per year.
Tess Giddings, who is mum to Jacob, 17, Savannah, 15, Amiah, 13, Zion, 11, Nevaeh, eight , and twins, Hezekiah and Levi, six, previously hit the headlines with her savvy tips.
The digital content creator, from Bournemouth, revealed how she slashed her household costs per year – with the food shop amounting to only £160 per week.
But despite her large brood doing their bit to save money too, the 35-year-old found difficulty keeping with old habits when the cost of living crisis hit.
Now, she’s shared her top super saver tips, claiming that the simple “hacks” are saving her around £2,000 per year.
“The cost of living crisis has hugely affected everyone I know – even wealthy people,” Tess told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“I don’t think anyone has not been affected, but for us, it’s meant cutting costs where we can.
“We’ve got rid of non-essentials and tightened up all our finances, which has been hard, but so far, we’ve managed to stay out of debt.
“Life has been harder, as there’s been no excess money to spend on days out – but my motto has always been if we don’t have it, we don’t get it.”
Previously, her advice included meal planning, upcycling furniture, and budgeting wherever possible.
Here are some more of her top tips.
FOOD SAVINGS
Like many of us, the weekly food shop seems to get more expensive each week and due to inflation, it’s hard to put nutritious food on the table.
But Tess has revealed there are great ways to ensure the kids are eating five-a-day.
She said: “Look at apps like Too Good To Go where you can get bags and huge bundles of food from local supermarkets.
“Often, you can get around £25 worth of groceries or more for £3 – even full meals.
“All you need to do is order on the app, then collect at the end of the day from your chosen store.
“It’s a blind box, so it’s always different items, but I’ve had some amazing ones and most of them are freezable too.
“Before, I have ordered from four different places and spent only £12 for £100 worth of food – it’s great.
“I do a lot of slow cooker meals and will do a double batch to freeze for another day instead of wasting leftovers.
“When doing the online food shop, search for an item and then op for ‘lowest price first’ so these come up first.
“Also, figure out the times local supermarkets reduce their food.
“I pop in at those hours to grab some serious bargains, like meat reduced up to 90% off and then freeze it.
“Some people tend to be greedy and try to take everything marked down, but I’m very mindful that others are struggling too, so only take a few bits.”
BULK BUYING & COUPONING
The mum-of-seven believes general household costs can be slashed in an instant through buying in bulk from online websites – and stacking up the coupons, of course.
Tess said: “Online websites like Amazon offer discount codes when buying lots of items all at once.
“It saves a lot on items such as toilet paper and even lunch box fruit bars.
“They all work out to be less than half supermarket prices when buying in bulk.
“I also use coupons a lot.
“Recently, I got £7 off a £55 food shop and then I used another in my husband’s name, so I got the discount off again.”
MAKE DO AND MEND
She believes it’s important not to slate “free days out” such as going to the beach and making the most of what nature has to offer.
The mum-of-seven said: “I’ve been doing free things like nature walks, picnics or using vouchers to pay for a day out.
“We also save a lot through taking our own food and drink with us, as buying out can quickly rack up.
“Tesco Clubcard offers amazing savings and gives points for days out, restaurants and family activities too.
“If we don’t have the money to afford something, then we don’t do it – simple.”
Tess also says it’s vital to live within your means, as otherwise, this can lead to more financial problems down the line.
She said: “I know a lot of people have had to resort to credit cards and loans to tie them through the crisis, but thankfully, so far, we’ve not had to get into any debt.
“It’s definitely been a challenge with the cost of everything going up, especially food, as that’s probably our biggest bill.
“Probably what saves me the most money is buying second hand items from Vinted or household things from Facebook Marketplace.
“My eldest son recently wanted to redo his bedroom and he managed to get a loft bed, desk and gaming chair all brand new – for free.
“I managed to find two of the same bikes for my twin boys’ birthday, both in immaculate condition for £40 each, when they’re £150 in store.
“There’s so many bargains to be had as people sell things for next to nothing as they just want it gone.
“Like the saying goes; ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’”
In a bid to ensure the family-of-nine live within their tight budget, she’s also got the kids involved.
Tess said: “They’ve grown up with me being very budget savvy and know all the tricks to save money.
“I think having these values instilled at a young age will put them in good stead for life as they grow up and manage their own finances and homes.
“It’s good teaching them how to budget, save money and cut costs which is a valuable life lesson.
“They earn pocket money from little chores around the house, which they enjoy as it’s earning them rewards.
“Even the little ones earn pennies by putting their toys away or tidying up – and they feel really grown up if I let them hoover.”
Over the past two years, the family claims their energy bill has tripled, but have managed to save £200 on this alone with switching to pay as you go.
Now, she hopes to share her tips with winter looming in a bid to help other people struggling.
Tess added: “I think the majority of the population are finding it hard.
“I had to cut down on the non-essentials, like getting rid of our television package and using my husband’s work perks discount a lot.
“We turn off all electrical sockets, as even leaving chargers plugged in adds to the bill, and we avoid using the tumble dryer – even switching off the microwave and kettle when not in use.
“Going into winter, we will try not to switch the heating on and wear thick jumpers or use hot water bottles at night for as long as we can.
“I follow a lot of money-saving groups on social media and I use my initiative to look for the best ways to budget – which is essentially for our large family.”
