I'm a mother of two - with one £150 shop I make all our dinners for a month 

The average UK household is spending nearly £119 per week on food shopping, amounting to more than £6,000 per year. For families with children, the cost can increase to £170 weekly. Rising costs mean that 61 per cent of the UK claim they’ve had to cut back.

In a new series, The i Paper asks families how they manage their weekly food shop. This week, we hear from Pippa Wright, a 36-year-old mother of two, aged three and five, in Shropshire, on how she and her husband, 36, budget their self-employed income as content creators. She shares her tips on Instagram and YouTube at cookathomemum.

I do one big £150 food shop at the beginning of the month and I batch cook all our family dinners within five or six hours. Then I do a weekly shop for lunchbox fillers, and our breakfast items. This way I only have to make one big meal plan shopping list once a month.

But staff say many people treat their shops like a tip.

Here they share the most useful donations they get, and the
ones that drive them mad.

The quality of donations over the last year has diminished.

Claire Stockman, head of retail for St
Luke’s Hospice [pictured], says many donations include used items from fast fashion like Boohoo and Primark, which they cannot sell for more than £2, if at all.

of what comes into St Luke’s Hospice is unsellable, Stockman says.

She adds its soiled, damaged beyond
repair or smelly.

Harriet, a volunteer at Crisis in Dalston,
says people bring in clothes that are dirty and stained – things that they cannot sell
on Vinted.

She also sees dirty kitchenware and technology that no longer works.

There was a box donated after someone’s family had passed and in it were all these medals. I researched them and the whole collection ended up going for £2,340…

A good donation is anything new with tags on, anything that hasn’t been opened, or higher quality items.

Items that have been well looked after are more likely to sell and generate a better price for charity too.

Harriet adds that knick-knacks and wine glasses are surprise hits in her branch.

Here, psychologists, career consultants and sleep experts give their best advice on how
to beat the gloom that the
work week is looming…

Pave the way on Friday

Psychologist Maria-Teresa Daher-Cusack says to wrap up tasks and not to leave big or difficult things for Monday. And write a to-do list for the next week so you know what to expect when you return after the weekend.

Get outside early

Doctor Naheed Ali says getting out on a Sunday morning – not sleeping late – helps regulate the circadian rhythm that can become skewed over the weekend.

On Sunday spend time away from technology to allow yourself a personal reset away from doom scrolling.

Put yourself in the best position to rest by avoiding large meals, screens and caffeine.

If possible don’t stack your Mondays with high-pressure tasks.

Don’t just save joyful things for the weekend. On lunch breaks, try to do something you enjoy.

If the Sunday scaries are constant, listen to them. If every Sunday fills you with dread and nothing seems to quell it it’s worth asking if it’s the job, the culture or the career itself. No one should spend half their weekend bracing for impact… ” says Victoria McLean

But no country’s energy system is 100 per cent secure and large-scale blackouts, although rare, are possible.

Here’s how to prepare, and what could happen, if we do have a blackout.

If the UK’s power went down tomorrow, these are the ways it is likely to impact you first.

For EV owners that are already on the road, Professor Keith Bell, who works in electricity planning, recommends that those with an EV with reasonable charge use it as a generator, like your own store of electricity.

In the case of the power system going down, petrol isn’t a totally safe option as queues at petrol stations could be huge and places are likely to run out of fuel.

The longer the power takes to return the worse things are likely to get. In 2021 Storm Arwen physically damaged power lines across the UK.

During the 1977 New York blackout, which lasted 25 hours, there was civil unrest, resulting in widespread looting and arson, although intense heatwaves are thought to have exacerbated the situation.

To get updates during a power cut – a car radio can be used, but in severe weather it might be safer to stay inside.

A minimum of 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended.

The Government recommends opting for torches over candles, for safety reasons.

Using screens in a way that benefits your child’s development is key and balancing educational content and entertainment with offline activities ensures a well-rounded routine.

For younger children, try scavenger hunts, garden games and nature walks. For older ones, hikes
and biking trips.

Designated screen-free times helps children develop a routine that balances screen use with other activities.

It’s an excellent way
to bond and develop critical thinking skills.

Getting creative, through drawing, painting or model construction, enhances cognitive skills and offers an alternative to screens.

Arrange playdates or group activities with friends, or for older kids try an overnight camping trip in the garden.

Showing that you value offline time encourages your children to do the same.

Implement a reward system where screen time is earned through positive behaviour. 

Discuss the importance of balancing screen time with your children so they understand the reasons behind the rules.

Some studies suggest so.

These are the eight brain-boosting foods registered dietitian Fareeha Jay
recommends people consume as part of a weekly diet…

They contain several nutrients thought to support brain health, including choline, vitamin B12 and iodine.

Caffeine can reduce inflammation and
slow the degeneration
of brain cells.

It’s packed with antioxidants and high in vitamin K, which is essentially for healthy brain cells.

Your brain uses Omega-3s to build brain and nerve cells – so a diet rich in them may slow age-related mental decline.

These improve heart health markers, which is linked to a lower risk of neurological disorders.

They contain compounds which have been shown to improve blood flow to the brain, cognitive function, and memory.

There’s this assumption about being put out to pasture… but now that we’re living and working longer, we have to challenge myths around ageing and remember that over-50s are a crucial part of the workforce…

Yet more than a third of those between 50 and 69 believe that their age puts them at a disadvantage when they apply for jobs. 

The Age Without Limits study from 2024 shows that 37 per cent of workers between 51 to 70 felt badly treated in work because of their age.

We need the same level of career planning in
our fifties as our twenties. It’s possible to reinvent yourself again.

It’s nonsense that older people can’t pick up how to use new tech.

Do you need a pay rise? Could you trade some of that money you earn, to work a bit less, and do more things you enjoy?

Become full-time childcare

Grandparenting on the horizon? If you don’t want to do childcare, have the conversation early – even before a child becomes pregnant – that you plan to continue working and love your job.

Accept redundancy too quickly

It’s going to be so much harder to get back into work if you don’t have a plan before you take that leap.

Everybody thinks early retirement is the dream but the reality can be different. There can be loneliness, lack of purpose and a sense of invisibility. 

Boneless chicken thighs are all meat and a much tastier product.

If you plan every meal all week, there’s no leeway for necessary last-minute changes of plan (or leftovers).

There are so many products that children want to fill the trolley with – all kinds of exciting eye candy. It’s cheaper to go alone.

Consider a vegetable box delivery

Having a Riverford box delivery helps Morris avoid impulse buys and go to the shops
less – even though the box is pricey. “It is expensive, but of great quality and organic”.

Track your spending

It doesn’t need to be an elaborate spreadsheet but without some kind of metric, it’s impossible to spot where you
can or must make cutbacks.

You can save plenty
over a year by never buying branded products at full price.

Do a quick cupboard stocktake. You might find you already have three jars of one thing.

Packing fruit, biscuits, and nuts etc into a Tupperware to take out is more cost effective than buying tiny packaged portions.

“Faking” a takeaway at home can sound like a cheaper option, but if it’s something you don’t usually cook – that needs new ingredients – it could work out pricier.

Returning a few things to the shelves that you won’t need in the near future can save you a healthy amount.

Every time you make do with what’s at home,
you save big.

Try a week or a month of shopping local,
and you might be surprised at the results,
in terms of cost and other benefits like supporting local businesses, and
avoiding car journeys and traffic.

Rebecca Jones has tried most cleaning products in her
decades-long career.

She shares the ones she can’t
live without.

Henry is a classic.
It has fantastic filters, sucks up pet hair quickly, and is great at cleaning up fine dust. 

The Vileda H2PrO set is light, manoeuvrable and keeps clean and dirty water separate.

The HG Glass and
Mirror cleaner removes stains without leaving smudges or streaks.

Best multipurpose cleaner

Method’s multi-surface cleaner is plant-based, cruelty-free, and works great on grease, sinks, sealed wood surfaces, hobs, bins and sealed laminated floors.

Best toilet brush

Unlike a regular toilet brush, nothing gets stuck in the bristles of Ibergrif M34152 Silicone brush. It also dries quickly, so
there’s less odour.

Jones uses the HG Mould Spray on walls, tiles, grout, windows and outdoor furniture.

The Seep Eco Bamboo clothes have a streak-free finish and last.

Every home should have a bottle of Dr Beckmann’s stain remover, says Jones.

Best stain remover

The Mr Siga Multi-Functional Eraser Sponge acts like fine sandpaper to lift
dirt, stains, and scuffs using only water.

Best kept secret

Jones uses Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser to polish stainless-steel, scour sinks and clean her fridge and cookware.

I’ve been doing this for around six months, and it saves me so much time. I’m sure a lot of parents feel like this but I was getting so burnt out deciding what we were going to eat for dinner every night that I reworked how to do it. We’re also spending less money because I’m not falling for convenience items in the supermarket that could just save me on the day as I didn’t have a meal in mind.

I always start by listing the meals that I know the kids will eat – they love a Bolognese, a pasta bake and a pizza night. We also love mac and cheese and burgers. Then I add things that I’d like them to try (this month was sticky teriyaki tofu in the air dryer, with rice) and set out around 14 meals, and each of those meals repeat twice through the month. I make one big portion of each of the meals, freeze them and we have a variety each day. I decide on the night what to take out of the freezer. It’s made my life so much easier and it works out around £5 per meal.

I like to shop in Aldi or Lidl and get most of my shop there but I often end up in different supermarkets for extra items. I go to Farm Foods for our frozen vegetables as they have amazing multi-buy offers and it works out even cheaper than Aldi.

I’ve moved away from branded goods. We used to shop in Sainsbury’s but I found that a lot of the offers pushed out are branded items and I’d end up spending more and falling for them. I’m trying to keep our overall food spend at a maximum of £500 a month, but I am finding that, even at Aldi, the prices are going up and it’s becoming more challenging to stick to that.

We’ve changed a few things as we’ve found the costs creeping up, especially when it comes to meat. We’re buying less mince for Bolognese and instead I’m bulking out the meal with vegetables and lentils. Tinned goods are great for bulking out sauces. I like to blend butter beans and put them into pesto sauces and it makes it go a little further, and makes it more filling. With chicken, we used to buy a lot of breast, but now we go for chicken thighs, or I buy a full roast chicken and split it across a lot of meals.

I absolutely love using the freezer. The kids will often have pancakes that I’ve frozen and we just pop them out in the morning for breakfast. We also have a lot of overnight oats, which I make in advance, or homemade granola, as I find it’s much healthier than the shop-bought versions.

I also switched over to frozen fish fillets which has been a great way to save, especially when it comes to my fish pie. I used to fill it with fresh fillets but it’s much cheaper frozen, especially when there are three-for-two offers on so I stock up.

For the kids’ lunch boxes, I keep snacks in bulk in the freezer too and get them out each morning. I went through their favourite packaged snacks and started making them myself at home so I have mini muffins, oat bars, berry slices and energy balls ready to go. I put them in their lunchbox and they’re defrosted by the time they get to school.

It means that we now don’t buy packaged snacks. I think that’s where you easily spend a lot of money. I worked out that in Sainsbury’s, the snacks were double the price of the ones I was making at home, and often had more sugar in them with more processed ingredients.

For our own lunches, we have a lot of leftovers. If not we have simple omelettes or salads. We both also love dark chocolate, and we do spend a little bit more to get 70 per cent dark as it has fewer ingredients, and I’ve been trying to cut down on ultra-processed foods.

I did make a mistake once. I introduced the kids to a Crosta Mollica margarita pizza, and they absolutely loved it. Now they have a taste for sourdough pizza so I do buy it whenever it’s on offer. They also love Greek yoghurt, which is one of the more expensive items in the shop, but it does fill them up for the day if they have it in the morning.

Thankfully as a household, we don’t have to cover childcare fees; the pre-school our youngest attends is attached to a school and free, but our motivation for saving on food is to take the kids on more days out. We love taking them to the theatre or Warwick Castle. We haven’t been abroad with them but we do take trips to the beach, and they have a lot of time at home to play.

Recently, we went to Legoland for two days and I was amazed at how much people were spending at the park on food. During our three days away, we did all our lunches for under £30, and spent no money during our two days at Legoland itself. For Christmas and birthdays, we encourage grandparents to give experiences to the children instead of gifts, so last year we had theatre tickets and one grandparent also bought us a membership to a local farm that we love going to.

We’re clever about how we eat out in general. We take the kids to Pizza Express as we’re Gold Tier members on the app which allows us to eat out for hardly any money at all. When we went to London (the kids, my mum and I) we all had a two-course meal in the centre of the city for less than £25 altogether. We always make clever menu choices, and maximise loyalty and cashback schemes where we can. Some people might find that extreme but by saving money on the meal, we had room in our budget to book an evening bus tour of the Christmas lights, which my daughter loved!