Mum reveals shopping and cooking hacks

A savvy mum reveals the shopping and cooking hacks that enable her to cook meals for her family for as little - as 75p.

Mum-of-one Alison Palmer, 48, set up a YouTube channel to show people how to cook "proper food" - even when money is tight.

She learned "proper cooking" from a young age after watching her mother cook fresh, home-made meals despite the family being strapped for cash.

Now on benefits herself, Alison cooks a wide range of budget-friendly meals for her and husband Barry Preest, 42.

She began filming the process to show it doesn't have to cost the earth.

Her top tips include using tinned or frozen veg, shopping for the budget own brands, planning out all your meals before you shop, and hitting the end of day reduced section.

Her meals include tasty family favourites such as toad in the hole, chilli con carne and even Cornish pasties - and costs per portion can be as low as 75p thanks to her savvy food shopping habits.

She said she aims to prove to people that, unlike many fancy dishes shown on Instagram tutorials and Saturday morning cooking channels, "proper, old-fashioned tasty cooking doesn't cost a fortune".

Alison, from Lydney, Gloucestershire, said: "Nowadays a lot of recipes can be so complicated and use expensive ingredients, but they don't have to be.

"But when I Googled recipes for people on benefits, not much came up - so I decided to film my cooking to show that you can make lots of great meals cheaply.

"As a child we didn't have much money but I always saw my mother cooking wonderful meals from scratch and I have carried that forward in my own life."

The mum, who is on universal credit, explained that savvy shopping habits can slash food bills without sacrificing on taste.

She said: "It's just about planning your meals and using the right ingredients - you especially shouldn't be afraid to pick up tinned and frozen food because it can be just as good!"