Weekly food shops in your local supermarket can get rather expensive.
With all the tempting offers available, it's easy to stray from your shopping list and go over budget.
And if you shop without a list, failing to plan could leave you wincing at the checkout.
Proving that preparation is key is money-saving mum-of-one Chelsea Batterbee, 26, who manages to feed her family of three on a budget of just £4.67 per day.
Her strict budget not only covers the cost of all meals for herself, her partner Keal and seven-year-old son Shaylon, but also snacks, family toiletries and a weekly 'fake-away'.
Speaking to online money-saving community lastestdeals.co.uk, Chelsea said: "My partner Keal and I had our son Shaylon at 18 and moved into our first family home when he was three months old.
"At the time, it was just my partner who worked while I looked after our son."
“It was very difficult, and I struggled a lot with budgeting.
"Sometimes, as long as Shaylon had enough, Keal and I would go without.
"It was a case of us grabbing a piece of toast or fruit and that would be it.
Over time, however, Chelsey learnt how to take back control.
“As time passed, I got better at managing the food budget by learning some simple tips and tricks," she said.
"Shaylon is now seven, and I’m budget obsessed.
"I feel if I haven’t got myself a good deal with the shopping then I have failed, so I simply don’t let that happen.”
One of the savvy mum's biggest tips is meal planning.
“A typical week’s dinner menu starts with lasagne with garlic bread," Chelsea said.
"Usually there are leftovers, so there’s enough for the following day’s lunch or dinner.
“On other days I may make a chicken korma or a lentil dahl, a pasta bake that provides leftovers for lunch for my partner to take to work, sausages and mash with vegetables, an omelette with a side salad, and seasoned chicken with rice and pitta bread.”
And it helps that Chelsea's a huge fan of cooking anyway.
“I love to cook,” she said.
“I'm not against using jars of sauces, but I feel as if using ingredients to cook from scratch is so much cheaper.”
Chelsea is also a fan of shopping in bulk and dedicates £25 to a bulk shop each month.
“With this, I will usually get a large sack of potatoes, vegetables and meats,” she said.
“I'm particular about the quality of a selection of the foods we eat.
"I always get 5 per cent fat beef or lamb mince, for instance, and sausages have to be of a certain quality, yet still on budget.
"I buy the majority of our meats from Tesco, or the butchers that are local to us who deliver to the door. I then separate it into portions per meal, ready to freeze.”
And next comes the strict fortnightly Tesco shop, which is kept to £60 and not a penny over.
“I look at my meal plan and how I can buy certain ingredients that suit more than one dish,” she said.
“Beef mince, for instance, can be used to make chilli, bolognese, or homemade burgers for our fake-away night.
“The Tesco shop also helps with keeping on top of items like stock cubes, tinned tomatoes for sauce bases, and pasta.
"I buy lots of frozen vegetables and fresh veg too, which I will prepare and freeze.
"I also buy our bread and milk there.”
But though her shopping budget is strict - she still splashes out an extra tenner for takeaways.
Not during lockdown though - instead, she's opted for fake-aways which are within in the original budget.
Chelsea said: “The fake-away could be a homemade pizza using flour and natural yoghurt to make the dough, with whatever veggie toppings we have at home.
“I don’t purposely look out for yellow sticker items, but if I see any discounted meat or fish I will usually pick these up to freeze.”
“I've spent so many years budgeting that it just comes naturally to me now,” she said
“It doesn’t matter if our income goes up or down. I stick to the same method of shopping, as I know it works.
"We are all healthy and get a good balance of everything we need.”
With years of saving under her belt, Chelsea, from North Wales, is now an expert budget shopper - but she's always on the look out for new tips and tricks.
“I recently picked up a great tip from a forum on social media about adding grated carrot to shepherd's pie to bulk it out,” Chelsea said.
“It means you're getting one of your five a day without even realising it.
“Obviously, there are certain things we can’t go without, like a certain coffee we like and some branded toiletries.
"Plus, I’ve a weakness for Vimto. But I find Amazon Subscribe & Save great for that, as things can sometimes last two months or more when bought in bulk.
“My advice to other families would be to shop around, as shopping in one place can sometimes rack up a larger bill.
"Also, bear in mind that not all branded products are the best.
"There are lots of cheaper alternatives out there that taste just as good.
"Lastly, try to avoid those impulse buys. Create a list and a meal plan and stick to it.”
Tom Church, co-founder of latestdeals.co.uk, said: “Managing the household food budget is no mean feat.
"If you’ve noticed your bill racking up, it may be time to reassess.
“With savvy shoppers more than happy to share their money-saving tips and advice, it’s easier than ever to hit upon new ways to keep your budget in check.
“Plus, with Christmas on the horizon, searching out the best deals early on makes it easier to bag any extras you're after – from tubs of chocolates to turkeys – without putting a strain on your finances.”
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