Extreme budgeter claims her £22 weekly food shop costs less than a third of what her meat-eating mother spends on groceries

An extreme budgeter has revealed that her weekly food shop costs less than a third of what her meat-eating mother spends on groceries. 

TikToker Molly Spencer, from Bradford, became a vegan in 2022 and has since found her shopping bill has drastically decreased.

The 24-year-old, who uses the handle @feedmewhenim64, now shares her best tips to help others cut costs – including highlighting the budget-friendly perks of switching to a meat-free diet. 

Molly, who works as a learning support assistant, shared: ‘I’ve always hated meat, and I became a vegetarian in 2020, and then a vegan in 2022.

‘People are generally curious about it,’ she continued, adding that her followers are often surprised to discover how little she spends on food. 

‘They think being vegan would be so expensive, but it’s so much cheaper.’

In one recent video, for instance, Molly revealed she spent just £22.80 on her food shop, with enough to make six lunches and dinners for the week ahead.

‘I went shopping with my mum last week and she got the exact same meals as me but meat versions, and it came to £65 in comparison to my £22,’ she added. 

TikToker Molly Spencer, who is from Bradford, took to the app to reveal how turning vegan three years ago helped her to slash the cost of her weekly food shop

Molly’s haul included two tubs of houmous, oat milk, fruit (easy peelers and grapes), bread, pasta, spinach, five blocks of tofu, courgette, rice noodles, carrots, red cabbage, and cucumber.

She also bought spring onions, butter beans, tinned tomatoes, kale, and chickpeas. 

While shopping, Molly tends to ‘focus on [buying] cheap protein’ such as a can of chickpeas from Aldi that costs 49p as well as tofu from the supermarket because it’s ‘really cheap too’. 

‘Everyone’s really interested in it and are commenting asking for advice on what they can do to make things cheaper,’ she reflected on the reaction to the TikTok about her £22.80 food shop. 

‘There’s people in my comments saying they’re spending £400 per month on food and asking “What am I doing wrong?”‘

The influencer’s top tip for avoiding ending up with an expensive shopping trolley is to plan ahead. 

‘I usually look at the things I already have in my cupboards that are fresh to use for the next week,’ she said.

‘Then I think about protein and base my meals off of that, and think about cheap ingredients.’

The 24-year-old, who uses the handle @feedmewhenim64, now shares her best tips to help others cut costs – including highlighting the budget-friendly perks of switching to a meat-free diet 

Molly explained that it was after moving in with partner Jake, 24, last September that she decided to tighten her belt. She began documenting her frugal lifestyle on social media last month (Molly and Jake pictured)

Molly, who works as a learning support assistant, said: ‘I’ve always hated meat, and I became a vegetarian in 2020, and then a vegan in 2022’

She said that people are often surprised to discover how little she spends of food as a vegan

She said that one of her favourite meals to make was a Gochujang tofu and chickpea and spinach curry, which she whipped up using ‘leftover spinach in a different meal’

The influencer’s top tip for keeping food bills low is to plan ahead 

As well as posting content on how shoppers can curb their costs, Molly also posts her vegan recipes and videos of her and Jake exploring delicious, meat-free restaurants around the UK 

For £22.80, Molly bought several grocery items including tubs of houmous, oat milk, fruit and vegetables, canned chickpeas, bread, and rice noodles

While Molly’s bill totalled £22.80, her mother spent £65 on buying ingredients for meaty versions of the same dishes Molly planned on cooking

While shopping, Molly said she tends to ‘focus on [buying] cheap protein’ 

Molly said that she decided to tighten her belt and reduce her weekly spends after moving in with her partner Jake, 24, last September. 

She started documenting her frugal lifestyle online last month and discovered her vegan recipes were also a big hit with her followers. 

Molly said that one of her favourite meals to make was a Gochujang tofu and chickpea and spinach curry, which she whipped up using ‘leftover spinach in a different meal’.

She said: ‘I nosy around lots of shops and see what’s cheap but also suitable for vegans.

‘I make my food shop as low as possible so I can enjoy other things.

‘I budget so I can afford to live but it’s so important that I enjoy nice things, so I save up and spend money on going out to eat at restaurants’.

On her TikTok account, Molly also regularly shares videos of her and her boyfriend, together calling themselves the ‘Yorkshire Duo, exploring delicious vegan food spots in the UK. 

Elsewhere, the youngster posts lifestyle videos, including daily vlogs and budget friendly tips for ‘beauty hauls’.