A frugal mum-of-six has revealed how she sticks to a $300 shopping budget every week – despite the rising cost of living and some very expensive ‘non-negotiables’.
Jess Magill, 30, from Lake Macquarie and her husband Warren, 39, have been consistently budgeting and meal prepping for the past eight years.
The busy mum told FEMAIL they really got into budgeting when her second child arrived – and now the kids see meal preparation as ‘something mum just has to do’.
“They love having snacks on hand at all times,” she said.
Jess Magill, 30, from Lake Macquarie spends an average of $250 a week at the supermarket for her extra-large family
The strict budget is enough to ensure that her six children, aged between 1 and 9, and her mechanic husband always have snacks on hand
Jess works part-time from home – and also cares for her young children – who range in age from 1 to 9 – meaning there are always people home when she prepares her meals.
“If I cook something they like, I make twice as much because I know they will try pieces,” she said.
“Otherwise they are very good and even helpful,” she added.
And after eight years, she’s finally figured out the perfect schedule that keeps the fridge full, the kids happy, and no last-minute trips to the grocery store required.
“I get a big grocery delivery on Sundays so I can prepare food for the week, and get a supply of fresh fruit, bread and milk on Wednesdays,” she said.
“I used to think I could go without the top-up, but ended up in the shops on a Thursday night because I hadn’t eaten and bought too much stuff,” she said.
The mom has been meal prepping and budgeting since the birth of her first two children — and says it’s now automatic
She never makes one batch of anything – and makes 30 to 40 scrolls at a time
The family has a few refrigerators and a separate freezer, which makes bulk food preparation purchasing sustainable.
“Some days I’ll do a big cookout when the freezers are almost empty. “I’m going to make things that use the same ingredients so I can chop all the vegetables at once,” she said.
“And if I’m just cooking something for dinner that night, I’ll make enough for three or more meals. It takes no more time and then it’s in the freezer, ready to go,” she said.
With six children, Jess and Warren often spend afternoons rushing to get people to appointments and school sports.
“It’s great to always have something ready to take at home because it reduces the temptation to go through the drive-through, which costs about $100 for our family,” she said.
Jess, who runs the household while her husband works long hours as a mechanic, says she has $300 a week to spend on all the food and household necessities.
‘The first thing I do is shop the deals on things we use often. Then I buy for a few weeks,” she said.
“I also have some money left over every week when I know I’m going to Cost-Co for something — because it’s always a bigger store,” she added.
And every now and then she ‘shops her pantry’.
This means she goes ahead and makes food for the family based on what they already have – and supplements this with $100-$150, which is usually spent on fruit, milk and bread.
Her family eats a lot of chicken because it is cost-effective and also a favorite with the children
And despite the strict budget, they only have pasta meals once a week
Some of her children still wear diapers, which are part of the family budget, but she says this amount will not change as they get older.
“The cost of everything is going up and the kids will be eating more by then, so we’ll stick to the $300 budget,” she said.
‘We can’t do more, but I don’t see it going backwards.
Some non-negotiables for the family are raspberries and about 40 liters of milk per week.
“My kids like soy milk, so we get that, almond milk and diet milk,” she said.
“And some of my kids have food sensory issues, but raspberries are a favorite, so even when they’re not in season, we have to fit them into the budget.”
“I try to buy everything else in season to get the most for my money,” she added.
Jess’s budget includes cleaning products, toiletries, baby care items and expensive non-negotiables like raspberries
Jess said the budget also covers delivery costs as she finds shopping online easier than going to the supermarket with her family.
“I usually get everything from Coles, there’s usually a discount code nearby, and for the most part I don’t have time to shop around,” she said.
It also includes food for daycare, which some of her children attend twice a week, and for school, which is not taken into account.
“We cook 30 rolls or muffins at a time,” she said.
Jess says preparing her food has helped her stay healthy over the years.
“I always gain 20 to 30 pounds per baby and then lose the weight for the next one,” she said.
“I wouldn’t be able to do that if I was tempted to go out to dinner.”
Moshy Dietitian Kirby Sorenson says people with hectic schedules, like Jess and Warren, often struggle to lose weight.
And supports the mother’s theory that preparing food helped her maintain her health while running a busy household.
“A busy family life, combined with stresses such as interest rate increases and high costs of living, can really wreak havoc when it comes to eating habits,” she said.
“If you eat out once a week or grab a meal on the go, that’s fine, but when you get to the point where you’re eating more takeout than home-cooked meals, it becomes a problem.”
She also makes desserts from scratch, so her family doesn’t have to miss out on tasty treats while still staying within budget
She said this, combined with stress, leads to overeating.
‘Not only will this affect your weight loss goals, but you’re also likely to experience bloating and a drop in energy levels, making you feel even worse.’
According to the health platform’s data, eight in 10 Australian women feel they are overweight and unhealthy and need to work on their fitness, but find it difficult to adjust their family life.
One in three say they are too busy to prepare healthy food or exercise regularly.
“The key to success is prioritizing the time to prepare nutritious meals and snacks that you can grab on the go, but also being kind to yourself when things do get out of hand,” says Ms. Sorenson.
‘You probably eat 1,095 meals a year, so what matters most is what you do most of the time. It’s important to enjoy all foods in moderation.’