OUR MEALS PLAN HAS CUT FOOD BILLS 20%

Stewart Morton-Collings is fighting back as his family’s food bills go through the roof.

Stewart, 44 and wife Jax, 43, now use charities who distribute food near its use-before date, such as CRE8 Surplus Food. “For £3 we can pick up a bag of groceries worth around £20,” says Stewart , owner of For Me and For You Designs, (formeandforyou. co.uk) which makes artwork, tableware, cards and gifts. He and Jax pick up a bag on a Tuesday before doing the weekly shop.

“That way we can plan our meals for the week. This has cut our weekly food bill by around 20%.”

They also walk or cycle whenever possible to reduce petrol bills on their car and van. “I cycle the kids to school each day, then cycle across Macclesfield to my workshop,” Stewart says. He has converted his mountain bike into a cargo carrier, with a storage box on the back for books and lunch bags. This has helped slash his £150 monthly van fuel bill to around £50.

Stewart and Jax have also targeted energy usage. “We no longer use our dishwasher, tumbler dryer, heated towel rails or hair dryers, and switch off all devices when we go to bed.” The kids always turn off the TV and Xbox when not in use. “We’ve gone from using £250 a month on electricity to around £120, but come winter that could top £300 a month, if not more.”

Stewart says all these measures still aren’t enough. “The only option is to work seven days a week, every week, with no breaks.”

This is tough on their children Jacob, 7, and Esme, 10. “Holidays, gifts, treats for the kids have all been forgotten. It feels like we’ve gone backwards 50 years.”