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We've heard stories from across the country of people trying to cut costs and help others feed themselves well, while food prices rise at their fastest rate for 42 years.

We also reported on a hostel in north London that's been helping to tackle food poverty by using surplus ingredients to make hot meals for communities who need them most.

Food writer Justine Pattison gave us her wisdom on how to cut costs when shopping and cooking at home.

Among other things, Justine was asked whether we should consider switching off our fridges, as well as how to cater for a family with wide-ranging tastes, and the best ways to shop if you're catering for one.

We also heard your own tips for eating well on a budget - from adding a handful or red lentils to using bamboo steamers.

Today's page was edited by Deirdre Finnerty and Alexandra Fouché, with contributions from Jamie Moreland, Yazmina Garcia, Emma Lynch, Aoife Walsh, Marita Moloney and Kris Bramwell. They were helped by Jeremy Gahagan, James Harness, Jennifer McKiernan, Sarah Fowler, Tori Lindrea and James FitzGerald.

Jamie Moreland
BBC News

Image source, .

Saf Stedall, a sixth form student from Portsmouth who lives with her parents, says she struggling to pay for lunches when she’s studying at college.

“I tend to get my own food at college, but I’ve asked my parents if they can make me packed lunches again because I can’t afford it every day,” the 18-year-old, who also works part-time as a sales associate, says.

Saf says her parents often can’t afford to warm their home and could soon be choosing between heating or eating.

“I had an Oliver Twist moment the other day, am I going to be eating porridge and gruel to heat this house? Maybe.”

She has been eating less meat to help the environment and wants to continue when she goes to university next year.

“Vegetarian options are so much more expensive," she says. "People say you should eat less meat to do your bit for the planet, but you can’t afford it.

"Especially fruit and vegetables, how am I supposed to have a balanced diet at uni when a bag of spinach is £3.25?”

It’s not just shoppers who are feeling a bit defeated this year - farmers and food producers are struggling too.

Paul Kelly is an Essex-based turkey farmer whose parents set up the business more than 50 years ago.

But he says: “This is the worst year I’ve ever had to manage. The challenges we’ve had this year have been unbelievable.”

Much of this is due to the war in Ukraine, the conflict is impacting the price of cereal producer, a staple ingredient in animal feed.

Kelly says his feed costs have soared by 50% this year, his energy bill has risen from £155,000 to £380,000 a year and on top of this an outbreak of bird flu has hurt the entire industry.

“I’m a very optimistic person normally, very,” said Kelly. “And I’m still optimistic in many ways but I’m finding it harder.”

Image source, Getty Images

In England and Wales, children aged four to 16 are eligible for free school meals if they live in a household which gets income-related benefits (such as universal credit) and has an annual income of less than £7,400 after tax, not including welfare payments.

But about 40% of universal credit claimants have jobs. So you can receive the benefit, but earn more than the threshold, meaning your children don't qualify for free school meals.

The income cap is £7,920 in Scotland, and £14,000 in Northern Ireland.

In England, all infant state school pupils (Reception to Y2) can have free school meals during term time - regardless of household income.

Scotland's free school meal programme covers pupils in P1 - P5.

The Welsh government will provide free school meals for all primary school pupils by 2024, beginning with Reception pupils this September.

Find out more about how to apply for free school meals here., external

Read more: Free school meals: How many children can claim them?

Greg Foot
Sliced Bread, BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4's consumer programme Sliced Bread investigates whether the latest wonder products are indeed the best thing since sliced bread, or just marketing hype.

Recently, Sliced Bread producer Simon performed two tests to decide whether an air fryer was good value for money or not.

In the first test, he cooked a chicken leg in his oven, and then a chicken leg of the same size in his air fryer; in the second test, he cooked a jacket potato in the oven and then a same-sized jacket potato in the air fryer.

The oven was an electric convection fan oven, and Simon made sure other appliances around his house were switched off.

In the regular oven, the chicken took 35 minutes to cook, at a cost of 35.7p. Cooking the chicken in the air fryer took 20 minutes, at a cost of 14.6p.

The potato took approximately an hour to cook in the oven, costing 44.5p. In the air fryer, the potato took 35 minutes, at 18.1p.

So - allowing for small variations, such as how old your oven is, and how much energy it uses - cooking in an electric oven costs more than double what it costs to cook in an air fryer. But only if you cook all your food in the same batch in the air fryer.

Read more here.

Jamie Moreland
Reporting from Ipswich

Funmilayo Akinriboya receives dozens of letters thanking her for distributing food parcels to families in Ipswich.

“Thank you for your kindness and consistent help. I appreciate all the goods especially in these times," one says.

"I look forward to each parcel as the contents remind me of home, Jamaica. As a pensioner, it makes me feel not forgotten”, another says.

One message reads: “This group really helps me in any way they can. It makes me comfortable. It makes me not alone. It never fails to support us.”

And another: “You are such a blessing to us. I’m really grateful for what you’ve done for me in my time of healing and recovery.”

Funmilayo says she’s “rising to the challenge and trying to support people to be stable”.

Colletta Smith
Cost of living correspondent

The regular food shop has become an increasingly expensive expedition.

I’ve been tracking the price of the same 10 items at Aldi over the last six months, and it’s not been fun. It’s gone up from £14.20 to £16.29.

Although by no means a scientific experiment, that’s a 14.7% rise in just six months, which is much higher than the official government inflation figure, and not unique to Aldi.

My eggs, bread, loo roll and potatoes have all increased a few times.

Sugar, frozen chips and pizza have gone up and even nappies - often seen as a benchmark product because shoppers notice a price change - have gone up too.

Aldi was the fastest growing of the supermarkets over the last quarter, and Poundland now offer frozen food too as price-conscious customers are heading to the budget end of the market.

But my experiment shows that food inflation is happening at every level.

Switching stores and shopping down a brand might help you keep within budget for a bit, but supermarkets are all up to the same trick of small increases on lots of product almost every month.

Jamie Moreland
BBC News

Image source, Virgin Media O2

Jade Thomas is a single mum of five from Blackley in Manchester.

“I’ve reduced my food bill by almost a third with online shopping,” she says.

The 35-year-old had never done a digital grocery shop before, but learnt new computer skills after the job centre referred her to a course with education charity North Manchester Community Partnership.

“I avoided going online, I was so anxious about trying new things. The course helped me get over that anxiety and built my confidence.”

With mobility issues, Jade says ending the stress of shopping has made her happier and healthier.

She now searches for specific offers - three for £10 deals on different meats is one of her favourites.

"It’s made a huge difference and the kids are a lot happier with their food," she says.

"When you have a low budget, you tend to go for things that are not healthy, so being able to afford healthier meals is great.”

Having a range of essential ingredients in the kitchen makes cooking on a budget much easier.

BBC Food has put together a list of basic store cupboard items that keep well and can be used in a huge array of recipes.

• Salt: table salt is the cheapest, but any salt will do
• Ground black pepper: priced on the ready-ground variety, but any pepper is fine and freshly ground pepper is nicer, if you have a pepper mill
• Olive oil: used only when the flavour will add to the finished dish. Standard olive oil is fine, but extra virgin is lovely, if you can afford the extra cost
• Potatoes: probably the most perishable item in the store cupboard as it can’t be frozen. However, potatoes will keep for months if you can store them in ideal conditions (completely dark and cool, but not fridge cold). Can be substituted for tinned potatoes, which often come in food bank packages
• Peas: frozen peas are a store cupboard mainstay, but if you don’t have a freezer, tinned peas can be substituted (although they do cost more)
• Tinned tomatoes: basic chopped tomatoes tend to be the cheapest, but if you see whole tinned tomatoes at a bargain price you can use scissors to chop them in the tin and many people prefer the taste

Read the full list here.

Image source, Getty Images

Best before dates and use-by dates are usually found on packaged food items. Understanding what these dates mean can help reduce costs and prevent wastage, while ensuring food is safe to eat.

Best before dates: Best before dates, sometimes labelled "best before end" (BBE), are related to food quality. These labels are used to indicate when the product is at its highest quality, but foods can still be safe to eat beyond the stipulated date.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends using sensory cues, external to decide if food is safe to consume, such as checking for mould on bread and sniffing dairy products with a best before date.

Best before dates often appear on frozen, dried or tinned foods. The date is only accurate if the food is stored as instructed on the packaging.

Use-by dates: The use-by date on food is of paramount importance as it identifies when food can be cooked and consumed safely. Food should not be consumed beyond this date, even if it looks and smells fine.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises food can be cooked and eaten until midnight on the date, but never after.

The FSA says use-by dates should be on foodstuffs such as "meat products and ready-to-eat salads which could be unsafe if left for too long".

The food’s storage instructions must be closely followed in order for the use-by date to be a valid guide.

Image source, EPA

As price rises bite into budgets, many people are cutting back on the weekly food shop.

As well as buying less, people are looking for ways to make their money go further and to make the most of what they have.

The BBC spoke to money bloggers for their tried and tested tips.

Keep track of what you already have

Rosie Forshaw suggests taking a good look at your cupboards before each shopping trip and making a list of what you already have: "There's no point in buying more jars of pasta sauce if you've already got five of them in the cupboard.”

Head for the reduced section first

If you spot something in a store’s reduced section that's on your list, you can tick that off and you've already saved some money, says Lynn. She suggests then going straight to the frozen foods section, then the canned produce aisle.

Make better use of your freezer

"If things are getting close to their use-by date, you should always try to freeze them," Lynn says."You'll also be able to buy things cheaper in supermarkets that are close to their sell-by date. Things like milk and cheese, even fruit and vegetables, can all be frozen and kept for when you need them.”

Understand packaging

Rosie says a lot of what we buy in the supermarket is packaged for their convenience and not ours. She puts hers in a paper bag when she gets them home, but says just taking off the plastic wrapping will help them last longer.

Make use of experts

"Butchers are a great resource and someone we shouldn't be afraid to talk to about saving money," Rosie says."If you go into your local butcher and tell them you've only got £8 for your meat for the week, they'll be able to tell you how to stretch your money by buying the cheapest cuts."

Read more here.

Jamie Moreland
BBC News

Surjeet Singh Notay, who runs the only shop on his council estate in Batley, West Yorkshire, says he often sees many people struggling.

“People put items like cheese and pet food back on the shelf after realising the price has gone up,” he says.

The 41-year-old is wrapped up in a coat because the heating is too expensive.

The beer fridge is switched off, but the milk fridge has to stay on.

“I can’t see the steam coming from my breath, so I’m alright if I keep on moving around.”

Surjeet says he often allows customers to take items without paying.

“If somebody wants food but can’t afford it and want to pay me later, I let them take the food," he explains.

"I’d rather them eat, even if I don’t get the money back. That’s the whole point of being a community store.”

Food banks need lots of non-perishable, in-date foods, such as cereal, pasta and rice, as well as essential non-food items.

You can check exactly what supplies your local food bank needs here., external

Image source, .

A referral is sometimes needed in order to access a food bank. You can get a referral for your family members as well as yourself.

Referrals can be provided by your GP, a social worker, housing association or Citizens Advice, external.

If you are in need of emergency food, they will give you a voucher and tell you which food bank to go to.

Volunteers at the food bank will use your voucher to check how many people the food parcel needs to support and any dietary requirements you might have.

Some food banks have a limit on the number of times you can visit. If you need to access the food bank again, you will need to arrange another referral.

Image source, Getty Images

A food bank provides emergency supplies for people who are struggling to afford enough food to eat. Some food banks will also supply essential non-food items, such as toiletries, household items and baby supplies.

Most of these items are donated by members of the public and charities. Food parcels normally provide enough supplies to last three days.

Many food banks also offer advice on debt and benefits if needed.

Image source, PA Media

It’s hard to get a definitive picture, but there are figures that give an indication of how difficult day-to-day life is for some.

The Trussell Trust, one of the UK’s biggest food bank networks, says the cost of living crisis has created a "tsunami of need", external and food banks are facing their toughest winter yet.

For the first time ever, according to the trust, food banks are giving out more food than is being donated.

In the period from April to September this year, data shows 320,000 people turned to one of the trust’s food banks for the first time.

Regular surveys done by the polling organisation YouGov for the Food Foundation provide a snapshot. In September,, external nearly one in five households surveyed (18%) said they had eaten less, skipped meals or gone without meals for an entire day because they couldn’t afford or access food. This is double the number affected in January.

One in four households with children were experiencing this type of food insecurity in September, the same survey suggests.

This is even higher than it was in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, and is a large increase from April, when it was one in six.

A survey by the Office for National Statistics, carried out in late October and early November, suggests that 44% of adults in the UK are spending less on food and essentials, external because of increases in the cost of living.

Branwen Jeffreys
Education Editor

Children need nourishing school dinners more than ever before, as many families struggle with the cost of living.

I have been speaking to the Raza family in Bradford - dad Ali, mum Simran and their eight-year-old daughter, Alishah.

Ali is a self-employed wholesaler. He mainly buys fruit and vegetables in bulk before selling them on - but there is a limit to what small local shops are prepared to pay, so as costs rise, his profits decrease.

It means they can only afford to buy school lunch for Alishah once, or sometimes twice, every week. Each meal at her school, Dixons Marchbank Primary, costs £2.10.

All state school pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 can have free school meals during term time in England, but only the very lowest income families get free school meals for older children. As Alishah is in Year 3, her parents must pay.

As Simran prepares Alishah's evening meal, she says she wishes they could afford more frequent school lunches, as sometimes Alishah does not eat her packed lunch of cold leftovers.

Read more here.

Kevin Peachey
Cost of living correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Low-fat milk as well as margarine and other vegetable fats, including peanut butter, rose in price by more than 40% in the last year, according to the latest official inflation figures.

Pasta, sauces and spices, and butter were among the other items which have seen big jumps.

The impact is felt more by those on a low income, because these are basics that already take up a comparatively high proportion of their money.

More recent survey data from retailers suggest little let-up, making it difficult for everyone going around the supermarket to find cheaper alternatives.

How to make meals not just cheap, but simple toopublished at 16:08 Greenwich Mean Time 2 December 2022

16:08 GMT 2 December 2022

Justine Pattison
Food writer and home economist

An anonymous reader says he is a single disabled man who cannot always cook and struggles with the cost, as a result of which he eats very few meals per week. He's after any advice on how to save money while buying and preparing food.

I’m sorry to hear about your struggles. I hope there has already been some useful information for you today. It would be worth reading through my budget meal plan for one. And for more budget meal ideas for one, click here.

To help keep things simple, I think that one-pot dishes cooked on one ring, or in the oven, could help. Also, consider cooking food in larger amounts than you might need for one meal, then portioning up and freezing the rest. Reheating meals in the microwave is quick and energy-efficient.

If you have a slow cooker, make the most of it. You can combine all the ingredients in one pot, switch on and then forget about it until you are ready to eat.

Consider buying frozen prepared vegetables and canned beans and vegetables, to reduce meal prep and keep costs down.

Marita Moloney
Reporting from north London

Here at the hostel in north London, dozens of meals have been made, but the chef won’t be hanging up his apron just yet.

He’s making preparations for the weekend before coming back for another busy week of cooking from Monday.

The FEAST With Us volunteers and staff have been brilliant and I’m heading away feeling that same sense of comradery that’s been mentioned so many times today.

Residents were enjoying the festive lunch as I was leaving, with doggy bags being filled for later - a testament to the chef’s hours of hard work in the kitchen.