TESCO Shopper Reveals How He Lives Off £20 A Week

• Conor O’Neill, 20, a fitness fanatic, was spending up to £60 a week on protein-packed meals
• By shopping smartly he has reduced his spend to just £19.40 a week at TESCO
• Protein-packed meals with sausages, tuna, pork and black beans
• Conor is now saving over £150 a month without sacrificing food quality

Budget shopping is the best way to bypass rising food prices where possible, but what do you do if you’re a fitness fanatic and want to make sure each of your meals is packed with protein?

Conor O’Neill, 20 from London who works as a video editor, has managed to come up with a weekly meal plan that is varied and nutritious enough for his days in the gym pumping iron - and it costs just £19.40.

The savvy shopper told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘My nearest shop is Tesco and so I wanted to find a way to get protein-filled meals from this supermarket without breaking the bank.

‘If I don’t watch what I spend I easily rack up bills of £50 or £60 a week which just doesn’t work long term, especially when it’s the end of the month and you’re waiting for payday!

‘I did some research into how I can get protein sources on the cheap and after some trial and error I’ve come up with a meal plan I find easy to stick with, whether I’m low on cash or want to cut back for a few weeks.

‘The best part is that I only need a £20 note to pick up everything I need - and I put the 60p change in my piggy bank for cheat days!

Conor’s money-saving meal plan Breakfast: Fried eggs OR Banana oats Lunch:

Sausages and rice with veggies OR Tuna and sweetcorn wrap

Dinner:

Pork chilli OR Sweet potatoes stuffed with black bean & tomato

‘I start the day with fried eggs or banana oats depending on how I feel. If I need a boost of long-lasting energy then I tuck into the oats before doing some cardio, or I get in protein with the eggs before I hit the weights.

‘Eggs are such a nutritious breakfast, and it’s great that they’re so cheap. You can pick up 6 eggs for £1.50 and that’s my breakfast for the entire week! Plus, 1kg of oats is even cheaper at just 90p so these were some great bargain finds.

‘Later, if I’m on the go, I make sure I’ve got a tuna and sweetcorn protein wrap to keep me going at lunchtime, or if I’m working from home I’ll prepare myself some sausages and rice with veggies. I found that broccoli and cauliflower, frozen, were the cheapest option at just 80p for 900g.

‘Plus, sausages are cheaper than chicken if I want a protein-packed meal. That substitution in itself saved me at least a fiver each week.

• 6 eggs, £1.50
• 1kg oats, 90p
• 4 bananas, 87p
• Semi skimmed milk, 2 pints, £1.20
• 8 Woodside Farm pork sausages, £1.50
• Long grain rice 1kg, £1.25
• Frozen broccoli and cauliflower 900g, 80p
• 8 wholemeal tortilla wraps, 1.10
• Tesco tuna chunks in spring water, 3 tins, £2.40
• Sweetcorn 200g, 65p
• Woodside Farm pork mince 500g, £2.65
• 2 brown onions, 34p
• Tesco red kidney beans, 95p
• Sweet potatoes 1kg, £1.09
• Red pepper 55p
• Black beans 400g, 65p
• Tesco Italian chopped tomatoes, 2 tins, £1

Total: £19.40

‘I’ve managed to get protein in at both of my meals so far, but I found a way to pack in even more once dinner time rolls around. My meal plan allows for 3 servings of pork chilli which is really tasty to tuck into in the evening. I bulk it out with tinned kidney beans and add as many spices as I want!

‘Alternatively, I go for sweet potatoes filled with black beans and tomato. Black beans are a great source of fibre and protein, while the sweet potatoes are a good price at just over £1 for a kilogram.

‘I’ve not felt like I’m sacrificing good food with this plan, and by making smart shopping choices I’ve cut my food bill right down, saving over £150 a month!’

Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Conor has done a great job reducing his food bill by such an impressive amount - I’m sure many people will be trying out his meal plan! The pork chilli in particular looks delicious.

‘There are plenty of great ways to save money at Tesco:

‘Use Clubcard: You can turn every 150 points into £1.50 vouchers which can be spent on groceries, meals out and more.

‘Download the Tesco app: Receive personalised coupons which can be used online or scanned in-store.

‘Save for Christmas: Collect vouchers throughout the year, and Tesco will send them all in November for the big shop.

‘Scan as you shop: Keep an eye on prices in-store by scanning items as you go.

‘Make leftovers go further: Use Tesco Real Food to find recipes that make use of leftover ingredients and reduce waste.’