I love eating, I mean seriously love it. I am passionate about eating good quality, healthy food. I fully believe that “we are what we eat”, and that if I fill my body with processed rubbish it will end with me feeling rubbish.

Unfortunately when I visit my local supermarket it seems like cheaper food is usually processed rubbish. So what do you do if you are on a budget but you want to eat good quality, unprocessed food ? Why read my guide of course, here’s five tips for good food on a budget.

1. Cook from scratch: Often if you cook a dish from scratch rather than relying on pre-prepared foods it works out a lot cheaper. For example my pizza recipe here costs about £2 per pizza. An equivalent pre-made pizza would be nearer to £4. Don’t worry about expensive recipe books to guide you either, the internet is awash with recipes for most dishes for absolutely nothing.

2. Buy fruit and veg locally; I have started using my local fruit and veg shop and was surprised at how reasonable the prices were. I reckon I saved at least £2 on my veggies and since I walked I also saved the petrol. Ditto bakers, butchers, fishmongers. As an added bonus you will be keeping your local shops afloat which is good for the soul.

3. Use your leftovers; I almost never throw away food, find a use for your leftovers and your money stretches further. Again if you are unsure of what to do then hit the internet for ideas.

4.Meal plan: I plan my weekday meals, leaving the weekend to be a bit more spontaneous (boy I know how to live right). I scan my cupboards and make a meal plan based around what I already have and then I only have to buy what’s needed. I firmly believe meal planning is the single most effective way to save money on your weekly food bill.

5.Grow your own; Growing vegetables is satisfying and economical. You can grow enough lettuce for a summers worth of salads for a little more than one bag of pre washed salad leaves. You don’t even need a garden , as vegetables can even be grown in a window box.