“I did a weekly Tesco shop for £20 to see how easy it was – that’s how I got by.”

Edinburgh Live reporter Sian Traynor went to Tesco to see if she was able to get a weekly grocery shop for just £20. It comes as the cost of living crisis sends all of our bills skyrocketing

The cost of living crisis means we are all paying more for our bills and groceries.

With many tightening their wallets, every penny counts, and making a weekly purchase to cover even one person can be an added burden.

To see how cost-effectively you can handle groceries, Edinburgh Live reporter Sian Traynor went to Tesco to see if she was able to get a weekly grocery store for just £20.

Rising to the challenge, she pulled out her shopping cart and walked the aisles to see how much food she could get. So it was with her.

Worried about not being able to afford your grocery bills in the cost of living crisis? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

Before we headed to Tesco, we had a clear idea of ​​what meals we would be planning for the week and if we could make a load last for two dinners.

Assuming we already had all the essentials in the cupboard (salt and pepper, spices, oil and butter, etc.) we tried to ensure our fruit and veg were as cheap as possible, factoring in the cost of meat.

When we added up the costs it was clear how quickly the bill can skyrocket, as choosing an option that might be just 20p or 50p cheaper can make a huge difference.

Starting with breakfast we settled on a basic option of Scott’s oatmeal for £2, a full box of which would definitely last more than a week.

Not only did we buy milk, we also bought bananas and apples that could go with the porridge or as a snack.

A large loaf of Tesco’s own white bread was also 60p, which could be used for both toast and sandwiches at lunchtime.

Speaking of lunch, our idea was to mainly buy cheap and cheerful sandwiches that would use the bread and we opted for ham for 86p and cheddar for £1.65.

We also bought an iceberg lettuce for just 49p and a six pack of ready salted crisps for 69p.

We thought the chips would work as a snack too, as would a pack of chocolate bourbon biscuits for 39p and also the apples and bananas.

As for dinner, this was the meal that required the most thought when it came to shopping on a budget.

Hoping to get two dinners from each meat option we bought two chicken breasts plus a pack of Tesco mince which cost £2.60.

With the idea of ​​making dishes like spaghetti bolognese, seasoned chicken and veggies, or something similar, the options seemed relatively cheap.

In addition, we also picked up Maris Piper potatoes, carrots, cherry tomatoes and onions which would be good for either meal.

For dinner we also chose a can of Tesco’s own soup for 50p and a pepperoni pizza and garlic baguette for 32p.

The only other item we bought was six free range eggs that could be used for breakfast, lunch or even dinner.

The final cost

When we checked out we thought our total cost had been £19.76 but when all our items were scanned we were told our calculations weren’t exactly right.

At an actual price of £21.35 we were only slightly over budget, but still we were really impressed with how much we got for the price.

Although some items can last longer than a week, the store really was for one person only, so a family of say three or four would have been a lot more expensive.