That’s her Stragg – Real meal.
For sure, prices are steep, and the budget is tight, but this frugal mom’s daily menu is, um, quite something.
“This is what I eat in a day as someone who tries to save money,” shared an anonymous woman, who goes by the name @diaryofacheapskate on TikTok.
Her budget-friendly breakfast caught the attention of over 1.4 million viewers. The 32-year-old from the UK added some milk and even a splash of water to her meal for extra moisture.
“I’m just trying to cut costs a bit more,” she mentioned, claiming to be “mortgage-free” due to her careful spending habits. “I’ve been diluting it more, but honestly, I can’t taste the difference.”
“I just love how mushy it gets,” she added. It’s kind of a curious choice, right?
However, the online response hasn’t been so kind, with some commenters calling her tactics “sad” and even “depressing.”
One critic remarked, “Life is too short to water down milk,” while another joked about her apparent lack of basic needs being met.
“It’s one thing to be frugal, but diluting milk? That seems extreme,” they pointed out.
But for many frugal individuals, saving money in this way isn’t about mental health struggles; it’s simply a lifestyle choice.
A recent survey of 2,000 Americans showed that 61% feel less inclined to spend money carelessly than they did a decade ago.
Some people, however, are taking it too far.
A woman recently shared on Reddit that her husband pretends to be impoverished to access free groceries.
There’s also been discussion in a “budget mom” Facebook group about spending habits. One mom criticized daily coffee purchases that add up to thousands in a year.
She said, “Buying coffee can cost you $7,000 a year. Add in lunch, and that’s $14,000!”
Some online users, like the TikTok mom, claimed they would rather eat leftovers than spend cash.
She even confessed to consuming slightly spoiled potatoes and limp salad leaves, just trimming off the bad bits.
“I wash it and give it a sniff. If it seems alright, I think it’s okay to eat,” she explained.
So, will her budget choices hold up over time? Only time will tell.
