The Thrifty Family Cookbook

30-minute meals. £20 budgets. 10 weekly menus. Dinner, sorted.

Feeding the family well doesn’t have to cost a fortune or take all evening – and, as a savvy single mum of three teens, Jo Rourke knows what she’s talking about. In The Thrifty Family Cookbook, Jo (aka @this.mum.cooks) shares realistic weekly meal plans designed to make everyday cooking faster, cheaper and easier.

Each week features five delicious family dinners that can be whipped up in just 30 minutes, such as Creamy Chicken Pie, Pulled-Pork Filo Swirl and Speedy Salmon & Noodle Broth. With clever swaps and waste-saving tips, Jo shows how to stretch your budget while keeping meals varied, comforting and crowd-pleasing.

The book is split seasonally, with five weeks of hearty autumn/winter suppers and five weeks of lighter spring/summer recipes, so you can cook confidently all year round. Handy QR codes link to ready-made shopping lists, making planning even easier.

Straight-talking, flexible and family-tested, The Thrifty Family Cookbook is your no-nonsense guide to eating well for less – from someone who truly understands the juggle of feeding a family on a budget.