A couple who have 11 children have shared their top tips to make the most of their monthly income.
Joanne and Tommy O'Rourke have to make the most of their £2,000 combined monthly income as they face the cost-of-living crisis head-on with their 11 children, aged two to 19, all in one four-bedroom home. Their energy bills have now soared to £800 a quarter, double of what they were a year ago.
The weekly trip to the supermarket, which includes 15 loaves of bread, 42 pints of milk and a kilogram of pasta, has doubled to £760 a month. The pair, who are both in work, are now fearing the worst for the winter.
READ MORE: Every DWP cost of living payment between September and Christmas
Joanne, 39, said: "We’re putting what we can away." Forklift driver Tommy, 41, added: “Families need more support.”
Tommy and Joanne have Mitchell, 19, Lauren, 17, Joe, 15, son Ryley, 13, Tommy, 12, Regan, 12, Ashlee-Dean, 10, Freddie, eight, Danny, six, Neave, four, and two-year-old Brodie together. The family are also trying to stretch their £2,000 monthly income at their rented North London home, the Mirror reports.
The parents are strict when it comes to the TV and lights, with them only being on at night. Therapist Joanne has also revealed that the family's meal plan is strict and days out are now treats like camping in the garden.
Now the couple share their "parenting on a budget" tips with their 50,000 web followers. The tips and tricks include replacing a £7-a-head swimming trip by buying a 12ft paddling pool.
Joanne kept the little ones busy for an afternoon for just £2 when she bought biscuits and icing sugar to decorate them. Son Tommy's 12th birthday was celebrated by the family recreating his favourite Harvester restaurant at home, complete with their very own "salad bar", costing less than £50 rather than the £150 meal out.
Ashlee-Dean celebrated his 10th birthday with his mum and dad buying him and his friends 66p pizza bases for them to build their own pizzas at the fraction of the cost of Pizza Hut or Dominoes. The couple manages to pick up cut-price gifts all year round to avoid a big hit at Christmas.
Joanne added: “I know we are in a more fortunate position than some so we want to do what we can to help other families keep ticking over.
“We get a lot of people messaging asking for advice, meals we can share. People message us to say thank you. It’s nice to share and help others.”
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