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Over half the population seeks shrewd methods to cut weekly food bills Millions of pounds are being wiped off the weekly food bill by canny mums who are ditching celebrity cookbooks to tandoori takeaways in a bid to save money, new figures reveal. More than half the country admits it is eating fewer takeaways now that budgets are tight while almost a third are resorting to cooking leftovers rather than chuck them away, it was revealed. Women are also discovering it is cheaper to download online recipes rather than buy expensive cookbooks by TV chefs, said the study by search engine Ask Jeeves. The re-launched site has joined forces with leading online parenting group Mumsnet to offer advice on how to trim the weekly food bill both for eating in and eating out. Though it also found up to 29 per cent of couples would eat out more often if they had more help around the home and could spare the time. A survey of 1,000 adults also uncovered other budget-boosting measures such as using discount vouchers and downgrading to less expensive wine. The survey found 52 per cent now say they eat fewer takeaways in the current climate, 31 per cent cook more leftovers and 55 per cent buy increasing amounts of own brand groceries. More than a fifth (22 per cent) drink cheaper wine, 45 per cent eat at home more often in general and 52 per cent use discount vouchers which includes cheap meals and groceries. Other figures showed 14 per cent get free recipes and other cooking advice from friends or online. However, many also find that spending so much time in the kitchen is adding to the pressure - 13 per cent of women say they would like more help with the cooking compared to only five per cent who say the same about, for example, child minding. Ask Jeeves, which this week relaunched with the familiar Jeeves icon after a three year absence, joined with Mumsnet to offer advice and tips on feeding a family on a budget. In 2006, before Jeeves 'went on holiday', the top food-related searches revolved around fancy recipes, expensive restaurants and dinner party presentation. Today the most common questions are more likely to be about how to slow cook cheaper cuts of meat, make food go further or where they can get cheaper deals for eating in or out. A spokeswoman for Mumsnet said: "Mothers hold the purse-strings to the weekly shop so are more aware than anyone else in the family about how to make the money go further. "This can include banning the Friday night takeaway or cooking leftovers - something they may not have even considered during the boom times of the last few years. But women are more than happy to both take advice from others and to pass it on, so the inventiveness of the British mum, wife or partner has never been stronger than during this crunch." But this does not mean being tied to the oven for 24 hours a day, particularly as many women have to juggle a family, work and other interests, said Ask Jeeves. Their research showed that unwinding with a simple treat is the secret to a happy matriarch, with 42 per cent of women saying they relax by simply reading a book or newspaper compared to 17 per cent who sneakily have a glass of wine or a bar of chocolate. Setting off for a relaxing walk was the favourite way to calm frayed nerves for almost one in three (30 per cent) busy females, whilst 35 per cent find that cosying up with loved ones to watch a film is the perfect way to slow down. Nadia Kelly, spokesperson for Ask Jeeves said: "We are constantly amazed by the versatility and innovation of the great British public and none more so than the nation's women. But we are delighted to see that it doesn't have to come at the expense of doing things they enjoy or which they find relaxing. We all need a little 'me' time!"
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