Meeting someone new – and having more children – was the last thing on Becca Scott’s mind when she separated from her ex-husband in 2016.
She was adjusting to life as a full-time single mum of her two sons, then aged eight and 11. When she met Simon, a single dad whose sons of a similar age went to the same school, she found a kindred spirit – and joy in what had been a dark period.
Becca and Simon found love again. Then in 2018, at the age of 43, the couple got the news that they would be having a little girl.
All six of them moved in together in May 2019, just before their daughter was born, becoming a family of seven overnight.
Becca, a women’s health practitioner and author, and Simon, a software developer, sought advice from counsellors and psychotherapists on how to help the children cope, and how to adjust their own parenting styles.
The emotional upheaval was one thing, yet the financial and operational logistics of managing a household of that many people became a whole process in itself.
At the backbone of this was a regular family meeting where issues could be raised – and perhaps most importantly, the family’s five-week meal plan, which they all decided was the best way forward, could be confirmed.
Example meals on the plan include chilli con carne, lasagne, and enchiladas.
“It was interesting because when we first all moved in together, you can imagine a load of boys going, ‘I don’t like peas’, and ‘I don’t like mushrooms.’ And I went, ‘we’re not doing that. We are going to have an alignment as best we can,'” says Berkshire-based Becca, now 50.
“Everybody had a say in what was on the meal plan, so that there were dishes that some people were less keen on, but actually then there were dishes that they did like. It was very much that which helped with shopping, because then literally I would look at ‘week one’ and know what I was buying to cook for that, and so on.”
But before Becca could even set out for her first shop – which she ended up doing online, to avoid the ordeal of pushing two full shopping trolleys around – the family needed to buy all new cookware.
“We didn’t have big enough pans for seven people. So I went to Ikea, and bought a massive saucepan and a huge wok type frying pan,” says Becca.
Becca and Simon also set up a comprehensive spreadsheet tracking all their expenses, including food, medication, utilities and car with allowances for Christmas, treats and holidays – plus food for their three cats.
The couple budgeted around £35 per person per week on food, averaging around £1,000 per month on this alone.
“We never shop hungry, we always have a list, and there’s never a moment of, ‘oh, I just fancy this or that.’ We have to prioritise. We don’t drink much alcohol,” says Becca.
“Lockdown wasn’t much fun because people thought I was hoarding food and I had to keep explaining that there were seven of us.”
Becca and Simon buy mainly own-brand items, making exceptions for products like mayonnaise and cereal, where they found the quality of branded to be superior.
They also prefer to buy organic eggs, even though they are more expensive, because they rescued battery chickens during the Covid lockdowns, and are haunted by the experience.
“They had no feathers and were in a terrible state. That put me right off any form of eggs that are not organic,” says Becca.
“I would love to be able to buy everything organic, but there’s just no way we can do it with our budget.”
Yet feeding four growing boys who were soon teenagers with massive appetites became a never ending task.
“Four teenage boys just inhale food. I’m now at the point that I can’t not cook lots of food,” says Becca.
“There’s usually never any leftovers. It’s like feeding hungry caterpillars.”
Becca and Simon shopped around to make their budget go as far as possible. Costco was good for bulk items, but the prices didn’t in fact work out to be cheaper than standard supermarkets.
Aldi and Lidl were the cheapest, but the least practical, without an online order and delivery option.
Asda was also cost-effective, but Becca and Simon were unimpressed with the quality. They also found the substitutions they’d be given in online orders when an item they selected was unavailable to be below par.
So the family have landed on Tesco as their regular supermarket. They ended up amassing so many Clubcard points that one of Becca’s sons was able to take his sister and his girlfriend to Legoland, Longleat and Chessington over the summer.
Becca and Simon pay for their shopping on their credit card, which earns them Avios points. They were also able to convert those into flights to Canada this summer, where they took their daughter on an 1,800-mile campervan trip over 18 days.
The family has gotten used to self catering on holiday, as being the most budget-friendly way to travel with a family of seven. It means they have been able to do ski trips and travel to theme parks in the US, all within their budget.
Some extended family holidays have included 18 people, in which meals have been allocated to small groups within the group to buy and cook for everyone.
Being money savvy extends to all areas of Becca and Simon’s lives. They have reduced their gas and electricity bills from £450 a month to £200 by switching providers multiple times. And generally, they keep the thermostat at 18°C, encouraging people to put on layers if they’re cold. They hardly use the tumble dryer.
Their finances took a hit in 2023 when their mortgage quadrupled from 1 to 4 per cent, which prompted much of their careful budgeting, which they continue to keep a close eye on.
Now that the boys are older, the household dynamic has changed slightly. One son had moved away for work and has now returned with his girlfriend. Another son is taking a year out after A-levels to go travelling.
Any adult children in the home who are working now contribute financially towards the household costs – and help with the cooking.
“Having five kids was never in my plan, but I feel really privileged to have everybody in my life – and to have become a mother again against the odds,” says Becca.