A mother from Sussex was left utterly stunned after handing over the reins of the family's weekly food shop to her 10-year-old daughter, giving her a £100 budget to spend at Tesco.
The £100 Tesco Challenge
Katie, who shares her life on TikTok as @katielouise96, decided to give her daughter a lesson in responsibility and budgeting. She set her a clear task: use the £100 budget to buy seven dinners for the family for the week ahead. The only specific item requested by mum was washing-up liquid. Katie then stepped back, allowing her daughter to complete the entire online shop by herself, without any supervision or input.
The first surprise came when the grocery delivery arrived at their home. Katie recorded her reaction as they unpacked the bags together, revealing her daughter's thoughtful, if sometimes humorous, selections.
Unpacking the Seven Dinners
The young girl's meal plan demonstrated a clear understanding of what constitutes a family dinner. She started with ingredients for jacket potatoes, pulling out cheese, potatoes, a tin of tuna, and a tin of beans.
For the subsequent meals, she had chosen:
- Frozen scampi bites, chips, and a packet of Batchelors cheese and broccoli pasta and sauce, which she claimed for herself, joking that her mum could have an empty plate.
- The components for a spaghetti bolognese: spaghetti, beef mince, and chopped tomatoes.
- Two small gluten-free steak pies to accompany the previously chosen chips.
- A meat-feast pizza, again using the versatile bag of chips.
- Protein plant-powered wraps and a bag of chicken thighs for a wrap night.
The final meal choice was the most jaw-dropping. To her mother's disbelief, the 10-year-old had selected three steaks – one rib-eye and two sirloin. According to the child, this luxury purchase consumed around £40 of the total budget.
Beyond the seven dinners, she also managed to include essentials and treats: pre-cooked meat, Attack a Snaks for her lunch, two types of ice cream, bourbon biscuits, organic semi-skimmed milk, and various fruits and vegetables. The final total came to just £2 over the £100 budget, a figure that included the delivery charge.
Overwhelmingly Positive Reaction from Other Parents
After Katie shared the video online, the response from other parents was unanimous. Dozens of commenters praised the little girl for doing a better job than many adults would.
One user admitted, "I'm 33, and she did better than me. I had a KitKat for my dinner yesterday." Another simply stated, "She did better than most adults!" A third commenter highlighted the girl's foresight, noting, "No cos she actually did so well! My 11-year-old would have got the jacket potatoes and not thought to get the stuff to go on it!"
Many saw it as a brilliant parenting moment. One person commented on the independence and self-control it taught, saying, "So many kids her age would have no idea what goes into the most basic of dinners, she did great I hope you're proud of her and yourself." When asked if her daughter cooks, Katie revealed the experiment had sparked a new interest, replying that the girl had asked to cook all the meals she chose herself that week.
