We all dream of ditching the mortgage early, but would you water down your milk or eat sprouting potatoes to do it? One UK mum says absolutely yes—and her surprising daily routine has sparked a major reaction online.
Known on TikTok as @diaryofacheapskate, this Yorkshire woman has built an online following by sharing her ultra-frugal lifestyle.
She’s not shy about her mission: live simply, spend wisely, and enjoy the peace of a debt-free life.
And while many admire her hustle, others are left scratching their heads at just how far she’s willing to go.
Breakfast Begins with Watered-Down Milk and Budget Weetabix
Her now-viral “what I eat in a day” video has racked up over a million views.
It kicks off with breakfast—usually a bowl of store-brand Weetabix with milk that she purposely waters down to stretch it further.
“I’ve been slowly watering it down a little bit more and I can’t really taste the difference,” she said with a shrug. “I like it mushy anyway.”
She even demonstrated running her cereal under the tap—yes, really.
That moment alone left many viewers stunned. One commenter joked, “The way my jaw dropped when you put the bowl under the sink…”
Lunch Is Sprouting Potatoes and a Bit of Leftover Tuna
For lunch, things didn’t get much more glamorous. She grabbed some jacket potatoes from Asda that had already started to sprout.
But instead of tossing them, she simply cut off the dodgy bits and got cooking.
“The rest of the potato is still good,” she explained. “Why waste it?”
Into the microwave they went (because the oven “makes them taste disgusting”), and she topped them with tuna, sweetcorn, a bit of cheese, and some out-of-date salad she admitted was “a couple of days old.”
The rest of the tuna? Saved for a sandwich the next day, naturally.
Homemade Animal Biscuits and a Nine-Year-Old Chef for Dinner
Later in the afternoon, she snacked on some homemade animal biscuits with blueberries before handing the kitchen over to her nine-year-old daughter for dinner.
Yep, her daughter made the family meal—homemade pizzas—with no adult help needed.
“This is something she can make completely by herself,” she said proudly.
“We try to make most things from scratch—and by ‘we,’ I really mean my husband. I don’t do much cooking in this house.”
It’s a family favorite and makes a regular appearance every couple of weeks.
Viewers Split Between Admiration and Total Disbelief
While some viewers applauded her dedication to saving money, others couldn’t help but question whether it’s all worth it.
“Life is too short to water down milk on Weetabix,” one person wrote.
Another asked, “What’s the end goal? Are you saving for something or are you just gonna live like this forever?”
One even cheekily suggested she sit on her jacket potatoes instead of microwaving them to save electricity.
Still, some people defended her: “Why are so many people hating this??? Everything was normal.”
She’s Not Rich—She’s Just Making Life Work on a Low Income
In a follow-up video, the mum addressed the assumptions people made about her savings.
“There’s a bit of a misconception that because I live frugally, I must have loads of money saved up. That’s not true at all,” she explained.
Both she and her husband are on low wages and, after covering essentials like council tax, electricity, and internet, there’s very little left.
But their frugal habits mean they’re mortgage-free and can both work part-time—giving them more time with their two kids.
Mortgage Gone, Goals Achieved, and Eyes on the Future
Despite the backlash, she says their lifestyle has helped them hit some big milestones: no mortgage, more family time, and even three holidays abroad last year.
She admits her husband isn’t quite as extreme as she is with saving money, but he’s on board with the overall lifestyle.
“If I lived alone, I’d probably be even more extreme,” she laughed.
Right now, she’s hoping to save for a bathroom renovation and more holidays in the future.
But at the heart of it all, her philosophy is simple: live within your means, and spend intentionally—even if it means watering down your milk.