Photo / Thinkstock
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Photo / Thinkstock

More than 20,000 people have "liked" a fledgling New Zealand Facebook page that offers advice on feeding a family on a budget.

Jasmine McPhee started her page, "How to Feed a Family of 6 for Under $20" seven weeks ago.

This week the page had amassed 20,190 likes - and it's increasing.

McPhee said it picked up momentum quickly.

Within the first week, the number of likers had already hit four digits and by the time the page was three weeks old it had 5264 likes.

McPhee, who has five children aged 3 to 17, lives in Manurewa.

She said she learned to budget when she and her husband, Vance, went through tough financial times a couple of years ago.

Since then, the habit had been hard to break. "I was making a meal one night and it was really good, the kids liked it and it was cheap. I decided to share the recipe."

The page offers dinner ideas that can be made for less than $20 and feed a family, as well as tips on saving money when shopping.

"It's heartbreaking to read some of the feedback I get such as families only having $60 or $70 dollars a week for shopping, including other things like toilet paper, laundry powder and soap etc etc - it doesn't leave much for actual food."

McPhee said people often remembered eating things such as steamed pudding as a child, but had no idea how to go about making it.

She has been asked to hold one-on-one cooking lessons and is also developing an app.

- Herald on Sunday