Desperate Britons turn to TikTok for help with cost of living crisis

Shoppers look to cut back on everyday items as energy bills soar

Hard-up Britons are increasingly turning to social media websites such as Tiktok for tips on how to save money as the cost of living crisis begins to bite.

With sky-high energy bills and soaring inflation, people are seeking out ways to spend less on everyday items - including food and groceries.

Popular app Tiktok said #budgetmeals and #cheapeats were two highly shared hashtags in July, suggesting people are searching for inspiration on how they can cut back.

Chef Mitch Lane started uploading videos of his cooking to Tiktok during lockdown and now has some 1 million followers, with many of his clips amassing hundreds of thousands of views.

Have you been impacted by the cost of living crisis? If so email matt.mathers@independent.co.uk

"The cost of living is crazy. Everybody is trying to offer as much help as they can," the 29-year-old from Wolverhampton said. "Some people are working full-time jobs and can't even afford basic necessities.

"Choosing whether to stick £10 worth of petrol in the car, or to buy a tenner's worth of electric. It's unacceptable to be living like that. "

Mr Lane said he just wanted to do "what I can" to help people who are struggling to make ends meet.

And he is not alone. Joe Rourke, 40, from Manchester, runs the @thismumcooks Tiktok account, where she also uploads videos of herself cooking budget meals and has nearly 70,000 followers.

She also advises people on how to get the best deals in supermarkets.

"I suddenly realised that there were a lot of people who didn't quite know what to do in regards to buying in bulk to save money, and I thought I'd start sharing these things, because it's what I have do," she said. "

"It's how I shop, it's how I've always shopped.

Ms Rourke, a single parent, believes the cost of living crisis is partly responsible for the rising popularity of cooking videos.

"The cost of food across the board has gone up so much and I think people are seeing that, and then thinking how can I reverse that, how can I get my shopping back to where it was or cheaper," she said.

The government has announced a financial package to help with the cost of living, although campaigners say the measures do not go far enough.

Liz Truss, who looks set to become prime minister next week, has said would provide more help if enters No 10 Downing Street but has so far failed to set out her plans in detail.