In this episode Mairi gathers recipes for when you need to tighten the purse strings but still need a filling meal for the whole family. Her home cooks show her recipes for when they're feeling the pinch. Toad in the hole is an economical way of stretching sausages further by padding them out with crisp batter, and a cake using apples that are past their best cuts down on food waste.

Mairi, a mother of two, well knows how important budgeting is when you have a family to feed. She puts a modern twist on the traditional carrageen pudding using just a few simple ingredients and demonstrates that classic desserts can still be done on a budget, such as her tarte tatin using tinned fruit.