Trailer Mom Shares How She Feeds Her Family Of 4 Under $250 a Week
Self-described “trailer park mom” on TikTok, @scatteredmother, has gone viral for her “lazy” dinner recipes that she prepares for her low-income family of four. Idaho-based Aeilla shares under $250 a week dinner recipes from her $750-a-month trailer. She has built a sizeable audience of over 100,000 followers on TikTok and was recently interviewed by the New York Post.
Aeilla’s Story
With inflation hitting through the roof, Aeilla turned to TikTok last December to try and earn extra money for her family. The 28-year-old has two kids, aged five and 18 months, and her family of four makes a total of $30,000 a year.
For her content, Aeilla began documenting the meals she makes for her family under a strict $250-a-week budget. “I don’t have a lot of time to pamper myself and look like a supermodel,” Aeilla told The Post.
@scatteredmother Chicken tortellini with alfredo sauce and a side of mixed veggies. My sons both have averisons to meat. I tried to introduce some of this to my 18 month old and he ate non. He did eat some veggies, yogurt and cheese. My 5 year old had noodles with nutritional yeast a yogurt and some popcorn. #fypシ #dinner #dinnertime #cookwithme #cooktok #cookingtiktok #pickyeater #trailerpark #sahmlife #momsoftiktok #momlife #momtok ♬ original sound - Mama A
She quickly began amassing followers, many of whom were also desperate to cut costs as food prices surged. “My meals appeal to people who want things that are very, very easy and don’t have a lot of ingredients,” she said in the interview. She further added that she shops at Kroger just once a week and has several strategies that help her stick to the $250 weekly budget.
Aeilla’s Recipes
Aeilla’s videos show she makes several items like beef burritos, protein pancakes, and chicken stir fries in her cluttered trailer kitchen.
One of the most popular recipes on her profile is Beef Taco Cups which she makes with some onions, ground beef, packaged tortillas, sauce, and seasoning. In her videos, she does mention that both of her kids have an aversion to meat, thus, she cooks separate nutritious meals for them.
@scatteredmother Taco cups with green beans. My kiddos both have averisons to meat. My 5 year old had a frozen pb&j(his safe food) and some cucumber. My 18 month old had a few bites of the green beans, some noodles with nutrional yeast, and a zbar. #fypシ #dinner #dinnertime #cooktok #cookwithme #budget #budgetmeals #sahmlife #momsoftiktok #momlifebelike ♬ original sound - Mama A
Despite her popularity, some people do not like her way of living, especially the way she feeds her kids. In one of her videos, a viewer commented that she should not feed her children junk food in the name of an aversion to meat. She asked how can the mother expect them to eat anything she cooks if she is “willing to give them anything”.
On the other hand, a vast majority of users love her for what she does. They encourage Aeilla to put in the effort to make the best out of what she has. They don’t call her food “lazy” as it is made with love.
Aeilla’s Tips on Budgeting
The TikTok creator says that she makes a list of everything she needs and sticks to it to avoid going over the budget. She recommends couponing to avail decent discounts from vouchers that come in the mailbox.
Aeilla prioritises fresh produce over sweet treats, and she often puts her favorite ice cream sandwiches back on the shelf if she’s gone over budget.
Lastly, Aeilla freezes meat to make it last longer and she gets inventive with whatever ingredients are left over at the end of the week to salvage everything she has.
@scatteredmother Replying to @gamcare310 #fypシ゚ #paperplates #sahmlife #sahm #wfhm #momsoftiktok #cooktok #momlife #momlifebelike #adhd #nuerodivergent ♬ original sound - Mama A
According to her, she makes money via TikTok’s Creativity Program which is a beta rewards program designed to help creators generate higher revenue potential by posting quality original content. As per the Post, she has also been approached by multiple baby and food brands to advertise their content on her ever-expanding page.
You can follow Aeilla on TikTok @scatteredmother and YouTube @Scatteredmother as well. Furthermore, Aeilla has her Amazon shop and Wishlist posted on her TikTok bio where generous fans have helped her buy necessities.