A single father from London has garnered significant online attention after sharing the heartbreakingly inexpensive dinner he prepares for his children amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis. The father, operating under the TikTok username @tok_savings, revealed how he manages to feed his family on a mere 88p budget, sparking a massive debate across social media platforms.

In his viral clip, the self-proclaimed “poor AF” dad demonstrated his approach to an ultra-budget meal. His shopping trip to Morrisons involved purchasing a Savers tin of spaghetti loops for 19p and a loaf of white bread for 69p, totaling just 88p. Upon returning home, he prepared the simple dinner by adding butter and salt to a pan with the spaghetti loops, then toasting and buttering the bread before topping it with the cooked spaghetti.

The video, titled “Feeding my kids on a 88p budget as a poor af single father,” quickly amassed 238,700 views and ignited a fierce discussion. While some viewers praised the father’s dedication, with comments such as “Good job feeding those babies. Nobody, especially a child, should go to bed hungry” and “Kids fed, that’s all that matters,” others were less charitable. Critics slammed the meal as “gross,” questioned the addition of butter and salt to spaghetti hoops, and some even pointed out the cleanliness of his stove, calling it a “health hazard.”

The father also included an audio track in his video that spoke to the trolls and the judgment he faced, highlighting his pride in cooking for his children despite the criticism. The audio also implicitly contrasted how a single mother might be treated differently in a similar situation, emphasizing his resilience in ensuring his children eat every day while hiding his own struggles. The widespread division illustrates the strong opinions surrounding budget-friendly meals and parental efforts during financial hardship.