"Make Her Minister of Finance": Woman Feeds 2 for R12 at Pick 'n Pay, Video of Budget Meal Amazes SA

• A South African woman went viral for demonstrating a survival strategy to feed two people on a budget of just R12
• By making purchases at Pick n Pay and a small shop, she showed how to stretch small amounts of cash
• The TikTok video highlighted the resilience of people facing the 2026 economic landscape of rising prices

TikTokker Jaspeer Zee shared her ultimate hack for surviving the current cost-of-living crisis by purchasing lunch for two people with just R12. The young lady demonstrated exactly how she manages to find a way to eat by finding the cheapest food at Pick 'n Pay in her video shared on 1 July 2026. She bought rolls and tried to buy R3 worth of polony at the counter to fill the rolls, but failed because the supermarket had a R5 minimum purchase limit. Instead, she adapted by heading to a small local shop to buy two slices of cheese to complete the meal.

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Tensions around rising food prices are heavily impacting everyday life as the average household food basket sits at R5,502.42. The shift towards buying single items or using small neighbourhood shops is how people coped to maximise every rand. A standard supermarket trip might leave you with a half-empty basket and a large bill. Buying basic single rolls and loose slices of cheese offers a critical lifeline for those living on a tight budget. Watch the video below:

SA discusses budget lunch

Many joked that her incredible resourcefulness earned her major "baddie on a budget" status, with several commenters admitting they seriously needed to take notes and learn from her strategy. The feat was so impressive that one viewer even teased she should be appointed the Minister of Finance to help bring national inflation down. The attempt to buy R3 worth of polony left some users stunned by her boldness. Others were inspired to share their own low-cost survival alternatives, suggesting budget-friendly staples like butternut or potatoes to make homemade fries. Read the comments below:

Nomaqualand_the.only commented:

"R12? Girl, you should be the minister of finance, maybe inflation will go down 😭😭😂"

theghostofme wrote:

"I always think veggies, so butternut or, potatoes to make fries."

Saneliso🍒 was amazed:

"Polony for R3 😭you guys are bold, and I’m learning."

khumo♥️🎀❤️‍🩹 remarked:

"It's giving baddie on a budget."

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nyx was impressed:

"I need to learn from you 😂 this is very impressive."

Mike 🫵🏿 was also stunned:

"In this economy, that's just enough for premium air."

Woman buys 2 days' meals with just R50

Briefly News reported that @jasper_zee_ went on a shopping challenge after people online questioned whether she ever cooked for herself. Stepping into Pick 'n Pay, she stated her goal was to find ingredients that would formulate a hearty meal to last two full days rather than spending all the money on a single fast-food takeout option.

Her first selections included a container of frozen chicken livers and a small packet of rice. Deciding to complete her meal prep at a local shop for better deals, she bought items she needed to thicken up the dish. At the end of her mission, TikTok user @jasper_zee laid out her ingredients on her kitchen counter to explain the longevity of home-cooked staples.

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The Briefly News team had the pleasure of speaking with Jasper Zee and asked what originally motivated her to start the meal-on-a-budget journey and film it for TikTok.

Source: Briefly News