Recipe developer's tips to shop so there's food you actually want to eat at home

Have you ever gotten the response "there's food at home" as a kid?

Unlike your parents, August DeWindt means it and gives the phrase new meaning because she helps home cooks make something truly delicious -- and possibly even better than the original version.

The food business owner, blogger and TikTok creator based in New York City built the concept into an easy-to-implement approach for grocery shopping and cooking.

"I like to share my weekly grocery plan ... to show that you can budget," she explained. "I shop for two people, my husband and myself, and I try to spend $100 per week."

Those videos, she said, while not as popular for the younger fans on TikTok, have really resonated with her core college student and young adult fan base.

"It took me years to really be able to learn how to do this flawlessly, but I just try to piggy back on the things I already have at home," she said. "So if I already have some frozen veggies I'll build a meal around that -- it's just constantly building and trying to utilize what you already have instead of buying more things."

DeWindt said with the help of her well-stocked pantry, her "average meal cost is about $2."

Check out her TikTok video below to see how she breaks down her grocery shopping and meal plan, plus a full breakdown on her blog where followers can see exactly what to buy each Monday.

When it comes to trying new recipes that aren't her own, she has taught herself how to decide what ingredients to omit or what ingredients can be swapped out.

"I think that's what a lot of people get nervous about -- they see a recipe and think they have to buy every single thing -- you don't always have to. I like to always think of recipes as a guide and not that you have to follow it word for word," she said, adding that if you're shopping and cooking for just one person, those ingredients can add up at the register quickly.

In addition to DeWindt's grocery shopping tips, she also churns out drool-worthy recipe videos from fast-food favorites recreated as original easy dishes.

Check out a few of our favorites below and get even more recipes for meals like a copycat Filet-O-Fish sandwich, an eggplant parmesan sandwich and a fried chicken biscuit.

Copycat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets

Veggie Burrito Bowls