January 2026 Grocery Challenge

loubudgets1

Thanks for letting me join in. My months run from the 25th to the 24th, and I tend to do a big shop on a Friday, so I've just done my second 'big' shop of the year. My aim is to do one big shop and one top-up during the week. No extra trips, I need to get used to 'making do' if I don't have something. So I've already done two big shops, and my remaining budget is £208.73/£400.  That gives me a max of £8.73 for top-ups before Friday. I will need to pop to Asda to get goat's milk (both kids are intolerant to cow's milk and goat's costs a fortune at Tesco. It's 50p a carton cheaper at Asda. Probably need cheese too, as apparently my DH needs it to eat up all the leftover crackers from Christmas! 

Changeyourlife25

£161.64/£500

Two trips yesterday, one to sparks - Had to get the bunny munch tin (I couldn’t resist 🐰I’ll use it for my craft stuff after we’ve eaten the treats) and picked up a pack of mint choc eggs, Easter already 👀 They also had Christmas clearance so got 2 packs of ready to bake sprouts and chestnuts - £13.99

Local Chinese supermarket - various dumplings, pak Choi, edamame, chilli oil, sushi rice, and snacks £67.99 🤦‍♀️

Today - Leedls, I have work starting on the house tomorrow so don’t really want to do much food prep whilst builders are ripping my house apart… bought various sarnie fillers, fruit, snacks, yogurts, cheese strings, dunkers - just bits I can sort easily in the living room for the kids. £56.81

Corner shop - A red bull 🤣🤦‍♀️ £1.65 

wishus

Just done the tea bags and milk shop, and thought, ya know, I might go swimming this week, so picked up some razors so my legs don't feel like sea anemones moving through the pool.

£4.50

Total so far £24.50/£150

I'm going to try really, really hard not to spend any more than I have to this month. I'd got a chicken out of the freezer last night for today thinking my husband would be back for dinner, but he's not here until tomorrow, so going to have a yummy veggie pasta with aubergines and chickpeas instead. 

Meal plan then:

Breakfasts: bagels, toasts or porridge. Toppings, butter, jam, marmalade, egg, marmite
lunches: sandwiches/toasties/crackers. Cheese, hummus, beans.

Dinners: 
Monday - roast chicken dinner, carrots, broccoli, kohlrabi, gravy
Tuesday - creamy cajun chicken and rice, carrots
Wednesday - chicken stir fry if there's any chicken left OR cauliflower cheese pasta.
Thursday - aloo gobi and rice, with parsnip pakora
Friday - salmon and potatoes, mixed veg
Saturday - bean burgers, salad, wedges, monkey sauce.
Sunday - pork chops, potatoes, mixed veg.

JingsMyBucket

Budgets updated to here. 

@loubudgets1 it's never too late to join, just as @Blackcats said. I've noted you down for £100/week. Is that okay or do you prefer to be noted for a monthly budget of £400 for January? 

loubudgets1

@JingsMyBucket, hmmm good question. I think £100 weekly, please, as some months will have 5 weeks.

dollypeeps

Swung by MrT this afternoon.
Needed a larger storage box for Christmas decorations and a birthday card for sil.

25% off F&F sportswear so treated myself to a running jacket with my Christmas money. £22.50 - £5.63 =£16.87!!

I would’ve been a very happy bunny but it didn’t fit when I got home….. fits Dd tho!
Bought bread rolls for lunches so £1.20 declared on the GC budget.

£71.63 / £90 (£10 cash still intact in purse )

Pleased how the meal plan is working out so far…..
fri 2/1 fish,chips and peas ✔️ 
sat 3/1 curry,rice, chips and naan bread ✔️ 
sun 4/1 roast chicken cauli, broccoli,sprouts, carrots, peas , parsnip roast and boiled pots - leftover Christmas veg ✔️ 
mon 5/1  as above usually make enough for 2 days
tues 6/1 cajun chicken pasta, green salad, part baked baguettes - may switch with Mondays 
wed 7/1 chilli con carne and rice with side salad and p/b rolls
thurs 8/1  on toast tea or soup with cheese and ham toasties

breakfasts will be toast, croissant, bagels, cereal or eggs
lunches. Homemade cheese and onion pasties, corned beef pasties and baked ham joint in soft white bread rolls

most importantly I shouldn’t need to visit the SM for the above - maybe 1 loaf of bread or 1 jack of milk.

Blackcats

Popped to MrL today mostly on cat related duties and replenishing household items as we agreed that toilet paper isn't a "we can manage without that" item 🤦‍♀️
Freezer is full, fridge is doing ok and cupboards are well stocked.  

I made a big lasagne tonight and there's plenty for tomorrow - we really enjoyed our hearty Sunday night supper.

£333 remaining.

jivjules1

Trip to Asda to get pastry to make sausage rolls for packed lunches for the youngest as eldest scoffed the pack I got out the freezer! Bought a huge bag of over ripe bananas will make baked oats for breakfasts and will freeze some. Other yellow sticker items including some baileys cream for 30p yum 😋 total spent 4.75 unfortunately was persuaded by youngest to do the Concorde tour when we dropped my aunt at the airport so that cost us £40!!! Still it was good fun and had a lovely day and we’ve saved that much on food shopping hopefully! Big food shop came this morning.

Total so far 84.14/600

carboot_karaoke

Evening all,  

I have another three spends to declare £8.60 at asda for a large block of cheese,  a tub of cream cheese, teabags and sweeteners, then £6.96 at lidl for 12 free range eggs,  a jar of curry paste and some  chocolate for the kids lunches.  Finally, £5.99 for a large bottle of lenor softener.  

New Totals 

Grocery Budget £62.99/ £279 

Bulk Fund £26.40  / £50

Grocery Challenge £ 89.39/ £329

Definitely spent more than l wanted this early on. Plan is to stay away from the SM for as long as possible.  

ShelivesintheShire

We are almost at the end of the Christmas veg now. I was planning a roast yesterday but it was too snowy to go out to the shed for a joint. Luckily I had a pack of chicken thighs in the kitchen freezer and some bacon in the fridge so we had chicken wrapped in bacon, roast potatoes and parsnips with the last bag of sprouts and the broccoli. Enough veggies for a hash tonight with a pack of sausages. There are still a few parsnips left which I will turn into soup and half a butternut squash that will get curried with some sad looking sweet potatoes.