January 2026 Grocery Challenge

Blackcats

I walked to our local shops today and got some meat, milk, mushrooms and bananas.  

We are still doing well with eating from the freezer and we haven't had to create meal concoctions that are a bit strange yet.  

£316 remaining 
I'm delighted with this at this stage of the month.  Reminding myself to keep focussed in order to have a good underspend for January.

carboot_karaoke

JingsMyBucket said:

Another bonus, everyone loved the food I cooked and left fat and happy! 

That's the main thing 🥰

You reminded me to post our weeks food plan * subject to change

The dinner plan for the week is

Roast Chicken, rice and veg (cooked chicken was leftover from MIL)
Sausage, mash and beans (YS sausage l brought this week and 15p potatoes)
Lasagne, salad and garlic bread (in the freezer made on "snow friday")
Tuscan Chicken (made using some of the chicken thigh l de-boned & de-skinned) 
Pizza (The 50% off ones l brought from Aldi)
Roast pork, potatoes, veg and gravy (half price xmas pork & cheap veg)

I made a bacon and lentil soup for lunches or leftovers. 

Still have lots of meat in the freezer but l will need to get a few store cupboard items like, tinned toms, lentils frozen peas and sweetcorn in addition to bread, milk, fruit. Will try to stay within £50 to get back on track. 

JingsMyBucket

@carboot_karaoke exactly, it was a wonderful gathering of friends. I'm so glad we decided to do it. It's the first time we've hosted a party in this house and we've lived here for 4+ years. Everyone was so earnest and rubbed along nicely with great conversation. I think we should make it annual January party thing and possibly one for summer. 

jivjules1

@PipneyJane yes will have to talk
to her - it’s more stuff for meals than snacks we don’t have snacks in the house much. @thriftwizard that recipe sounds good we don’t have beer in the house but maybe I’ll make an exception! The Lidl one isn’t bad but this sounds much better! 

More crisps today, plus a replacement block of cheese and bought my LO some sweets as a thank you for helping with me work admin!

Well done all - everyone is doing really well!
 

221.77/600

diminua

Another £8.43 spent - satsuma and crisps to go with my lunch sandwich (home made egg and salad). I also picked up a tin of tomato soup as they were 50p off, and a bag of white potatoes. Then on the way home 2 tins of tuna and 2 small baguettes. 
I really should start thinking about turning the fancy pumpkins I bought for autumn decoration into soup or roasted veg. I have half a bag of spinach that needs using up too. Maybe risotto would work?

K9sandFelines

Count me in for this month, though I may be even more AWOL than usual.

DD1 and DGD have been here since New Years da y, due to a burst pipe in her flat. Wonderful start to the year!! Luckily noone was hurt, but it means I'm a bit all over the place trying to stick to budget and cook meals. DD1 is fussy and doesn't eat the same types of food DD2 and I eat.Added to that DGD is AuDHD, so has a repertoire of only a few meals she likes. I'm only used to them visiting for tea occasionally, so my brain is addled.

Hope everyone else has recovered financially and otherwise from Christmas and New Year, and enjoyed the festivities. I'm not a big lover of either, so I'm glad we are over that period of the calendar.

Anyways, waffle waffle. I spent on average £125 a month last year, despite raising the budget to £180 when DD2 moved back in October. However due to current circumstances, i think I will have to keep it at £180 and maybe lower it when DD1 and DGD return to their flat, and then later on when DD 2 also moves and I become a one person household again.

So, @JingsMyBucket please can you put me down for £180.

Thank you.

PipneyJane

Good morning All

How are you?  I have the lurgy - my throat is on fire and has been since Saturday.  

I have three small shops to declare from Sunday and yesterday.  DH was ferrying a friend around on Sunday, stopped at a Sainsbug’s Local to buy salad bits for lunch and spent £5.37.  Yesterday, he went to a large Sainsbugs and picked up the things he couldn’t obtain on Sunday (carrots, broccoli, bananas, pak choi), another £4.46 spent.  Finally, he stopped at L!dl on he way home, picking up lemons, lemon & ginger tea bags, and 2 chorizo, all on offer on the L!dl app. £5.25 spent.

The above brings our total spend to £113.31/£180 leaving £66.69 for the rest of the month.

- Pip




ETA:  @diminua pumpkin soup, pumpkin curry and risotto all spring to mind.  You can add the flesh to most things, so how about making a dhal for dinner and adding the pumpkin and spinach to that?  Because it is a bit sweet, pumpkin also makes a lovely cake.  

joedenise

@K9sandFelines - as your brain is being frazzled by your DD1 and DGD being at yours for the time being would it would seem to me you should let her cook for herself and daughter and you just cook for yourself and DD2.  I don't see why you should suffer with having them at your house.  If you'd rather do the cooking yourself (I would - don't like anyone else in the kitchen!) then maybe get her to menu plan for them and you menu plan for yourself and DD2.

TravelCrystal

Sorry to hear you’re not well @PipneyJane. It is more than annoying when you have things to do.

I decided to replace my rather ancient Tupperware containers that I have had for over 40 years when I used to be an agent, those were the days. Some of them are still in excellent condition so they are not going in the bin. So I bought 24 lock and load clear containers. Spent yesterday filling, labelling and rearranging cupboards.
I have had to make a list of what is where for now as they are in 3 different cupboards.
The list is stored with my ‘what is in the freezer list’. Hopefully that should do it. 

I also decided to visit Farm Foods as a leaflet came through the door. I separated out my list so I was able to get 2 lots of discounts. £4 in total. 

Bulk item of 6 x 18 loo rolls £20

G.C shopping 3 x 2ltr milk £3, 6 tins of tomato’s £2, 100 typhoo tea bags .99, kg penne .99. 18 wholemeal rolls @ .39 each. 12 x tuna @ £9. 6 x butter @ £10 3 x frozen fruit @£6. Chocolate on a separate budget for a birthday present and 2 puff pastry @99p
The freezer’s are groaning.
In theory I should be able to keep away from shops for the remainder of the month.
I am however just £1 away from Lidl’s free veg so will get that before the month ends.

Total Farm Foods £31.13 plus bulk £20

Total G.C so far £178.49 Bulk £48.50

T.C

Hope everyone’s month is going well 

K9sandFelines

joedenise said:

@K9sandFelines - as your brain is being frazzled by your DD1 and DGD being at yours for the time being would it would seem to me you should let her cook for herself and daughter and you just cook for yourself and DD2.  I don't see why you should suffer with having them at your house.  If you'd rather do the cooking yourself (I would - don't like anyone else in the kitchen!) then maybe get her to menu plan for them and you menu plan for yourself and DD2.

I would normally have done that, but she's honestly way too stressed at the moment. So I don't want to add to that. She's also got something medical going on aswell, and so I'm trying to just ease off her a bit. If it was me in her position, I wouldn't like someone on my case. I'm  sure as long as they are fed, in the long run that's all that matters. Hopefully it won't be for too much longer.Floors are being taken up today and dried out. It's only took the housing association thirteen days !!
It's generally easier if I cook. Mainly because it's not her forte, and secondly as I haven't had a cooker since moving in this house and so I cook with different appliances; which I've got the hang of but noone else really has. I guess I was just getting it off my chest a bit. Thank you.