January 2026 Grocery Challenge

jivjules1

Hubby bought a few essentials mainly bits for DS3 10.55 I went to
lidl for eggs and bread and got excited by the reduced tofu and tempeh and stocked up on them. The got home and found my £5 off £70 voucher would have probably spent more to use it but now I’m going to let it go I really don’t need anything else this month. Spent 30.58

total 363.61/ 600
With care can stay under 400 which would be amazing 🤩 

Nelliegrace

January Grocery Budget £155 for 2 pensioners, £1,825 for the year.

DH walked round to the Co-op for milk x2
£3.30 with loyalty card.

Asda bananas reduced to
    60p.

The last couple of Christmas 5p a pack carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and sprouts will be used up this week. There are two cabbages and a swede left in the garage.

We shopped at Aldi this afternoon.

On offer I bought 2 jars of black cherry 75% fruit conserve at £1.99, a haggis at £1.49, and a nice Savoy cabbage for 49p, oranges x 5 89p.

Milk 2 x 4pt, double cream £1.39, a kilo of Greek style yoghurt, evap 55p.

Satsumas 99p, small pears 99p, grapes £1.37, blueberries £1.09, 
red stickered lychees 90p.

Broccoli 79p, chestnut mushrooms 95p

£20.82 spent.


Total so far for January, £100.11

LotsOfTea

I spent £2.59 today on 2 large spicy noodle cups for DH to use on days when he's just too busy to stop properly for lunch and a pack of paracetamol. 

£186.40/£300 spent so far this month

Blackcats

We did a big shop at Lid l today which cost £100,00.  This included a big box of the cat's Persian Queen cat food.  He's very fussy with his food despite starting life as a stray.  We've tried to trick him with cheap food but he's not fooled so it wastes rather than saves money.
i'm feeling inspired by watching What not to eat so the trolley had lots of lovely fruit and veg, some chicken and salmon, keffir, Greek style yoghurt, brown rice.  The sort of shopping trolley when you wish a hidden camera crew would appear and be amazed at what a virtuous woman I am 😉😇

£139 remaining

PipneyJane

Nelliegrace said:

Is it still January? One wet, grey day after another.

Thirty days has September, April, June and November.

Unless a leap year is its fate, February has twenty-eight.

All the rest have three days more, excepting January, 

which has six thousand, one hundred and eighty-four.

I love this poem, @Nelliegrace Thank you for sharing. 

January may last for ever, but for years I found  “skint” February to be worse. Getting paid December’s salary before Christmas and then having to hold on for 6 weeks to the next pay day meant that I’d start February deeply in debt, having bounced along the bottom of my overdraft for the previous 3 weeks.  

I have a small spend to declare from Monday:  £6.32 in L!dl. DH popped in to pick up a “free” packet of chocolate Oaties, spied their sesame bars and stocked up for both cars, buying 8.  (We keep snacks like sesame bars in the glove box, also dried fruit.)

Tonight, I went to C0stc0 for our annual purchase of washing powder.  Got the 130-wash box of Persil non-bio for £16.74, so 13p per wash.  It’ll last us at least 16 months.  I very nearly purchased the 140-wash box of Fairy - it was in the display by the entrance so caught my eye - but at £23.98 per box/17p per wash, it just wasn’t worth paying the extra.  Anyway, the Bulk Fund purchased it.

On the way home, I stopped at Sainsbugs and bought a much needed hand of 8 bananas for £1.  Got 60 extra Nectar points too, so a 30p bonus.

The above brings our total spend to £170.92/£180 leaving £9.88 for the rest of the month.

- Pip

K9sandFelines

carboot_karaoke said:

"December the 19th l brought cheap veg ;  sprouts 2kg, potato 10kg, carrots 8kg, broccoli x 6 and two red cabbage  for a  total of £2.85. I wanted to write it down somewhere for reference next year." 

Yesterday, l used the last of the cheap veg not a sprout was wasted 😇. I did get worried with the cold snap we had but the veg survived brilliantly in the garage, in fact l wished id brought more. 

I have another spend of £10.53 to declare for a large block of cheese 2 x carrots, 2 x kale, red onions, noodles, humous and squash.

Grocery Budget £213.07 / £279 

Bulk Fund £50.19 / £50

Grocery Challenge £ 263.26 / £329

Also l wanted to ask if anyone knows when Lidl have sun cream in stock? We're going away in Feb.

I'm still using the last of the cabbage, carrots and parsnips too. Kept in the spare recycling boxes outside. I did wonder if they'd spoil by now. I imagine they will if they are bulk bought around Easter 🤔

JingsMyBucket

Hey y’all, there are three spends to declare on our end. 

£5.49 on Monday at Savers by Mr. Jings for Fairy non-bio detergent. 

£4.98 spent at Savers today for dishwasher salts and rinse aid. 

£26.35 at M & S for bananas (98p), clementines (2.80), parsley (85p), YS thick pork chops (4.13), butter (2.00), Greek yoghurt (2.30), 550g extra mature cheddar (4.25), coffee beans (4.75), compost bags (2.50), and 4 cans of baked beans (1.80). 

Total £375.49 / £300 spent. £75.49 overspent. 

carboot_karaoke

K9sandFelines said:

I'm still using the last of the cabbage, carrots and parsnips too. Kept in the spare recycling boxes outside. I did wonder if they'd spoil by now. I imagine they will if they are bulk bought around Easter 🤔

Its amazing how long they last!!

Yeah, l think the cold weather preserves them better than warmer temperatures in Spring. I will still stock up but perhaps half the amount. We don't normally fancy so many soups, stews in April /May. 

JingsMyBucket

Morning folks! The February 2026 thread is now live: 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6651639/february-2026-grocery-challenge/p1?

I'm waiting for someone to pin it for me but you can start adding yourselves to it as you want. 

dollypeeps

Declaring week 3 at £66.48 although I did pick up some stuff at home bargains but can’t remember what!!

£66,48 / £80 decreased budget this week 
I did manage to transfer £6 ish to my bulk fund as well and also have the purse cash left so well pleased with the ‘under budget ‘ this week
Hopefully I’ll do as well on tomorrows shop