February 2026 Grocery Challenge

carboot_karaoke

Afternoon all,

I have a small purchase to declare from yesterday £4.37 at Asda for bread, milk, potatoes and carrots.

I will need to venture back over the weekend but only for a handful of things to make a pack lunch to take on the plane.

Grocery Budget £227.27 / £350

Bulk Fund £25.27 / £50

Grocery Challenge £ 252.54 / £400

I also discovered by chance that a new community fridge has opened up nearby sadly, it operates on a work day so might be difficult to utilise. Might see if Mr Ck can take a look

RedLipstick

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81881547#Comment_81881547

Thanks so much for all the info! Really sounds fascinating, especially considering just two three months ago I'd go to the shop almost every day (every day was a spending day basically, if not groceries then kitchen roll, etc), I stick to weekly now and can feel the change already. I need to get better at planning other stuff like washing up liquid etc, so I don't run out of it in the middle of the week! 😅 I try to stick to £200 on groceries, but on next payday I'm thinking to do one big delivery with everything I will need for the month and I'll see how that goes. Probably a silly question but I wondered, how do you go about pasta, rice, etc? Do you just buy multiple bags of things for the month, or just buy one/two large bags? Do I buy multiple and a big container to store it? So many questions! 🤣 But really want to give it a go, I like how my days flow lately, that I can just do whatever after work instead of just running to the shop, and eat early instead of 7-8pm, so I can already see the positive impact it has. Thanks for all the info again, really appreciate! xx

JingsMyBucket

@Sallyp2 totally agree regarding M & S basics being a great value. 

Earlier this week I spent £7.45 at M & S for 2kg potatoes (1.35), fancy pot of yoghurt (1.10), block of butter (2.00), garlic granules (1.50), and canned mackerel (1.50). 

Total £193.22 / £350 spent. £156.78 remaining. 

K9sandFelines

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81870621#Comment_81870621

Sometimes Home Bargains have Brazil nuts . Not sure what end of the country you are in

cuddlymarm

Good morning

£67.42 spent so far. I had quite a lot left over from last month but it’s less tempting to spend on unnecessary bits if I do an online shop than if I keep popping out for a couple of things every couple of days.

PipneyJane

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882114#Comment_81882114

@RedLipstick I have to answer your question about rice with a question: what storage do you have? I buy my rice and flour in 10kg sacks, but I have 5 of the largest size Lock-n-Lock boxes, each of which holds 5kg. They’re airtight and critter-proof. Don’t buy more rice than you can store safely. There is nothing worse than finding weevils in your flour.

As to volume, well we get through between 1kg and 2kg a month of rice. (There are two of us. I cook 4-portion meals, so we’ll have half for dinner and half for lunch the next day.) I’d suggest buying a 2kg bag and, when you open it, writing the date on a label and sticking that on your rice storage container; then you’ll learn how quickly you go through rice.

HTH

• Pip

Suffolk_lass

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882428#Comment_81882428

That is really good advice about the speed at which we consume things. I still have a large box of dried chick peas I bought in 2019, which seemed like a good idea at the time (they filled a 10L plastic storage box then) - fortunately they don't go off, but the 2.5k bag of pumpkin seeds is a whole other issue, and bulk buying or multi-pack buying of nuts or dried fruit is a bad idea - rancid nuts, 🤮 and 🤫 a waste of money if you pay the supermarket to store them and then throw them away.

If you are looking at a month ahead, you do need to think about perishability.

On the other hand, I buy a big bottle of washing up liquid that sits in a cupboard and tops up the smaller one by the sink, and I start looking for offers on the next one when it is under half full. I hate running out, but less than I hate buying at full price. If needed, I buy from big river on subscription - instant coffee is a big winner here, with six jar packs at over £2 (sometimes £3) cheaper per jar than the SM offers.

Over here, I only need to pay the milk bill next week and use the last remnants (just over £10) on bowl fruit (oranges)possibly carrots and maybe eggs. Everything else will last the month or I can work around what we have. An expensive month with a big stock up but it seems to be working.

TravelCrystal

@PipneyJane and @Suffolk_lass agreed re buying things you don’t use. I try and buy non perishable stuff like loo rolls, washing up liquid and laundry liquid when on offer. And also as was said earlier a really great idea to look at the dates on your fresh fridge items and work meals around. I do write a meal plan for the month to give me some idea, but that’s why I like a full freezer so I can chop and change.

Each to their own I think and love other people’s ideas. Learn a lot

T.C

Nelliegrace

@otb666 Asda have Brazil nuts by the fruit. £2.51 for 150g. They are not included in the 2 for £3.50 offer on nuts.

Home Bargains was the best price £2.59 for 200g.

We stopped at Home Bargains on the way home from members’ free hot drinks at the garden centre. H.B. had Brazil nuts, but they were small ones and broken halves. Good enough to have with a bit of sliced apple after breakfast. Pitted dates 400g £1.09, crystallised ginger 200g £1.19.

£4.87 spent

Total £74.86 out of £140

It is not in my grocery budget, but their perforated plastic medical tape is 99p, and Ibuprofen gel 5% 100g is £1.89.

determined_new_ms

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882114#Comment_81882114

I'm no expert, but over time I've built up a little store cupboard of these type things. so most shops you top up with one or two things. At the moment I've almost run out of dried rice, but I have some I cooked in a batch in the fridge and I will freeze what we won't use today (I thought I was going to do dirty rice but turns out I won't for a few days). I do have a bag of sushi rice, some couscous, bulgar, pearl barley and 1.5kgs of unopened bags of pasta. I'll grab a 2kg bag of rice when I go shopping in March.

Once you've got a store cupboard, you then top up things each month, but in rotation. HTH