February 2026 Grocery Challenge

RedLipstick

Fantastic, thanks everyone, lots of great ideas, I love it, and taking notes! 😍 I also buy my toiletries/kitchen supplies in bulk when on promo, and top up my washing up liquid, hand soap, etc as I go! 😍

I have the storage, I'm going to add some of the things to my list, thank you! I'm getting impatient waiting for the next payday to try this out. 😅 I will be keeping notes to track how things go 😅

I don't necessarily plan detailed meals, I did before but there is always some change so I struggle to plan exactly day by day. My only static is I make overnight oats on Sunday evening for the next few days. But I looked at my habits months ago, and I know, that during the week I will for sure do 1x slow cooker, 1x pasta, 1x soup, so I always buy the meat, pasta, rice, frozen veggies, tinned tomatoes, etc so it's kind of all the same stuff but can make different pasta, different dish in slow cooker etc, and then plan around so it covers me for lunch, dinners, lunch for the office etc. I actually started freezing bread as well, so if I'm home late and starving with no meal in the fridge, I just make a toastie with ham and cheese, and life continues without panic runs to the supermarket. Happened twice this months and it's working out great so far, especially as I plan to leave the office at 4pm but it becomes 6pm etc. But I'm learning to know which days to avoid, because it's always due to certain people being in the office too. They see me and put a meeting invite for 5pm - I'm already in the office since 7 but they've arrived at 11. 🤨

I have most of the stuff for the week ahead, will just get some more of pasta as I'm running low and coffee as it's currently on promo. Also n3ctar price on cat fridge food this week so will get that too.

Have a lovely weekend all when it comes and thanks again, very insightful!

Pennypincin

I've lost the plot with what I've spent what on.

I recall spending some bulk money in Morrisons on, white hot chocolate and pots of low calorie jelly.

Just spent almost £8 in Lidl on a few bits.

I've just over £63 left, but will try to hold onto most of that and start the month again when I get paid at the beginning of next week and put the money thats into the bulk fund.

itsthelittlethings

£27 in Aldi. Hopefully that will get me to the end of the pay month.

Soontobeoap

I am trying to keep track but DH keeps trotting off for treats to tempt me to eat. He never keeps the receipts. I can't complain as he is keeping the home ticking over at the moment. We estimate he has spent about £32.00 to date.

RedLipstick

£13.35 in Sains. Few bits and got 1kg of pasta to test things out, already slapped a sticker on the bag to mark the opening date so I don't forget to do it. 😅 I've also seen a 3kg bag, so planning to order that when my budget resets.

My budget runs from 20th to 19th so I still have a solid breathing room, hope to save all the leftover cash, I already potted some £2 coins.

£119.92/£200

PipneyJane

Afternoon All

Today has been quite expensive. We went to the butcher’s this morning, spending £135.34 and completely clearing out the Meat Fund (so much so, that the GC purse had to contribute £13.10). We did buy some expensive items, including two sirloin steak (£28.50), a lot of chicken (thighs and breasts), and two large packets of calves’ liver (together weighing 1.2kg for £30.40). I’ve done one round of freezer Tetris and, when that lot is frozen flat, will do another.

This afternoon, we went to L!dl to get our “free” veg, a large punnet of fresh mushrooms, saving £1.69 in the process. Beyond that, our shopping list was short, just eggs (£2.89 for a dozen free range large), and 3L of lactose free milk (99p each). Also purchased several treats - instant marsala chai for £2.49, baklava (£3.99), caramel cheesecake (2 portions for £1.99), two sachets of peppercorn sauce to accompany the steak (59p each). £15.51 spent in total.

Finally, £7.33 spent in Sainsbugs on Mitcham deodorant for DH (there was an offer, so he got 2x£2.50), a packet of onion bagels (£1.43), bananas 78p, and one mushroom for 12p (in order to get an extra 30p’s worth of Nectar points).

Subtract 22p of coppers and 5p’s to go to the money boxes, and the above brings our February

GC spend to £135.60/£189

Leaving £53.40 for the rest of the month.

Meal plans (all breakfasts are cereal and all lunches are leftovers unless otherwise stated):

• Tonight roast 1.2kg sirloin of beef with roast potatoes and roast sweet potatoes, followed by caramel cheesecake for dessert. (This is a roast bought in the post-Christmas sales and frozen. Originally £32, it cost me £13.)
• Sunday lunch, omelette filled with leftover fried onion and leftover cheese sauce. Dinner out (we’re going to a show).
• Monday: chickpea and chorizo stew. (The chickpeas are currently soaking. I’ll cook them tomorrow.)
• Tuesday: steak, accompanied by potato wedges and broccoli
• Wednesday: something to use up the leftover roast beef. Will need to make enough for leftovers.
• Thursday: we’re out.
• Friday: possibly corn pone to use up some leftover chilli from this past Wednesday. (I’ll freeze it at half time in the rugby.)

• Pip

Soontobeoap

Sainsbury's today. My first trip out since last Saturday when I went down with flu. Large shop to replenish what we ran down before Christmas and to get enough stuff in for Grandsons staying next week. £185.40 spent ! I had £50 in nectar points so took them off. £135.40 paid out. To be honest I was very pleased to have got through it and manage to find everything we needed after the way I have been feeling this week.

dollypeeps

I’m very behind this month with reading posts and posting myself…

Week 2 of Feb GC

£5.99 crisps in Home Bargains

£2.50 on packet sauce in Asda

£72.95 in Lidl

£8.98 in Tesco

Total £90.42 bank £90/purse £10

Still have a little bit in purse

jivjules1

struggling to maintain posts just about managing totals

279.94/350

zafiro1984

Four shops so far this month.

2 from Sains online - total 87.30

1 Sains in store - 37.76

1 LidI in store - 42.81

I find shopping online much less stressful than shopping in store. I can order just what I need and look for offers. Shopping in store is fraught for me. Although I set out with a list, I never seem to be able to stick to it, plus the yellow sticker items are seldom there when I go. Going when it is dark is not an option - 4mlles plus of 2 lane twisty roads with 'LED' car lights coming the other way is not pleasant. Maybe as the daylight get longer I may change my mind.

So far £167/250