February 2026 Grocery Challenge

Elizabeth49

£445.00 for this month.

My usual £425 plus £20.00 left from my January budget. My month runs from 30/01/26 - 28/02/26

JingsMyBucket

Budgets updated to here.

@goldfinches!! It's so great to have you back! Your wit and word play have been sorely missed. 🙂

@dollypeeps don't worry, I'll be there with you on Saturday when I do my first Tesco shop of the month. The key point afterward is to minimize and rein it in. You / we can do it!

otb666

First shop and only spent 88 instead of the usual 125. I have been watching what not to eat and it does put you off the convenience food stuff and promotes the whole foods options instead which keeps you fuller for longer. Some of the ways they make convenient foods is very shocking and i am checking ingrediants now on labels and avoiding low fat stuff as has more of the bad stuff. Anyway definitely worth a watch.

RedLipstick

@otb666 and anyone, if interested, I use the app called yuk@. A at the end. You can scan the products on the go for the score and it's even suggesting alternatives (even cosmetics). Saves me so much time! When I first downloaded it a year ago I went through my entire kitchen with a marker and wrote the scores on packaging. Some stuff went straight into the bin. You can pay premium for some extra functionality but it's up to you how much.

On Monday I've picked up a book called "Ultra Processed People" - I've been eyeing it for months now and heard amazing reviews, cannot wait to start reading.

goldfinches

@JingsMyBucket Thankyou for your lovely welcome, I've missed this community too. Life got a little complicated towards the end of last summer and I had to let a lot of things I valued go by the board for a while. I'm very pleased to be picking up the reins again and looking forward to more of my money staying in the bank this spring.

PS I wondered what had happened to elsiepac and went back to look at October's thread but couldn't see anything there or in your message at the start of the November thread. I do hope she isn't ill, do you know what happened to her?

itsthelittlethings

£16.94 Aldi shop.

JingsMyBucket

@goldfinches we were chatting back in August and September about me taking over but I think she’s just not really on the boards anymore. Hopefully she’s okay for now.

carboot_karaoke

Morning all,

Due to time constraints I did my first shop for February yesterday and spent quite a lot . The idea was, to buy all the meat and store cupboard items to cover meals up until we go on holiday. This didn't quite work because, Tesco had run out of the rice and washing tabs l wanted then somehow despite having a list l just forgot to pick up others.

This means another shopping trip is imminent 🙄. The totals for now include £30 worth of meat (roughly 10 meals worth), £23 for entertaining on Saturday and £8 on cheese.

Grocery Budget £106.26 / £350

Bulk Fund £0/ £50

Grocery Challenge £ 106.26 / £400

Suffolk_lass

I'm still here and in for February, please @JingsMyBucket - still trying to keep below £3000 for the year but I know some stores things will boost spend this month. So please can I target £300 this month. My January total is £138.39 (out of the £150 I was targeting) or £138.39/£3000 which sounds much more impressive!

Good to see lots of returners. January may have been 638 days long but February is shorter and harder, I always think. I am very interested in the UPF topic and might have to try that App @RedLipstick. I have Ultra Processed People. It is equally as shocking as "What NOT to Eat" and I hear it in my head being read by Chris VT 😍

Quantaqa

Thanks for running the thread again @JingsMyBucket. Please put me down for

£150 for February.

My month runs from the 25th as that's when DH gets paid. I have already spent £56 of this on a large stock up shop in MrL last week to take advantage of several offers they had on including £5 off a £40 spend.

I have a glut of eggs to use up so Quiche will be made today. That will do us for lunch over the next couple of days. Tomorrow DH will make Chilli con carne which we'll have with rice and then a baked potato the following day.