It has been the first full week back at work and today is the second food shop of the month as part of the No Spend January 2026 Challenge. So far, we have done really well. We haven’t bought anything or ordered any takeaways or deliveries. We’re still working our way through things that are in the cupboards, fridge and freezer and last week’s food shop was more than enough to fill in the gaps of what we were missing.

Additionally, the weather has prevented us from going anywhere (we were completely snowed in two days ago, although by yesterday morning some of it had melted), which has helped in the goal of spending as little money as possible.

A point to note: I am not including my mandatory expenses for the month (rent and bills) in my No Spend Challenge. All rent and bills have been paid in full and on time for January and last week I paid off the remainder of the Council Tax for the year (the next annual bill will start again in April).

A few days ago I had a nasty fall on the ice on our patio, with my left knee taking most of the impact. I can still walk on it (sort of), but the swelling and bruising have been very painful. If it does not start to improve over the next few days, I will go to the hospital for an X ray to make sure nothing more serious is going on, but unfortunately, that meant there was no chance of me braving the remaining snow to go and do the food shop. Instead, The Bloke (who has been doing a great job of looking after me) went to Aldi and Iceland (the supermarket, not the country obviously) yesterday morning, armed with a very strict list of items. 

Consequently, The Bloke (who has been doing a great job of looking after me) went to Aldi this morning, armed with a very strict list of items. 

The food shop

And The Boy done good! There were a few additional items like meat and toilet roll that we needed to get this week, which is why it was slightly more expensive, and he got two frozen items from Iceland that were on offer for half price. I’ve been cooking a lot of meals from scratch, so the frozen foods are a good option if I can’t be bothered, or as a replacement for a takeaway.

He also used the cash that I had forgotten to use last week, and remembered to take shopping bags (which was something I also forgot last week and had to buy).

And hopefully, next week my knee will be feeling better and I will be able to go and do the shop myself!

Total spend for Week 2: £19.77 for 14 items

Total spend for January 2026: £37.62