The ‘Replacement Basis Only’ Challenge: 2nd update

Here’s a proper update for Week Three and Week Four of this latest low-spend challenge, and let me tell you the two weeks couldn’t have been more different.

The first one, Replacement Basis Only Challenge Week Three, started off nice and easy – but then things got a bit more challenging. But of course, that’s why it’s called a challenge, right?

Here’s how our household got on, and I’m looking forward to hearing from you too if you have any updates.

Replacement Basis Only Challenge: Week Three

It was a busy week and the Replacement Basis Only gods were smiling. Hardly needed to buy anything.

A quick underwear drawer declutter revealed that new pants were needed all round, but there was good news because we still had a Christmas gift voucher to share from Auntie A. It was enough for a multi-pack each (including the sale, worth a peek), and the timing could not have been more perfect. Free M&S pants ahoy!

They fit better when they’re free. Fact.

Anyway, a couple of days later we needed to pick up a couple of grocery items at the local supermarket, including milk and some ingredients for that night’s dinner. Fortunately we still had some money left on the Sainsbury’s gift voucher we’d partly used the week before, so we finished that off, and paid the remaining £1 or so on top.

The only other purchase was a ‘Regulars Only’ food delivery. Just the everyday basics, and without the seasonal extras and treats that are normally added in it was about £15 cheaper than average. That did include offer prices, so I’m not sure we’ll be able to get it that low next week, but this time worked out okay.

Week Three Summary:

• 5 pairs of cotton briefs (with gift voucher)
• Small top-up groceries shop (part gift voucher, part cash)
• Regulars food delivery

Being busy definitely kept me out of the shops, and fortunately nothing important ran out or fell apart either. Lucky. Or just lucky pants, whatever.

Replacement Basis Only Challenge: Week Four

Week Four was a very dark, cold and rainy week. I also managed to wrench my shoulder, straining a muscle doing DIY and spring cleaning, so I wasn’t my usual chirpy self for a few days [understatement of the year – Beau].

First up, I had to buy a pair of reading glasses because a routine trip to the optician showed my prescription has changed a bit. Enough to finally get my very first pair of readers, at least. It’s a different prescription in each eye, so no chance of picking a pair of cheap ‘easy readers’ off the shelf, unfortunately.

It took a bit of hunting around to find a lightweight style that I liked, but I managed to track down a nice looking pair that also had a discount code. That came to £12.43 for frames plus lenses, and they’ll be arriving in a few days so if they’re any good I’ll let you know all about them.

We did a ‘regulars list’ food delivery too, which came in just under budget, but also had to run out to a different shop for their own-brand tea bags and some fresh fruit. I won’t be doing a Big Shop and a Top-Up Shop on the same day again in a hurry, it’s a total faff!

I also had to replace my everyday sunscreen, which is the first item of skincare to run out so far this year, I think. Fortunately there was an offer, so it was 20% off. There are quite a few other almost-empties on the shelf right now but I’m trying to hold out for a bit longer, mainly because a larger order means free postage.

There was one sunny day during the whole week which happened to be Valentine’s Day. We decided to cook at home rather than go out to a heaving restaurant, so we treated ourselves to a really lovely bottle of sparkling wine from M&S because we’d run out of fizz. You can currently get it at Ocado for £10 if you’re interested.

The last bit of shopping was another quick top up shop to buy a lazy lunch, which was basically a quiche and some more paracetamol. Neither of us felt like cooking that day, and we were both a bit under the weather. Our household is usually a lot more organised than this, but needs must, and at least it wasn’t an overpriced takeaway.

Week Four Summary:

• Reading glasses (discount code)
• Regulars food delivery + bottle of fizz
• Top up shop #1 (fruit & tea)
• Everyday sunscreen
• Top up shop #2 (quiche, paracetamol)

Week Four was much more expensive than Week Three. It also felt like the more I shopped for the essentials, the more I wanted to buy lots of non-essentials. The rainy weather and pain in the neck* might have contributed to that too.

That urge to splurge is something to keep an eye on. Temptation, eh?

* Not a veiled reference to any human, before anyone gets any ideas

Enjoying this post? You may also like:

• The ‘Replacement Basis Only’ Challenge Rules
• ‘Replacement Basis Only’ Challenge: 1st update
• All recent thrifty challenge articles

How’s your budget looking at the moment? What have you had to replace recently?