The ‘Replacement Basis Only’ Challenge: First update
We’re starting 2026 with a ‘Replacement Basis Only’ Challenge – an excellent way to cut spending without completely missing out. Think of it as similar a No-Spend challenge, but more practical and realistic. Something we might be able to stick to.
As a reminder, The Replacement Basis Only Rules are here if you’d like to check them, if you want to carry out a low-spending challenge of your own.
I promised to give you regular updates every couple of weeks, so here’s what’s been happening during Week One and Week Two.
Replacement Basis Only Challenge: Week One
We most certainly did NOT get off to a good start this week because the electric kettle died mid-boil. A quick check of the guarantee showed that it was six weeks out of warranty, so sadly no refund.
Nothing gets done around here without tea, so it had to be replaced. It’s the law, don’t you know? We bought a new one from Argos in the sale, with Nectar points to bring the cost down further.
Then our trusty microwave decided to give up the ghost with the wrong thing going ‘ping’, and we found the busted part was not replaceable. It was over 10 years old so not too shocking really. We found a new one at John Lewis and used a gift voucher towards the total, cutting the price.
Grocery items were needed in a top-up shop, but we kept it simple: bananas and a veggie haggis which came to £3.03 with at Sainsbury’s with a Nectar discount. We found some cash while decluttering and used it at a self-service checkout, so no net cost to our bank accounts.
Next up in Kitchen Disintegration News: the handle came off our trusty metal sieve which to be fair was probably over 25 years old. Beau had some Amazon credit so we technically got a decent Tala replacement for free without shelling out anything else.
We had a food delivery too, just our simple regular order, plus basic toiletries (shampoo and conditioner).
So to sum up Week One:
- New kettle
- New microwave oven
- Top-up shop (2 items)
- New sieve
- Basics-only food delivery
- Shampoo & conditioner
Not the cheapest week, to say the least. If we hadn’t had seasonal sales, store credit, Nectar discounts and points, cashback and gift vouchers, Week One would’ve been very, very expensive indeed.
I don’t know what it is about January that makes kitchen items jump off the end of this mortal coil faster than lemmings, but I’m hoping nothing else keels over for the next few weeks.
Replacement Basis Only Challenge: Week Two
After all the expense and hassle of Week One, I started Week Two the following Saturday hoping things might be calmer for a few days.
I’d scheduled in some kitchen garden prep over the weekend which included a plan for 2026 and audit of seeds we already had in stock. Unfortunately I’d run out of blight-resistant bushy tomato seeds for our patio pots, plus a couple of other favourites, so the search was on for suitable replacements.
It turned out that there was a sale at Dobies, and I got the basics for just over £5 all in. [The sale is still on at the time of writing, plenty of good discounts, although you have to go to each item’s page to see whether there’s a discount or not as it isn’t specifically listed in a Sale section – worth a trawl.]
Two of the packets are generously sized, so they’ll give us years of plants as long as they’re stored carefully. There was discount shipping and cashback too.
On Thursday we did a medium sized top-up grocery shop, and avoided having a standard home delivery. We used a supermarket gift voucher (reward for doing a survey) which paid for the whole thing with a bit of money left over.
On Friday the weather was horrible and the end of January was just Januarying far too much, so a Friday treat was in order (we usually have one). I used some coins found during a recent declutter to get some chocolate from the local mini mart, and yes, it tastes better when it’s free.
Week Two Summary:
- Seeds in Dobies sale
- Top up grocery shop with voucher
- Friday treat chocs
This worked out as a much, much cheaper week. I only had to foot the bill for some discounted seeds in the end, which was a great relief for the end-of-January budget.
Normally I’d buy a few more packets of seeds, plus some other bits and bobs for the garden at this time of year. This challenge means I’ve had to to stick to the basics instead – not quite so much fun but definitely a whole lot cheaper.
Week Two definitely helped me to stay out of the shops, and I didn’t browse the January sales for treats or overspend on anything. Very useful for resisting temptation, but it’s nice to know that the essentials are still covered.
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Are you doing your own Replacement Basis Only Challenge? Let us know how that budget is looking, and what you needed to buy!
What went well, and what’s been the most difficult?
