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Welcome, CBB Friends, to our January 2026 monthly home budget update. For the next 12 months, I will share with my readers our net income, budget expenses, and issues with our money, including investments.
Be sure to subscribe to Canadian Budget Binder so you get my blog posts sent to your email.
Home Update
What is happening at the CBB house? Not a whole heck of a lot, however, we are doing a lot of cooking.
You can see all the photos and details in my monthly CBB blog newsletter but you need to subscribe to the blog to get it.
The photo above with eggs, ham and one pea is random but it does come with a small story.
Our neighbour works with a man who also has a chicken farm that he runs on the side to make ends meet.
One day, our neighbour texted Mrs. CBB to see if we wanted any farm-fresh organic eggs for $3 a dozen.
Naturally, we jumped at the opportunity and purchased three dozen; they are delicious and fresh, with large yolks.
If you know of any local farmers find out what they charge for their products and see if the barter.
You might be surprised if you’re a mechanic and can help fix tractors in exchange for farm-fresh foods.
Grocery Budget January 2026 Is A Fail
Grocery prices in Ontario and across Canada are projected to increase by 4% to 6% in 2026, with an average family of four expected to spend nearly $1,000 more annually (totaling roughly $17,572) compared to 2025.
Major drivers include climate change, trade issues, industrial carbon tax, and rising supply chain costs. Total Increase: The average family of four will likely spend an additional $994.63 on groceries in 2026.
Specific Categories: Significant price hikes are expected for chicken, while seafood prices are predicted to rise more modestly. Context: The Canada Food Price Report 2026 notes that prices are rising faster than wages
Grocery Struggles For 2026 Are Real
I’ll be honest and tell you that we struggle with grocery store prices, like most people.
As frugal shoppers for the past 13 years, we’ve worked hard to learn as much as we could about as many products as possible for our personal grocery price book.
Doing so allowed us to have a general understanding of regular price, typical sale price, and best prices.
These days, it’s hard to estimate because prices can increase on a whim, which can always throw off any grocery budget.
We are one month into the new year, and we’ve already blasted our grocery budget.
To be fair, we went to Costco to stock up on almost everything, which is why we are over.
Had we not gone to Costco, we would have been fine; however, it’s still food, so we spent more than budgeted for.
With the grocery budget increase for 2026, we hope our Costco shopping will balance throughout the year.
As hard as we tried in 2025 to save on groceries, we fell for in-store deals offering 50% off.
I don’t think buying in-store deals is a bad thing as long as it doesn’t put you further in debt.
Luckily, we have no debt, so we don’t worry about it, but we are committed to a better grocery budget for 2026.
Let’s get into this January 2026 budget update.
Mr. CBB
Blog Update
Not much has been happening on the blog, apart from me updating old posts.
Honestly, I’m unsure if that’s going to make much of a difference since AI has taken over the first page of Google and stolen any ranking CBB has.
As mentioned in my newsletter, I’m solely relying on all of you to help me keep this blog paid for.
All I ask is that you subscribe, like, share, and comment to help the algorithm on social media and Google.
It’s imperative that some of you chime in and chat to me here on the blog because I struggle to get any of you to comment.
Is my comment system difficult to navigate? I’d love your feedback. I don’t want AI to take CBB from us, as we have built such a beautiful community over the past 13 years. Yes, in January of 2026 CBB blog turned 13 years old.
It’s amazing. What’s not amazing is the expenses. Years ago, the blog was doing well, but don’t kid yourself, I wasn’t making millions like coupon websites. I made enough to pay the bills and earn a small profit on the side.
Today, I earn nothing, and for now, I’m ok with that so long as I don’t have to sell this blog or give it up entirely. Anyway, I won’t bore you with the details, but just know I appreciate your continued support.
January 2026 Home Budget Household Percentages
Savings of 39.71% include investments and savings based on our net income (cash amount we brought home minus taxes).
Our life ratio is 35.06%, which includes all variable expenses, such as groceries, entertainment, miscellaneous items, health/beauty products, clothing, and more.
Transportation is covered at 2.89%, which includes our vehicle’s gas, insurance, and maintenance, and we hold no debt.
I keep the two spare gas cans filled with petrol year-round, mainly for the snowblower, lawn mower, power washer, and weed wacker.
Our house and vehicle are paid off with zero debt; however, we still pay property taxes and maintenance fees.
For housing, we came in at 6.61%, covering property taxes and home maintenance.
The projected 10.42% expense rate can change based on what we encounter each month, such as a new item we need to save for.
Home Budget Estimation January 2026
Below are two tables: the January 2026 Home Budget and our Actual Home Budget.
January 2026 Home Budget Estimation
Below are two tables: the Home Budget for January 2026 and our Actual Home Budget. If you would like to review the changes between 2025 and 2026 read our December 2025 budget review post.
We may not need all the money we budgeted for each category; however, remember that the amounts are estimates based on the previous year’s actual expenses.
Don’t forget to budget for projected expenses, or your entire month can fail.
Actual Home Budget January 2026
2026 Canadian Banks We Use
January 2026 Home Budget Year-To-Date
The year-to-date percentages are similar to the household budget percentages chart; however, this one shows you the percentages month by month.
Month-to-Month Home Budget January 2026
Our emergency savings decreased by –56.05%, indicating we saved more in December than in November. At the same time, our net income was -16.48% less in January than in December
In January, the remaining Christmas expenses were paid with our credit card, which increased our expenses. Also, I drove Mrs. CBB to see her sister, which was an extra 4 hours of gas, hence the increase in petrol.
Always expect to see changes from month to month, as that’s normal since money is being spent and, in some cases, more than anticipated.
Breakdown- January 2026 Home Budget Categories
Below are some of our variable expenses from January 2026 that I will discuss.
Please let me know if you would like me to explain or include any additional information in the next budget update.
Grocery Expenses
Please find all the online groceries we purchase in the CBB Amazon Storefront, which I update as we try new items.
Our monthly grocery budget is $1250, plus a $25 stockpile budget.
Our current grocery overspend for 2026 $543.
Tracking overage helps us determine at year-end how much to budget for groceries.
Our running total as of January 2026 is $1790.43 for two adults and one child.
Below you can see how our grocery budget has increased over the past three years.
2024- $900
2025-$960
2026- $1250
In 2012, we were spending $190 per month for groceries, and in 2026, we are spending $1060 more.
After reviewing our 2025 grocery budget, we knew it wasn’t sustainable for our lifestyle.
However, if we had a grocery budget that we couldn’t adapt to, then we would have to keep it as-is and make it work.
Where We Grocery Shop
The two grocery stores we shop at most are Zehrs and Food Basics. Also, we buy grocery items from Amazon Canada and Flashfood.
On occasion, we visit Costco and Walmart as needed to buy in bulk or take advantage of a good sale.
Check out my new post, where I explain how to find reduced-cost groceries on Amazon.
January 2026 Grocery Food Savings Jar
We have officially saved $310.76 this year through Flashfood and coupons, which is fantastic, especially since we don’t typically use many coupons.
In 2024, we saved $1,712.87, and in 2025, $ 2,524.86, by using coupons and purchasing reduced-price products at local grocery stores.
Throughout 2026, we plan to track our grocery food savings, which include the following;
If you’d like a copy of the Grocery Savings Jar and Scanning Accuracy Code (SCOP) Tracking printables, you can find them on the Free Resources page.
I’ve decided not to host a grocery challenge in 2026, as it has been a struggle to get commitment from those who sign up.
Perhaps I will try again in 2027 if there is more interest. Congrats to our anonymous 2025 winner, who won a $25 PC Gift card for participating.
Scanning Code Of Practice Tracking
In January, I blogged that I would track how much money we saved using the Scanning Code of Practice.
In January we did not have any SCOP savings but will use the above tracking sheet monthly to share any savings with all of you.
Flashfood Savings 2026 Monthly Roundup
In 2025, using the Flashfood App saved our family $934, and in 2025, it saved us even more, keeping money in our pockets.
Overall, in 2025, our total grocery savings with both Flashfood ($934) and the grocery savings jar ($2524.86) were $3458.86.
Since beginning to use the Flashfood app in October 2023, we have saved $4156.
We continue to use Flashfood because it saves us a significant amount of money.
Please consider signing up using my affiliate code below.
Sign up for Free with FlashFood and earn a $5 Credit.
As you do, you’ll receive $5 free when you place your first order.
Every person who signs up gets a $5 credit, a freebie Flashfood offers for new app customers.
Use my referral code, MOCD28ZN4, for a $5 credit.
Your first purchase must be over $15.
Flashfood Orders January 2026
In January, we picked up seven Flashfood orders, which I will show you below.
Pet Expenses 2026
We’ve created a $350 monthly budget for our two cats, which we feed premium dry cat food and a higher-end wet cat food.
For 2026, we decided to keep the pet budget the same, as we would have been fine had it not been for the catio we purchased.
Our pet expenses for January 2026 totaled $25. I know that’s a miracle for us, but we had already stockpiled lots of food.
Don’t get too comfy with that success because in February, it will be an entirely different story. You’ll see.
If you own cats, how do you keep them entertained throughout the day and evening?
PC Optimum Rewards Points January 2026
Since 2018, we have earned over 10 million PC Optimum Points, equivalent to $ 10,000.
We started 2025 with under 7 million PC Optimum Points, and as of January 2026, we have 8,855,472 and are working towards 10 million. Can we do it? Let’s see.
Last month, I asked if you thought it would be a good idea to use our points on groceries in 2026.
However, a new opportunity has arisen, which I will blog about to let you know how we will utilize our Shoppers Optimum Points.
How We Saved So Many PC Optimum Points
Below are blog posts for anyone interested in learning how we earn PC Optimum Points.
Canadian Tire Triangle Rewards Points
The Triangle Rewards ended 2025 at $410.29, but I spent some points lowering the balance to $312.77 to begin 2026.
I’ve said it before, and besides the PC Optimum Credit Card, the Canadian Tire MasterCard is my favourite for collecting rewards points.
What is your favourite rewards points credit card? Comment below.
Moi App Rewards 2026
For every 500 points earned, buying products with Moi points equals $4.
My Moi app review is in the works, and I think we’ve had enough experience to offer our feedback on the program.
Currently, we have $55 in Moi Points that we can redeem towards our groceries.
Compared to PC Optimum Points, we are slow to earn rewards because we don’t often use the offers that earn points.
TD Rewards Credit Card 2026
This TD Visa credit card isn’t the best for rewards points, as it took us years to earn $500 in rewards.
We use this account exclusively for online purchases from Amazon, PayPal, Shopify, and other similar platforms.
The credit card has a $5000 limit, although we initially started with $500.
What other credit card besides the PC Mastercard offers you amazing cashback?
Overall January 2026 Budget + Net Worth Update
Our net worth increased by $32,834.60 in January, while our investments increased by $27,166.91, resulting in an overall 1.58% increase.
I’ve had a few people email me about our mortgage and why it’s not included in the chart.
After purchasing our home in 2009, we paid it off by 2014, which was not easy, but we managed to do it.
Our 2026 market home value is approximately $988,000 to $1 million, and we purchased the home for $265,000 in 2009.
In January 2026, our net worth increased primarily due to increases in our investments and a 2.09% increase, or $5,667.69, in cash and emergency savings.
Mrs. CBB, since she doesn’t work, last contributed money to her RRSP in 2009, and it was valued at around $47,000 after she lost money in the financial crash.
Today, it’s worth over 200k. That’s the power of time and why it’s so important to invest when you can, even if it’s something small.
I still have room to contribute to my 2025 RRSP, which I plan to do by the end of February, for around $19,000. That will have me all caught up, where I can then focus on my Tax Free Savings Account.
That’s all for January 2026, friends. If there is data you’d like us to track for the year, please comment below.
Happy Savings,
Mr. CBB
