February 2026 Home Budget Update

Welcome, CBB Friends, to our February 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?

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.

I’ve been working weird hours this year, so I’m doing whatever I can around the house when I find the time.

Every morning, I’m awake by 2 am so I can get work and blog stuff done. By 4 a.m., I am in the basement working out in the gym.

Our son gets up by 7:15, and I’m either with him or already at work, though I honestly have the most horrible hours. For example, I work two hours on Monday, and three on Tuesday, but mid-morning. On Wednesday, I don’t finish until 6 pm and am home by 7 pm if I get out on time.

With my nephew and girlfriend coming to visit for a month in May from the UK, I have to finish the master bathroom. I know, I know, I know it has been over 2 years *Mrs. CBB just yelled 5 years that I’ve been working on it, but it will be done.

I do lots of home updates with photos in the monthly newsletter, where you’ll get to see more.

Other than working, I still have to finish our income tax returns, which I will start on April 1st. That leaves me the entire month, so if you don’t hear much from me, you know that my head is buried in numbers and receipts.

Talk soon and enjoy the budget update.

Blog Update

The blog budget vs what I’m earning is very tight, which I’ve mentioned in the newsletter multiple times.

I want to thank those of you who messaged me and said that they would help by liking and sharing my posts more.

It really does help with the Google Algorithm, and because I’m not considered hip like the crowd that makes videos. That will never be me because I’m too shy for that kind of stuff.

Facebook Changes

Since the new year, on Facebook, I’ve been focusing on diversifying the content, leaning more towards Canadian finance news that affects Canadians.

I realized that Canadians are affected by politics and what trickles down the budget pipeline to almost all farmers, manufacturers, and businesses.

With so many recent layoffs due to companies closing or downsizing, Canadians are in financial shock. I don’t think many people had a plan B or even thought about the what-if’s because we were still trying to recoup after the pandemic. It seems like disaster after disaster we face, and now we know we can’t take any chances.

I’ve had a fantastic time discussing world life events with my Facebook followers, and I’m happy to get a glimpse into their world.

I’m also sharing more content from other pages, from gardening to recipes and the odd jokes here and there. I think it’s important that we break the budget binder open on Facebook and tackle all aspects of frugal living.

For example, the other day I shared a page that explained how to make cheese using a simple process. Another page shows how to grow a garden with seeds from the produce you buy at the grocery store.

I also like to share finance podcasts that offer expert advice and focus on one topic, such as paying off a mortgage before investing.

It’s important that CBB evolves and doesn’t stay staggnant otherwise I won’t earn money to pay for the blog bills.

Other than that, I’m working on new blog posts and continuing to update old ones.

February 2026 Home Budget Household Percentages

The 42.68% savings include investments and savings based on our net income (cash we brought home minus taxes).

Our life ratio is 30.14%, which includes all variable expenses, such as groceries, entertainment, miscellaneous items, health/beauty products, clothing, and more.

Transportation is covered at 2.29%, 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 12.83%, covering property taxes and home maintenance.

The projected 10.63% expense rate can change based on what we encounter each month, such as a new item we need to save for.

Home Budget Estimation February 2026

Below are two tables: the Home Budget for February 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 February 2026

2026 Canadian Banks We Use

Chequing– This is the bank account from which we pay our household bills. We use Simplii Financial, TD Canada Trust, and Tangerine Bank. Join Simplii Financial today! Read more about the best Canadian online virtual banks. Emergency Savings Account– This money is in a high-interest savings account (HISA) High-Interest Savings Account (HISA)– This savings account holds our projected expenses.

February 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 February 2026

Our emergency savings decreased by –36.38%, indicating we saved more in January than in February. At the same time, our net income was -1.94% less in February than in January.

We bought quite a few things in February, and you’ll notice the same when I post the March Budget update. Between renovation projects, running shoes, vehicle maintenance, groceries, and petrol, our budget increased.

Since we are debt-free, it seems easier for us to say yes to a deal on an item we know we will use than to say no, it’s not in the budget.

Before we became debt-free, it was simply no, it’s not in the budget, and we followed that rule. My father-in-law used to tell me that we can’t die with our money and he’s right.

At this point, we have our financial planning in place for retirement and have wiped out our debt, so spending extra won’t hurt us in the long run, provided we track it.

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- February 2026 Home Budget Categories

Below are some of our variable expenses from February 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 $ 1,250, plus a $25 stockpile budget; however, in February we only spent $511.

$1250-$511=$739 under budget – $543 overspend in January = $196 grocery surplus for 2026.

I know that looks good, but trust me, we will probably eat that up fast. February is always a slow month for groceries.

Tracking overage helps us determine at year-end how much to budget for groceries.

Our running total as of February 2026 is $ for two adults and one child.

Below is 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.

Over the years, our food intake hasn’t changed much at all, apart from the food our son wants to try but ends up disliking.

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.

February 2026 Grocery Food Savings Jar

We have officially saved $445.70 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;

Coupons Discounts Free Stuff (ex, using SCOP) I will track SCOP on a separate tracking sheet. Rewards Points redemption

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.

Scanning Code Of Practice Tracking

Scanning Code Of Practice Tracking Sheet Budget Binder Printable

In January, I blogged that I would track how much money we saved using the Scanning Code of Practice.

For the month of February, we did not have any SCOP savings, but we will use the above tracking sheet monthly to share any savings with all of you.

Flashfood Savings 2026 Monthly Roundup

In February, we picked up four Flashfood orders and spent $103.86.

We bought a fully cooked Angus Roast Beef that you’d find at the deli for sliced sandwiches. The beef had a price tag of $186.00, and we bought it for $50. It is amazing. After slicing the entire roast beef, we put portions into large Ziploc bags and froze them, keeping two in the refrigerator.

Pet Expenses 2026

After purchasing a large amount of cat food in January from the pet store, neither of them liked it, so we decided to donate it to the local Humane Society.

Almost all of the Fancy Feast wet cat food that we purcahse comes from Amazon Canada as they offer the best prices with discounts on resale.

I do like to check Walmart for pricing before I buy on Amazon; however, since we don’t shop there weekly, I also weigh the petrol and time options.

In February, these two potatoes didn’t spend their entire pet budget, leaving $190 under budget.

Let’s give these two potatoes a high-five for being good spenders and eaters in February. ha!

Meet nutty cat number one on the top and Mr. cuddly on the bottom. Two totally different personalities and appetites.

PC Optimum Rewards Points February 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 February 2026, we have 8,924,383 and are working towards 10 million.

The possibility of hitting 10 million PC Optimum points by the end of 2026 looks plausible at this point, but anything could happen.

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.

How To Earn PC Optimum Points Fast How We Earned 4 Million PC Optimum Points President’s Choice Financial World Elite Mastercard PC Insiders World Elite Mastercard

Canadian Tire Triangle Rewards Points

The Triangle Rewards ended 2025 at $410.29, but I spent some points to bring the balance down to $332.96 as of February 2026.

I’ve been to Canadian Tire a few times in February, but haven’t needed to use the CT Money balance yet.

Like Mrs. CBB, I like to save my PC Optimum Points and collect my Triangle MasterCard rewards points for a big purchase.

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.

In February, we didn’t go to Food Basics much and spent more of our grocery money at Amazon, Costco, Zehrs, and Flashfood.

Compared to PC Optimum Points, we are slow to earn Moi 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.

Hi there! We can both earn a $10 reward when you accept my PayPal invite and spend $5 within 30 days. Use my link: https://py.pl/5TohxUqG4QY

The credit card has a $5000 limit, although we initially started with $500 but found that wasn’t enough for bigger home purchases.

What other credit card besides the PC Mastercard offers you amazing cashback?

Overall February 2026 Budget + Net Worth Update

Our net worth increased by $69,090.27 in February, while our investments increased by $ 69,090.27, resulting in an overall 3.27% increase.

As you can see in the chart, 100% of our net worth increase came from investments.

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 finally topped up my RRSP for 2025, literally on the last day, by $10,000, so now I am caught up.

Do We Have A Mortgage?

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.

However, we still have to pay for house insurance, which will be increasing on May 1, 2026, to $1676.16.

Our 2026 market home value is approximately $988,000 to $1 million, and we purchased the home for $265,000 in 2009.

That’s all for February 2026, friends. If there is data you’d like us to track for the year, please comment below.

Happy Savings,

Mr. CBB

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