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Sunday 16 June 2013

Live Below The Line Challenge

After following the most wonderful blog of Jack Monroe, the young single parent who was forced to bring her son up on a very tight food budget, I felt motivated to join in with the "Live Below The Line" challenge.

**Be sure to read her very first, thought provoking, post HERE.

So, what's the challenge all about I hear you ask?  Well, basically, you have to feed yourself for just £1.00 per day - that's it - £1.00 to feed yourself breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Here is the website if you would like more details, or even better if you would like to join in yourself.
https://www.livebelowtheline.com/uk


As I have a pretty quiet social week ahead (I really am an out and about kinda girl you know) I thought this week would be ideal.  Except for Wednesday evening when I am booked to go to Bollywood Night in Carlisle, I will take that meal and add it onto the end of the challenge.

I took myself off shopping.  I have to be completely honest and say I was mildly embarrassed to have a basket full of yellow label basics food.  Not sure why I would be, I guess I just thought everyone would be judging me on my food choices.  Didn't realise I was such a food snob!

I also found myself having to make choices that I wouldn't normally dream of - like white rice and white pasta, we always get brown and wholemeal.  White pitta breads too, we NEVER eat white bread. I did manage to get a loaf of brown bread for breakfasts though.  I think the lack of lots of veggies and salad is going to hurt this week.

Reading the rules you are supposed to spend just £5.00, I managed to spend £6.97, but I don't envisage using all of that food.  I did have to spend a little of the budget on mixed herbs and chilli powder as I cannot look forward to having bland food all week, and buy some spread for my morning toast.

I got:
  • 1kg White Rice - 40p
  • 500g White Pasta - 30p
  • Loaf Brown Bread - 60p
  • Pack of 5 Pitta Bread - 22p
  • Tub Cottage Cheese - 59p
  • Vegetable Spread - 70p
  • Jar (ready made) Curry Sauce - 18p
  • Jar Orange Marmalade - 29p
  • Tin of Potatoes - 19p
  • Tin of Marrowfat Peas - 21p
  • Tin of Tomatoes - 31p
  • Tin of Mixed Beans - 50p
  • Chilli Powder - 58p
  • Mixed Herbs - 29p
  • 1 Baking Potato - 43p
  • 2 Packs of prepared Butternut Squash - 50p (in the reduced section)
  • Bag of carrots - 45p (in the reduced section)
  • Bag of prepared Leeks  - 25p (in the reduced section)
Grand total - £6.97


Oh, there is also a box of teabags in that photo, I bought these the week before at the grand old price of 10p a box (as they have love heart tags on). I will count them into my budget as I go - but I will really have to limit the amount of tea I drink as I can get through a good amount of tea bags in a day usually.

Being vegetarian I will certainly not miss having meat products, but I will miss cheese and eggs.  I very nearly bought eggs, but my budget would have only allowed the very cheapest from caged hens and I wasn't prepared to buy those.  Eggs, I will have to do without.

If I had been allowed to spend, say £10, I could have bought so much more to do loads more with - like lentils, chickpeas, flour etc....  I think then that sticking to £1.00 a day would be much easier as the variety would have helped, but anyway, let's see what we can make with this little lot.

If you would like to sponsor me, I only have my target set as a reasonable £100 and every little donation helps, you can find me and more details on how to make a donation HERE.

I bet you have already guessed then, that mainly this week I will be blogging about food  ;)

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