Day 6 - Looking forward

Day 6 - Saturday 6th January 2013

Saturday's menu
Breakfast: Porridge, small pot of yoghurt and plum.
Lunch: Cup a soup
Dinner: Stock and rice soup (portion of rice, stock, one egg and 3 tbsp of vegetables)

Week one is almost complete. It has been an extremely challengeing week, but I think I  am finally getting used to eating less food and hunger was not so much of a problem today. What I am really loving about this challenge is the number of interesting conversations that have been sparked. So many people have been asking questions about what I  am doing and why I am doing it. I hope that some awareness has been raised, and maybe some people have even been encouraged to take the challenge themselves in the future.

As the week comes to a close I have started to look forward and consider how I  am going to shop over the remaining 3 weeks. At the beginning I set aside £31 for the whole month - which averaged out at £1 a day. With 7 days food budget spent, along with my tea slip up at the beginning, I have spent £9. This leaves me £22  for the rest of the month.  Obviously if I  put all this money together and bought 3 weeks shopping in one hit, my money would go a lot further. I  would be able to buy in bulk and possibly even get a bit more variety.

I went on a long walk with a group of the girls from church today and ended up discussing my shopping plans with one of them. As we were discussing all the options, she made an excellent point; those living in the developing world live very much a hand to mouth existence. Buying 3 weeks of food in advance, whilst possibly saving money, would not be a realistic option for those living below the poverty line. It is likely that the most they would be able to afford is a weeks shop at best.

If I want this challenge to even give me a hint of what it is like to live on £1 a day, I should really be taking things like this into consideration.  Therefore, I have made the decision that no food shop will exceed the cost of a weeks food budget. This decision wasn't an easy one. I was looking forward to pooling the money together, imagining that I may even be able to afford a little meat! It is the right thing to do. I am challenging my self to, at least in part, live below the poverty line. I therefore should not be trying to make short cuts, but should be embracing the challenge that is reality for so many people today.

After almost one week, it has become clear how challenging this month is going to be. Please, if can afford to, it would amazing if you could sponsor me. Even the smallest donation would be much appreciated. If you would like to sponsor me today, please click HERE to be taken straight to my just giving page.