Final minutes

Well, it's about half 11 now so just minutes before the official end of our challenge. Unusually for me I am still wide awake with not much prospect of sleep for a while. I'm trying hard to resist a trip down to the kitchen at 1 minute passed midnight for the luxury of popping a grape into my mouth. I feel as though it would be more significant to do that than to wait for morning and just slip back into my old routine. I think I will be making some changes to my eating and drinking habits. I really think I ought to try and drink less alcohol. I'm shamed to confess I'm a bit of a binge drinker, or at least I have been known to overindulge in vast quantities, which is perhaps starting to seem a little adolescent not to mention way above my job seekers budget. So I am going to make a conscious effort not to drink lots of alcohol all in one go, but since a glass of red wine is scientifically proven to be good for you it seems silly to give up entirely. I am also going to eat much less fat. I like fatty foods, they taste good, but on the whole they are unnecessary. Like alcohol I won't give up entirely-cake is in my life for good, deal with it- I'm just going to make a conscious effort to cut down. 
I set out to do this challenge to raise awareness of the fact that millions of people are living off less than £1 a day. I'm not sure I've done that. Another reason to take this challenge though is to have a personal experience, to learn something about yourself and to become more personally aware of the challenges millions of people around the world face. The funny thing is I've also not done that to the extent that I expected. The problem is that most of the time, between other thoughts I would have had anyway, I've mostly been thinking about food, the lack of food, what foods I would like to eat, and there is something else...oh yeah, that I'm hungry. I've ended up doing what we all do every day, think about myself. We can't blame ourselves for that, I am important to me after all. What is interesting is the impact being able to go back to eating and drinking what I like will have. I think that I'm going to be more aware of people's deprivation and their lack of choice and their hunger when I am no longer deprived or hungry myself. Over the next few days whenever I switch on the kettle, grab a snack from the cupboard or enjoy a pint I'm going to think about the 1.4 billion people that have very little choice and can't ever do those things. 

It's almost bed-time on day seven. Tomorrow I can climb back Above the Line once more. How fortunate I am that I'm in a position to make the switch. How differently would I feel if this was my life for the foreseeable future?

Today I have been hungry, I've been busy decorating and generally DIYing so no time for cooking any of the  very limited menu of ingredients left in the basket by this stage.Normally I would have nibbled.... fruit, crackers, biscuits. Who would have thought that doing hard physical work would require more fuel than sitting in front of a computer or driving a car? Supper with Lynne and Zoe was a Tanzanian special of rice and beans with a chapati, and was really delicious, followed by five raspberries and one strawberry from Katie's garden-it really has been a poor growing summer.

What have I missed? Interestingly I have missed caffeine, in it's various forms, more than alcohol. I have missed tomatoes, green salad and olives. I'm surprised that I haven't missed biscuits, crisps or cake, although it would have been comforting at times to eat these, but they are not the foods I am thinking about enjoying tomorrow.

Living below the line has taught me that I waste far too much food; that  quite often I eat before rather than when I feel hungry; that even bland and boring food tastes much better when you share the meal with other people.


Tomorrow I am really looking forward to my early morning cup of tea, followed by a bowl of cereal with cold milk, some fresh chilled orange juice. Not too much to ask really, my mouth is watering at the very thought.

Hungry!


Thankfully this is the last day and I will be so happy tomorrow morning when I can have All Bran and grapefruit for breakfast, with COFFEE!  And then I have requested mackerel and green salad for lunch, followed by plenty of green vegetables for my tea.... lovely!  And I will be able to eat grapes and plums and cherries and nectarines, and drink as much COFFEE as I like, though I will probably limit myself to 3 cups!


Tennis has just started, more later....

Final day

Real low point-cabbage with fried onion for lunch. Not very nice, I haven't even finished it. Luckily for me I'm having a lazy day mostly spent watching the tennis so not much call for calories. Looking forward to tea, Tanzanian special-rice and beans with homemade chapattis. 

Day 6...feeling OK today.


Zoe has learnt that food = happiness for her, and for me too. But what I have really learnt is that I can lose weight, and that the same science applies when you are in your 50s as it does when you're in your 30s i.e. put in less calories than you take out and you will lose weight.  Funny how I try to kid myself that it is harder because I'm older. 


So what has been different?  I think my motivation has been about raising awareness about global poverty and because this is not about me, I have found it very easy to stick to the task.  This has meant I have put a lot less in than the energy I need to live and consequently I have lost 2 pounds, that's weight not money!  So next time I think I need to lose some weight I must ask myself what my motivation is and how important losing weight is to me?  


If like me you believe losing weight gets harder as you get older....think again...it's more like losing weight is less important to you than that glass of wine, piece of chocolate, extra helping of pudding......


Anyway I'm going on holiday soon so the 2 pounds will most likely be found again!


If you have been inspired by what we have achieved please visit our donations page, thank you!

end of day 5

I am guilty of believing food=happiness. Today I was feeling, let's just say naff. I'm trying to find a job in what is currently a pretty slim market in a field that I'm starting to realise is even slimmer. Add to that a general feeling of 'naffness' we all get from time to time, especially us girls and I was suddenly hankering after something sweet to cheer me up. Ordinarily I would have bought myself a chocolate bar or made some cakes or at the very least enjoyed a hot ribena, but all of that was off limits today. I couldn't smother my emotions with chocolate or cake this time, I had to swallow them with another steaming cup of hot water instead. We probably all use food to change how we are feeling, I just didn't realise how unconsciously I do it or how effective it is. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this but it just goes to show that not only am I lucky enough to have, so close at hand, all the food I need to literally survive I also have the convenience of using food (mostly cake) as a way to survive those miserable days when although the job I really want is out of my reach I have all the sponge and icing to make me smile again right at my finger tips. Lucky girl. 

Finding my resolve.....


It is day 5 and I can see why the live below the line challenge generally lasts for 5 days.  Its the weekend, a time when I and many others would usually binge!  But not this weekend, which will be doubly hard because we have people visiting.  


Not to worry...to cheer us up I have just made another batch of crumble to go with the apples we purchased last night plus a few raspberries from the garden.  In fact from now on I will always make crumble with plain flour and sunflower oil (the ratio is 4:1, if you are interested), mix together, add some sugar and porridge oats and hey presto, perfect crumble mix in minutes.  Cheap and healthy!


So think of us this weekend when you binge on wine, chocolate and a host of other goodies, we will continue to 'live below the line' and hopefully raise some money for UNICEF!

Only 30 minutes until Kerry arrives and we can start making the tea- so excited!

The Cake v Apple debate


We are doing pretty well with our challenge. My body seems to have adapted to the restrictions and I am no longer constantly hungry nor do I crave a caffeine fix.
Interesting debate today between the three of us...namely the cake v apple one. We currently have money left in the kitty, some of which will be spent on some fresh vegetables, however we need to decide how to spend the remaining money. Do we spend the balance on buying the additional ingredients required to bake a cake or do we spend it on a piece of fruit for each of us?
Which side would you come down on in the cake v apple debate?
I am learning quite a bit about my particular eating habits, for example I find the part of the day between mid-day and 4pm to be the most difficult so I realise I must be in the habit of snacking at this time. Do I really crave that cup of tea at 3pm or is it perhaps more the biscuit or slice of cake that goes with it?
I do find drinking only water rather boring and a friend suggested elderflower cordial which is easily made at this time of year. Sadly the recipe asks for ten elderflower heads picked on a dry sunny day, otherwise they apparently smell like cats p***, so I have been awaiting such an event.....but alas not this year. Anyone for Cat's P*** cordial?
By the way, if you interested in supporting Below the Line financially we have a Fund-raising page at:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=livebelowthelinegang&faId=223559&isTeam=true

Day 4...the novelty is wearing off


We are well into Day 4 now and currently I am not very hungry - its not that long since we  had our lentil soup and bread for lunch.  I would say though that I am hungry most of the time, and I seem to be more hungry than the other two for some reason, even though we are all eating the same amount.


One reason might be that today I did a bike ride...it seemed a good idea at the time.  After all most people who do actually live in extreme poverty have to expend a lot of energy to get the money to buy food, and do it when they are hungry!  So I did a bike ride, I had just had my porridge and some toast and jam, and so the hunger pangs had been satisfied...by 10.30 though I was ready for lunch.


The worst time for me has been in the middle of the night.  I wake up feeling really hungry, you know that feeling when your stomach contracts with the hunger pangs?  Luckily I have enough belly fat for my stomach to chew on...and eventually the hunger pangs stop and I go back to sleep.


And thankfully I am so hungry when I wake up that even porridge tastes OK.


And yes today is the first day I have been tempted to cheat, I have had to dig deep into my resolve and remember why we are doing this...and so have been good and poured myself another cup of hot water.


Now what time is it and when is it teatime?

day three

If you're anything like me sometimes you can't help but feel down and defeated by things that go on in the world around us that quite frankly aren't all that pleasant. There is an awful lot of that kind of stuff going on isn't there? The fact that 1.4 billion people are forced to live on less than £1 a day is just one thing that when we think about it, might make us feel some unwelcome emotions such as sadness, pity and perhaps guilt. If you are not one of these people and can ignore those feelings and all the unpleasant things in life, then good for you, how lucky you are. If however, like me you can't just ignore those feelings or the causes of those feelings here are some things that you can do to make a difference and to start adding to your pile of good feelings.


Probably the most obvious and most talked about thing that ordinary people like you can do to make a difference is by using your own money...

• The most obvious of these ways is probably donating money directly to a charity. This is also the quickest and simplest way to use your own money. You can just set up a standing order and the money comes out of your account each month. It doesn't have to be much, as little as £2 a month makes a difference too. You can also of course donate to our charity and sponsor us for doing this challenge-http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=livebelowthelinegang&faId=223559&isTeam=true
• Shop in charity shops. If you're feeling a little hard up why not do your next round of shopping in a shop that will use your cash for something good. Handbags and shoes are great things to look out for. 
• Buy fair trade products. Swap your clothes, make-up, coffee, tea, bananas, chocolate, sugar and loads of other cupboard essentials for fair trade brands. Buying fair trade helps producers get a fair price for their product and stops them being exploited by more powerful people like you and me. 
• At Christmas or birthdays buy charitable gifts for people across the world or send charity cards to your friends and family. Most charities make their own cards, and you can give really interesting things now like goats!

It's not just your money that is valuable and can be used to make a difference, using other resources is really helpful too...

• Don't send old clothes, shoes, bras, coats, books, kitchen stuff or toys to landfill, donate them instead. Give to charity shops the things you no longer need or want. However, from personal experience I know a lot of charities are sent things they don't really need which end up taking up valuable space, so it's best to get in touch with a charity to find out what they need the most and what will be most helpful to them. 
• Donate food to homeless shelters. Don't waste food full stop. Buy only what you need, eat up out of the fridge and what you really don't want give it to someone who does! 
• Recycle. A simple one, but still so many people don't do it. If your council are a bit rubbish when it comes to providing the right facilities, speak to them!
• Give blood. Okay so this isn't necessarily going to help people all over the world, but it is going to help someone in your community, or in the community next door, or your parent's community perhaps. It's quite fun actually and you get to eat free biscuits and drink free squash. 
• Spread the word. If you are passionate about something and are already doing something to help, tell people about it. Let them know what you're doing and maybe it will inspire them to do it too.

Finally, we have something else that we can use to help, that most of us probably have in abundance and gets wasted every single day...Time. Give up your time as a volunteer. Volunteering is enormously beneficial not just for the organisation or the people you help but is also beneficial for you. It makes you feel great. There are loads of volunteering opportunities in your area, absolutely loads....

• You can volunteer at a local community centre, you'll meet lots of interesting people of a variety of ages, really old ones and really wee ones. 
• Help run a homework club.
• Keep your community clean and green by doing some local conservation.
• Walk dogs for a animal shelter. 
• Volunteer at galleries and historic buildings.
• Teaching english as a second language.
• Take part in a sponsored activity like swimming, walking or running for charity, having a cake sale, or even Living Below the Line! 
• Litter pick around your house or pop in for a visit with an elderly neighbour to keep them company. Easy. 

I'm not saying I do all these things, because I don't and I too could do so much more but even if you start by doing just one of these things trust me you'll feel so good about yourself and at the same time you'll have made an actual difference to someone or to lots of somebodies. Maybe your one thing today could be to sponsor us! 

Day 2.........

Today was tougher than day one. I felt lethargic, had half-a-headache and my concentration was poor. It had nothing to do with the restricted diet, but all to do with my body's need for caffeine. Caffeine withdrawal wasn’t something I had even considered beforehand.

On the plus side I had to attend a conference as part of my work. I managed to resist the temptation of the ‘free’ lunch and this provided the opportunity to talk to other people as they tucked into theirs, about the 1.4 billion people who live ‘below the line’.

It was interesting that many people wrongly assumed our action was associated with a church group or Christian charity. There seems to be a common misconception that an atheist isn’t interested in giving and cares little for other people, when in truth I have just as much empathy as anyone else.

Food wise I ate well, though probably not as well as on day one. Porridge for breakfast, rice with onion and mushroom and garden herbs with a handful of home-grown rocket for lunch, and a mashed-up over-ripe banana, which was being thrown away, for supper.

In the evening I went to the pub, where my companion thoughtfully ordered a glass of water and a gin and tonic for himself, rather than the pint of beer he would undoubtedly have preferred. This meant that our glasses did at least look similar, and in the convivial surroundings and delicious smells of a ‘gastropub’ I soon forget about the ‘Timothy Taylors Landlord’ I would otherwise have enjoyed.

Hopefully the caffeine withdrawal symptoms will improve tomorrow and I can focus on wondering about when the next meal will arrive.

still day 1

Day 1 well under way, the porridge at breakfast was at least hot and filling, just what you need in an English summer.   Pasta,onions,mushrooms and tomato at lunch was lovely, although some nice shavings of parmesan would have made it extra special.  We have a special treat for tea, crumble and custard!  Just as well I'm hungry and its not even 5 o'clock......

Rhubarb and raspberry crumble to be served with 6p instant custard.

Day 1

The start of a long week?

I’m Kerry. I am a friend of Zoe and of her mother, Lynne. Although we don’t all live together, I am only about a mile away and we often spend time and eat meals together. Initially I was enthusiastic about the notion of living ‘Below the line’ for a whole week. As the start date looms ever closer I am beginning to feel some trepidation.

Why have I decided to do this action?   I suppose several factors have influenced my decision, as there were when I chose many years ago to stop eating meat.

For some time I have convinced myself that my metabolism is such that I would cope well if food was in short supply-is this an unhelpful belief I uphold in order to indulge in foods I enjoy? Time will soon tell whether this particular myth will be busted.

In addition, I wanted to experience at first hand how 1.4 billion people survive daily. For them eating is not an indulgence, for them finding enough food to feed themselves and their children is a daily battle which must occupy their thoughts for a large proportion of each and every day.  

I am fortunate that I can make an active decision to participate in this action. I take the food I eat for granted. I often say that for me one of the best reasons to go on camping trips is, that I appreciate running water and electricity so much more on my return. Will the same apply to the food I eat? Perhaps I will waste less and buy more wisely in future once this action is completed.
Having just completed a circuit of Morrison's, with Zoe, ten minutes before closing time, to pick up bargains and managing to find nothing more nutritious or appetising than a small white loaf, for 19p-actually there were also two very small organic fancy lettuces which had been reduced to 75p and so consequently beyond our budget,  I am beginning to appreciate that this is going to be a long week.

the night before

It’s official, we’ve been shopping at Doncaster market and Morrisons and we’ve stolen some coffee sachets and a couple of tea bags from a hotel mum stayed at last week (more about the ethics of stealing when you live below the line later) and we’ve grown the basil for the pasta dishes, I think we’re ready to Live Below the Line.

Starting tomorrow we’ll be living off yellow and cream coloured staples like pasta, rice, porridge, oh no wait sorry we’ve also got some lovely red lentils. We’ve got a few vegetables, some carrots, mushrooms, onions and garlic and hopefully something green with a sunshine yellow reduced sticker will appear mid week. We’ve also got a couple of luxury items, some mixed fruit jam for 29p, some sugar for 98p and a huge bag of salt for 19p. We’ll be drinking water and craving tea and coffee. We have £10 left in our budget to buy the important things we’ve forgotten about and maybe a tin of custard powder and some milk.

The reason for all this is to raise some awareness of the millions and millions of people who live on just £1 a day. That £1 has to cover a lot more than food, don’t forget there is the cost of having a roof over your head, clothes to keep you warm, and arguably just as importantly for those things in life that bring joy. It’s only since I decided to take this challenge and have been doing some research that I have learnt (maybe a better word would be realised because it seems like something I ought to have know without having to learn it) people who live in poverty often spend what little money they have not on basic food items but on another of life’s essentials- luxury items which just make us smile and feel a bit better. So their £1 a day doesn’t just have to fill their bellies and keep them warm it also has to go towards their small pile of pleasures in life. These nameless and faceless millions live off £1 a day or less with no choice in the matter, that is one luxury they cannot afford.

So over the next week, Kerry, Lynne and I will be having our own experiences of what it feels like to live far more modestly than any of us are used to. We’re doing it for various reasons but I think we’re all choosing to do it so that we can raise a bit of awareness about global poverty and the kinds of things ordinary people like us, and you can do to help. We’ll be using this blog as somewhere to record our thoughts and share information so I hope you stick with us for the week and enjoy reading what we write.

Our aim was never to raise money, our focus is on awareness raising, however, if you would like to sponsor us to take this challenge or donate because you think it is something you can do to help then you can donate through this blog to UNICEF. The money will go directly to UNICEF UK to help support the work they do for children all over the world, but it would also make us feel like you are behind us and behind what we are trying to do.

Right now I’m feeling positive and finding it hard to see how I’m going to struggle, it all seems easy at this stage but I’ll let you know how those feelings change in about 48 hours when my tummy starts to rumble!

Doesn't look much for 63 meals does it?! 

A weeks worth of breakfasts