Week 36 - Live on £1a day for a week.

I wondered how this one was going to work to be honest when I live with two other people. However, those two other people, John and Nathan, were generously up for this challenge too and that made it a whole lot more interesting and exciting 

We decided on menus for the week and planned out what we could afford on just £21 (£3 each x 7 days).Actually,it's surprisingly more than you may imagine. 

Here's what we bought: 

• potatoes
• Onions 
• Pasta
• rice
• eggs
• sardines
• oats
• milk
• tinned tomatoes 
• baked beans
• fish fingers
• frozen peas
• cooking bacon
• small wedge of cheese 
• bread flour
• butter 

 This, amazingly came to less than £21 from Lidl! I thought we may need to replenish milk supply as the week progressed, so it was comforting to know we had another £2.50 to spend.
Breakfasts consisted of porridge every day, and made entirely with water by the end of the week even after having bought more milk!!
Lunches at work were a cheese sandwich. Evening meals included the ingredients you see above.
Were we hungry? - absolutely not. We had plenty of carbs and some to spare at the end of 7 days.
Could we snack or have luxuries? - absolutely not. In fact the biggest negative was that you got bored of the same food.
Could you have lovely fruit and veg? - No! and I for one really missed my fruit at breakfast and the great variety we usually enjoy.
Did we cheat? - well no, but we did allow ourselves tea and coffee and spices from the store cupboard.
The best bit? - getting unexpectedly invited out for dinner at the end of the week and being fed delicious, tasty, varied food including dessert, ....thanks Su and Richard.
The really important bit?- giving the money we would normally have spent away to 'Christians against Poverty'

This was a sobering challenge. We are so extremely lucky and rich to be able to enjoy the vast variety and quantity of great food that we normally consume.

We realised afresh just how difficult and heart-breaking it must be not to be able to provide basic food necessities, never mind anything else.

This is something we should definitely do again.