Live Below the Line – Day 4

I decided to mix things up a bit today, I’ve got quite a lot of porridge left so I decided to have two bowls for breakfast! One at 8.30am and one at 10.30am. It is cold and raining today and I really just don’t want to feel hungry on top of that. I also want to make the most of everything I purchased, I think all that I will have left come Saturday morning is some rice and a stock cube or two.

I also realised that my most hungry point of the day is between lunch and dinner, so today I had a full can of baked beans and my potato for lunchtime and then soup for dinner. Last night I had sort of gone past hunger by the time dinner came around but I still made myself the usual rice and kidney bean mix and I was full before I had finished my plate! I never once expected to leave food on my plate during this challenge.

Little jacket potato!

The potato I could afford with my last 12p was really small so it looked a bit lost underneath all those beans.

I have never looked forward to a tin of baked beans so much before! I had a bit of a typical Becky styled lunchtime drama where I had held out for a few extra hours before eating my lunch, and when it finally got around to food time I realised I didn’t have a can opener!! As silly as it sounds I was nearly in tears trying to work out how to get into the can. I ended up borrowing one from another office!

Over this week I do feel like I have lost my excitement for food to be honest, I thought I would become consumed by the thought of all my favourite foods (Like my momentary fantasy cereal frenzy) but it’s just become boring and an effort. Another bowl of porridge, another bowl of soup, another plate of rice… Funnily enough todays inspirational email from the Live Below the Line team said that when Caroline did the challenge last week her “week became less about what I was eating or drinking, and more about the lack of choice I had and the isolation that caused”. This rings true with me today!

I can almost understand why people with such a small food budget end up eating things like 16p flavoured noodles or the cheap instant packets. With a budget of £30- £50 per week it works out much much cheaper to buy fresh produce, loose veg and greens and then bulk cook your meals than it does to buy loads of ready meals. However on a budget of £5 I really couldn’t even afford some salad or spinach etc.

Tomorrow is my last day but it comes with mixed emotions, for over 1 billion people this constant hunger will continue and although I am feeling proud to be doing the challenge, I also feel guilty for being able to eat what I like again come the weekend.

Thank you again for all your comments and support! x