All across the country, thousands of people are trying to eat and drink for the next 5 days for just £1 per day as part of the “Live Below the Line challenge”.
It's an extraordinary initiative that has certainly woken me up to how 1.4 billion people have to live. £1 is the UK equivalent of the extreme poverty line and is calculated on what you can buy in the US, for $1.25. Even thinking about living on so little will give us a glimpse into the challenges faced by these 1.4 billion people who have no choice but to live below the line every day – for everything - food, medical care, transport, education, everything.
Shopping for groceries on such a tight budget is alien to many of us. One of my colleagues has started the challenge this week – here is an insight in to her week.
“Today is Day 1 of 5 that I am going to be living on just £1 a day for all my food and drink as part of the “Live Below the Line challenge”!! Living on less than £1 a day for food and drink is not easy but it is possible.
My personal shopping list for these 5 days is: lentils (500gm) @ £0.83, easy cook rice @ £0.89, carrots (300gm) @ £0.24 , oats (100gm) @ £0.10, 5 tea bags @ £0.25, one onion @ £0.16, 6 value mixed eggs @ £0.85, 1 pint semi skimmed milk @ £0.49, gala apples @ £1.00. This is a Total of £4.81 which gives me 19 p to juggle with....maybe a loaf of bread (reduced price) later in the week! I will also be foraging... nettles for tea, wild garlic for greens and dandelion/sorrel and ground elder for greens… and I do know where there’s a patch of wild rhubarb…”
Celebrities, politicians, students, pensioners, teenagers, people from every walk of life and every part of the UK are joining the movement against extreme poverty and trying the challenge. Many of us have no idea what it must be like to have so little to live on yet there are people living in our own communities who may not have to live on just £1 per day but are struggling to make ends meet and have to rely on Food Banks to get enough food to feed the family.
So think about it – put yourselves in other‘s shoes – could you live on £1 per day? - that is less than you would spend on a cup of coffee - I know I would struggle.
It is also spreading awareness of the crucial anti-poverty initiatives being undertaken by the Global Poverty Project. http://www.livebelowtheline.com/uk
Day 4 of 5!
ReplyDeleteHolding up ok, surprisingly not too hungry, but much less energy than usual. Desk work is easy - farm work far harder! Have I got the energy to forage... Not much! Lack of choice, lack of variety of taste, having to measure grams carefully or there will be nothing for tomorrow. It's definitely an eye opener, but 24/7 forever would be hard hard work!