I’m glad today is nearly over. It’s been the toughest day yet on the Live Below the Line challenge.
I had a long day at work and my energy levels have been super low all day, partly because of the early start (I left the house at 7am) but also, I’m sure, because of the lack of fuel. I’ve had a headache on and off, probably due to lack of caffeine.
And to make matters worse, I had to attend a staff workshop which ran over lunchtime. We were given a sandwich buffet but of course I couldn’t touch it as I’m not allowed to accept any ‘donated’ food this week, and so I had to tuck into my hideous sandwiches made from cheap bread and cheap cream cheese and tasteless tomatoes imported from Holland.
Yes, I’m feeling sorry for myself and I can’t wait for this challenge to end. My family are all grumpy with me for making them do this, and I really can’t blame them.
I didn’t get home until nearly 7pm and couldn’t eat dinner until the girls had gone up to bed. The baked rice with beans and eggs was tasty and filling but, to be honest, I could have eaten just about anything by that point.
I really don’t have the energy to work out how much my meals have cost today but I can guarantee it came to less than a pound.
How people live like this everyday, I just don’t know. No-one should have to live like this.
It’s the last day of the challenge tomorrow. Hopefully that will put me in a better mood…
Bangers & Mash 
Well done for not giving in to temptation. It really is shocking that people have to live like this, no wonder children can’t concentrate at school. When I was a Careers Adviser, a young man living in homeless hostel told me he couldn’t afford to go to work, unemployed he could survive on beans on toast, but if he had to go out to work he would need more food, money for something for his lunch and a bottle of fizzy drink, in order to ‘fit in’ with the others. It was a sad testament then and it seems it is no better 20 years later.
Absolutely. I can see now why Breakfast Clubs for schools now are such an important initiative. And thank goodness we have so many food banks in this country. But no-one should ever have to get to the point they have to rely on hand-outs…
well done & not giving in to the buffet & caffeine – I bet you can’t wait until the weekend! x
Only one day to go – but as you say it’s tough for people who have no choice but to live like this all the time. I don’t know about you but I feel so lucky being able to eat well without having to think too hard about where the money’s coming from. It’s not as though we eat lobster and filet mignon every day – but we can enjoy our food without having to count our pennies. I’ve been thinking about volunteering for a food bank in our area but even saying that makes me feel appallingly middle class and privileged. Well done again for giving it a go – it makes us all sit up and think.
Rock on sister. You’ve done damn well!!!