Live Below the Line

[tfwsoll]

I'm not going to pick up any culinary tips but I found the What the World Eatslink fascinating. It isn't that the families in poorer countries eat less or have a less varied diet, it is all the sugar, salt and e-numbers many of the families in richer countries consume.

Good luck!

[Alec John Moore]

Bizarrely, I couldn't finish my porridge this morning. I've allocated too much of my budget to porridge oats it seems. Still, I've put what's left in the fridge and I can have it after dinner as pudding! I could mix in more of the yogurt but I need to be careful to leave some for the next couple of days.

Interesting discussions at work today where some of my colleagues are taking part in LBL and others are looking on curiously at lunch or promising to take the challenge next year. I can understand people being wary and finding the idea of having to make a shopping list and count every penny a challenge. But that's the point. If I had bought my pasta from Sainsbury's rather than Morrison's I would have had 9p less to spend on onions or flour.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

"...finding the idea of having to make a shopping list and count every penny a challenge."

Isn't that normal?

[Gidget]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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> "...finding the idea of having to make a shopping

> list and count every penny a challenge."

>

> Isn't that normal?

Apparently not with a lot of people. Budgeting? What's that?

[Alec John Moore]

There's very little leeway on a pound a day. It's fair to say that most people in developed countries have some disposable income that they can spend on "treats". Most people can and will go without something to pay for something else but the limits of a pound a day - even if its only for five days - really focus the mind on those essential luxuries that we take for granted. I've just said to my colleagues that at least we don't need to worry if there's milk in the fridge for a cup of tea. Most of us are just drinking water or, in my case, picking some fresh mint from the garden and having an ascetic herbal tisane.

Incidentally, one of the consequences of this self enforced frugality is headaches. This may be to do with caffeine withdrawal.

[Alec John Moore]

I added some of the tinned tuna to my bean, barley and pasta stew last night, plus some yogurt. It was a lot tastier. Although I'm not particularly hungry, I find I am missing the opportunity to just take something from the fridge or fruit bowl and snack between meals. Tea and coffee I also miss. Mint tea is a good subsitute but it doesn't satisfy in the same way.

I wanted to respond to Alan Medic's question about whether or not I'd be at work during the challenge. Colleagues have been complaining about feeling light headed and/or having headaches. I've found this too and it may be adjustment to the change in diet but it makes me realise that many people who have limited diets and the associated problems have to work long hours as day labourers or in their field and some have to walk several kilometres to the nearest source of clean water. I only have to sit at my desk, write emails, attend meetings etc.

[paragon]

Good for you Alan. I spend far too much money on food and waste too much.

I am going to improve!

[Alec John Moore]

A peerless example such as you, paragon, would have little room for improvement. Let me know how you get on.

[Gidget]

Where do you normally shop Alec? Lemon juice would improve your tuna and beans.

[Alec John Moore]

The weekly food shop is done at Sainsbury's, Dog Kennel Hill, and I sometimes top up at the Co-op on Lordship Lane. I usually buy our milk from Barry's on Barry Road - it's convenient and I like to support that shop - and I sometimes get stuff from Tesco at the Elephant which is near the office.

I got some of my LBL shopping from Morrison's because I wanted to see if they had any willow trees - they did, only ?2 for a corkscrew willow - and I like their fish counter.

Your point about flavouring is a good one. I think my LBL diet is fairly nutritious if a bit bland. Although I have been using thyme from the garden for my bean stew, a lemon could be used to flavour the food and drink, perhaps.

[Gidget]

Willow tree?

Add vinegar if no lemons.

[Alec John Moore]

Buying willow trees was one of the reasons for shopping at Morrisons. They also do the basic pasta 9p cheaper than Sainsbury's.

[Alec John Moore]

Hi, this is my last day on https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/alecleggat and I wanted to say thanks to those who have contributed to this thread and particularly to those who supported me by making a donation - still not too late. Just follow the link above.

I don't want to sound self righteous but I think I did rather well. I managed to have a fairly healthy diet using good basic ingredients - apart from the UHT milk, perhaps - and didn't suffer unduly from hunger. Neither did I bulk up on cheap carbohydrates. Of course, I missed the variety and the ability to have pretty much what I wanted when I wanted it. I missed tea and coffee and I didn't like feeling headachey and light headed but that was short lived.

I do like the idea of living a more ascetic life but with the temptations and responsibilities of a modern middle class way of life then that is quite difficult.

Alec

Perhaps some of you will join me next year and we can pool our resources as well as share our thoughts on living below the line.

[Alan Medic]

Well done on completing it. Just wonder why ?1? Is the figure ever re-adjusted for inflation?

[civilservant]

Well done!

But shouldn't you factor in the cost of your road miles? And wouldn't some of your stuff have been even cheaper at Iceland?

[Alec John Moore]

Hi Alan and Civil

The organisers say that "the challenge provides a glimpse of what it is like to live on ?1/day ? a challenge that is faced by 1.4 billion people in our world today."

It is somewhat tokenistic but it does make you think a bit about the issue and provides an opportunity for committed individuals such as me to raise awareness beyond my colleagues, family and friends.

It would be too complicated to calculate all of the costs of living in London and, clearly, ?1 wouldn't get you very far for a day.

There's a lot of discussion on the forum about food and where to buy it and the importance of convenience has come back to me during the last few days. I could probably have got more for my ?5 had I spent more time shopping around and I know that if I had combined mine with another's ?5 then we would have had more choice between us. Even that is an opportunity not available to many poor people throughout the world.

[civilservant]

Alec, I didn't mean to quibble - believe me that I am hugely impressed at the way you've met this challenge

[Alec John Moore]

Point taken, Civil, I was using your post to get my message across!

[Alec John Moore]

Hi

Picking up on the discussion about what we eat on a daily basis across the world, I wonder if any of you have seen the news reports about Martha Payne, the Scottish schoolgirl who started a blog about her school lunches and was then forbidden by her local authority to take photos of her school dinners. Links below to a news report and her blog:

http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/bulletin/third_sector_daily_bulletin/article/1136844/nine-year-old-girl-raises-82000-marys-meals/?DCMP=EMC-CONThirdSectorDaily

http://neverseconds.blogspot.co.uk/

She has been raising funds for Mary's Meals which provides meals for schoolchildren in Malawi. Interesting to see how the actions of Argylll and Bute Council have raised the profile of her efforts and caused an increase in support for what she is doing.

Alec

[Alec John Moore]

Hi

I'm about to undergo my now annual culinary flagellation popularly known as Live Below the Line:

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/participant?lang=en

It's been interesting and helpful looking back over the posts from last year and I was wondering if anyone had any more helpful hints. I'd be particularly interested in hearing how I might add some variety to my diet while sticking to the ?1 a day for 5 days. I'll be posting a shopping list soon so maybe you could respond to that in time for when I start on Tuesday.

I'll be tweeting about it @AlecLeggat

If you'd like to join in there are loads of charities taking part who could benefit from your support.

Alec

[Alan Medic]

Are you not allowing yourself an inflationary increase Alec?

[Alec John Moore]

Of course, the thought had occurred but it isn't up to me. I did a quick scan of prices in the Tesco at E&C last week and was quite shocked at some of the prices, relatively speaking. However, I reckon if I shop around I'll be able to stay within my limit and still eat fairly well. I'll post last year's shopping list alongside this year's to show the differences - I expect I'll be eating pretty much the same menu, unless anyone has any suggestions.

Alec

[numbers]

Alec John Moore Wrote:

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> Hi

>

> I'm about to undergo my now annual culinary

> flagellation popularly known as Live Below the

> Line:

Describing this as your annual culinary 'flagellation' is quite astounding to me given that many people live like this all the time.

I'd be

> particularly interested in hearing how I might add

> some variety to my diet while sticking to the ?1 a

> day for 5 days. I'll be posting a shopping list

> soon so maybe you could respond to that in time

> for when I start on Tuesday.

beggars belief.

> I'll be tweeting about it @AlecLeggat

let's see your tweets the following week when your diet & varied shopping list returns to 'normal'. if this exercise is well intended, its coming across as quite insulting tbh.

[Alec John Moore]

Hi numbers,

Hmm,sense of humour is a personal thing, I suppose. Still, I'm sorry if you're insulted. I don't mean to offend you, or anyone. Perhaps I assumed too much knowledge about Live Below the Line. Have you had a look at their website? Maybe you could comment on the appropriateness or otherwise of the challenge to understand a bit more about global poverty and hunger.

I hope my posts from last year will also give you an idea of why I'm taking the challenge to raise awareness about the issues and raise funds for charities working in international development.

Alec

[numbers]

perhaps I'm being a bit dim but am not clear where sense of humour comes into this?

isn't it rather patronising to assume that people should need to comment on the appropriateness (or otherwise) of this particular challenge, in order to understand a bit more about global poverty and hunger?