Living Below the Line

[krystals]

Is anybody else doing this next week?

Would love to share stories recipes etc...

[beckoes]

what is it?? off to google

ok, googled, sounds interesting, dont think id do it while BFing and having a 2 year old but i know there would be people who wouldnt have the choice, good to raise awarness! be interesting to hear how you go.

[krystals]

It's a great campaign Beckoes, it will be difficult! Google 'Live Below the Line' and you'll find it. I can't wait!

Basically, from May 16-20 I'll be living below the poverty line. Which, for the purposes of this exercise has been valued at AU$2 a day. (They have an info sheet on how they came to this calculation). Luckily the $2 only has to cover food for me, for the 1.4billion (and counting) people actually living below the poverty line every day, the $2 has to cover a lot more including healthcare, transport, shelter, clothing, education....you get the drift. It's run by The Global Poverty Project and The Oaktree Foundation which, in my opinion, are full of some of the most passionate and determined, and ACTIVE people you could find.

Click on the featured blog to see why I think it's a great cause xxx (y'know, if you want). I'm not asking you to sponsor or donate (although you can if you want) but I'd love it if you'd take a look at the campaign, my biggest aim is to raise awareness for these two incredible organisations.

[beckoes]

im interested, whats your shopping list like?? $10! i wouldnt go to woolies, ib head to a fruit market. you know if you go to your local salvos early you can sometimes get cheap/free bread, wonder if thats allowed??

[krystals]

coles has great dried food prices, but fruit and veg will be local (usually are anyway)

Cant accept free or donated food!!!! Wish we could, then someone could buy me a coffee!!! That'll be my biggest challenge! No caffeine!

Thanks for checking it out!

[Cassius2]

pretty good awareness raising! although i have to say that when as a kid we lived below the line, at every chance we would line up at the soup kitchens for a free feed! but i can get why you can't do this for the campaign

[krystals]

Thanks Cassius2, soup kitchens, dumpster diving, charities etc are all off the list for this exercise- and fair enough too, like you say. Those 1.4 Biliion...(yeah, BILLION) don't have those choices, and that's my biggest realisation from being involved. It's not about the food, that's a novelty of the week, but realising that if I only had $2 and DS got sick, I wouldn't be able to get help for him, or afford the healthcare, or fuel to get him to a doctor, let alone any medicines. Just one example.

[Lenny]

It's going to be on TV next week. One of those awful 7.00 shows - but still, it might bring a bit of awareness. A family is doing it for a week.

All the best krystals. Let us know how you get on!

[krystals]

ok, googled, sounds interesting, dont think id do it while BFing and having a 2 year old but i know there would be people who wouldnt have the choice, good to raise awarness! be interesting to hear how you go.

This is actually my biggest concern. I'm BFing an 8 month old, but I think I've got the nutrition sorted. Luckily we have clean, fresh water for free! I think as long as I stay hydrated we'll be fine. Im doing this by myself so I'll have a bulk of food, and probably some left over, but it just won't be very tasty or textured If I were doing it in a team, I'd have a few more options. If at any stage my supply wanes, I'll be stopping- simple as that. I promise

(edited to add: I'll be stopping my participation in challenge, not the feeding of my son )

[krystals]

Starts tomorrow!!! A bit excited and caffeined up as coffee is banished for the 5 days!!! Here's my shopping list
1kg plain wholemeal flour
Tea (100 bags)
1kg Oats
1doz eggs
Pumpkin- 750g
400g tin tomatoes
250g salt
1kg frozen mixed veg
2 potatoes
2 pears

The total came to $9.88. Originally I thought t had come to $9.98 and went home. I could have bought two more pears! 25c a kilo, BARGAIN! Those and the pumpkin were my bargain buys.

I've already made a STACK of pasta, too much for one person really, I have heaps of food, but not much variety. Better than some though, I'm lucky I live near markets and have an Aldi nearby. I'll also be making some flatbreads, soup with the pumpkin, a roast pumpkin sauce for the pasta one night, a veggie omelette, and thankfully tea was cheap enough to add to the list. No one wants a non-caffeinated Krystals around!

Wish me luck! If you're interested in the campaign, PM me and I'll send you a link.

[Junglemum]

I follow the cause Krystal and think about it a lot, especially living in a country where it is a reality for many around me.

Good luck this week.

(ps is it wrong to tell you I buy locally grown and roasted coffee beans for about $2?! You could have coffee if you were shopping in png! And bananas, 3 for 5 cents. )

[RhiChiChi]

krystals, this is truly amazing & anyone else that is doing it. I looked at it & thought how the heck could I live on $2 per day??? So, I will be honest and won't be doing this. As much as what I want to support the cause, I know I truly won't stick to it.

[krystals]

Junglemum- I live in a farming community, and there is fresh food all around me, as well as chooks and bumnuts galore! Unfortunately, we have to follow certain 'rules' and you have to include the cost of purchasing food from a store in your workings. The Oaktree Foundation, one of the organisations involved in this program is using money donated to them on projects in PNG (as well as other places). I like the organisations involved (Oaktree and The Global Poverty Project) as they don't just throw money... they're tackling the roots of problems. There's a lot of political involvement that is over my head, but I've chosen to support the Global Poverty project through any donations I receive.

RhiChiChi- you can still support the cause! If you'd like to sponsor or donate, I can send you a link. The GPP, who I've chosen to support through any donations I receive, works on advocacy for the 1.4 billion people living below the line everyday. If you can't donate, that's ok too my main aim is raising awareness of the campaign, the reasons for it, and the organisations involved.

[onthefly]

Is it $2 per person, so if your family does it you get $2 each?
Good luck with it - it sounds like a really great thing to do. Makes you think - how hard it would be to live like that

[Junglemum]

Absolutely krystals. I've followed the campaign for some time now and agree with all you say. I was just being a bit cheeky!

The most heartbreaking thing is that $2 a day for some people I know would be a dream. They feed big families on less. I guess one small positive is that fresh produce is cheaper. But it still means things like rice, bread, meat and any dairy are out of reach price wise. A typical dinner would be sweet potato ($1 for a pile of about 6) some greens (like spinach but local stuff, 10c a bunch) cooked in freshly made coconut milk.( 50c a coconut) If you had enough money, curry powder, salt or stock would be added.

[krystals]

MadB- yup, $2 per person, so if my DH were around this week, we'd have $20 for the 5 days. I have plenty of food, lots of bulk, but no variety or taste really! $20 would change the scenario significantly. I think I'd include a lot more fresh veggies and less flour based meals. I've found it difficult as well, there's no way I'm going to use 100 tea bags, but that was the cheapest way for me to get caffeine. (A withdrawal headache is not going to help anyone!) I'm also not going to use 250g of salt, but needed it to make pasta and bread. I've definitely got enough food for 2 people with the $10!

We're lucky, the $2 only has to cover food and drink for us, for the people LBL is campaigning for, that figure covers food, healthcare, education, transport and shelter....everything.

Thanks for the luck!!!

[krystals]

Junglemum I missed your post! You are cheeky

I've seen the scenario you're talking about- and challenges that those families face. Healthcare takes a backseat when hunger is so pressing. I've written about issues for families and women Here as part of my blog for friends and family It skims the issues, but there's a link to find out more at The Global Poverty Project x

[toomanyshoes]

Wish I would have seen this earlier! Bookmarked it for next year, I really want to start getting myself and the kids involved in these sorts of things. I use to do the whole round of them in high school and it really teaches you to appreciate what we have.

Good luck