Living below the line

I heard about Live Below the Line last year however let the week pass me by, making a vague mental note that it was something I should get involved in next time. Fast forward one year and here I am- about to attempt to live off £1 a day for five days. Considering my second breakfast sometimes costs twice as much as that, this isn't going to be easy. My days are punctuated with snacks, pretty much most of my socialising revolves around food/drink and I get ridiculously irritable if I think I've waited too long for my next meal.

Anyone who knows me is aware of the role food plays in my life. This used to be something I didn't like drawing attention to ("omg I can't believe that guy just saw me eating something- he now knows that I EAT!!") however I no longer have any qualms about vocalising my constant need for chocolate and hatred of low carb diets. I think food blogging and Twitter have also made it more acceptable to tell the world whenever you're stuffing your face and I now like to see my obsession with cake as an endearing character quirk as opposed to a lack of self control.

Most of us are fortunate enough not to know what real hunger is (apart from during the run up to a beach holiday) however excess food and too much choice can lead to problems of their own. Food may be plentiful in the UK but so are eating disorders, obesity and other dietary related conditions. Yes we have the luxury of enjoying what we eat however, when food starts to develop other associations, we can abuse this privilege and the enjoyment turns into a private pain. Of course the above issues are complex and shouldn't be oversimplified, however my point is that food can be problematic even when we do have enough of it. I fully expect the next few days to force me to look at my own relationship with food (and why I feel a constant supply of oreos is key to my overall wellbeing!).

In their own words: "Live Below the Line is challenging individuals and communities to see how much change you can make out of £1. By living off just £1 per day for food for 5 days, you will be bringing to life the direct experiences of the 1.4 billion people currently living in extreme poverty and helping to make real change. "

I will donate the money I'm saving on food to one of the campaign's chosen charities however I'm not asking for sponsorship as I'm quite picky about what I deem a legitimate reason to make a plea for people's hard earned money. Considering I probably eat twice as much as the average person anyway, I'm considering this more of a personal challenge (and if this does prompt anyone else to donate then that's just fabulous). I am likely to use my blog to rant document my progress so keep reading if you care to hear about the joys of dry toast and my diet coke withdrawal symptoms. All I ask is that no one comes near me with cake during the next five days. It could get ugly.