What would you buy for £1?

Nawty said:
Assuming £1 a day does not include energy usage then £5 for 5 days strikes me as being rather easy.

Bag of bread flour + yeast (as above, = 3 loaves), bag of cheap potatoes (£2-£2.50 all in although Tesco were recently selling bread flour @ 50p a bag!) and that will keep you full for 5 days easy peasy. 2 lots of veg from Aldi (whatever's on offer @ 60p a go) + a little imagination + the herb/spice cupboard and you've got yourself some flavour. You'll then have £1.30 left over for luxuries, I'd probably get some cream (high calorific value and goes great with veg+pasta) and some garlic (ditto).
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Why not have a go? I think you will find its not as easy as it sounds. Of course you could survive on bread with no spread and potatoes with 2 veg but it would get pretty miserable.You have to count every little thing you use so have to buy any packets of spices and seasoning and any other ingredients you need for your bread and then there's the pasta you mentioned. It isnt too hard but its a challenge to eat reasonably healthily and without making yourself miserable.

If you would like to join me in the challenge the website is in my signature
 
jeangenie said:
If it's not against the 'rules', I'd visit your local allotments and see if anyone is willing/able to swap produce for photos. It's not the best time of the year to do this, but there will be cabbages, leeks, spinach, rhubarb. :)

Good luck, Sue

Jean
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Thanks Jean. I dont know about swapping. I think that might be cheating but I might be able to buy some produce cheap from them.
 
I find the "rules" for this a bit confusing, especially if you're allowed to spend £5 on 5 days food in one go. Surely the point of highlighting the fact that billions of people live on £1 per day is to actually LIVE on £1 per day?? I'm sure those billions of people don't know what they'll get from one day to another. It's not actually much of a challenge to go into a supermarket and buy value flour and eggs. Surely it would be better to get out foraging and embracing your inner freegan and use the £1 to buy top ups or necessities like salt and oil rather than planning your week in advance. Trading food for skills and/or labour would presumably be more of a challenge and more akin to the plight you're trying to highlight. Rather than going to Tesco (who, let's face it, contribute massively to the £1 a day situation of workers as it is) and spending a fiver on food for a week!
 
*Babs said:
I find the "rules" for this a bit confusing, especially if you're allowed to spend £5 on 5 days food in one go. Surely the point of highlighting the fact that billions of people live on £1 per day is to actually LIVE on £1 per day?? I'm sure those billions of people don't know what they'll get from one day to another. It's not actually much of a challenge to go into a supermarket and buy value flour and eggs. Surely it would be better to get out foraging and embracing your inner freegan and use the £1 to buy top ups or necessities like salt and oil rather than planning your week in advance. Trading food for skills and/or labour would presumably be more of a challenge and more akin to the plight you're trying to highlight. Rather than going to Tesco (who, let's face it, contribute massively to the £1 a day situation of workers as it is) and spending a fiver on food for a week!
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Well I am just following the rules that have been set for this particular challenge. See http://www.livebelowtheline.org.uk/ There is nothing to say that you cant get freebies that have been thrown out- as you say people in poor countries have to do that and I was planning to see what is amongst the boxes left behind by the market.I have often got stuff there for pets that would be fine to eat. ( eg. bruised fruit and cauliflower leaves).I'm sure you could do a challenge yourself, with different rules but I am doing the one that has been organised by Christian Aid and 4 other charities.I do need to plan my week a bit as I am on insulin so must make sure I get enough carbs.I'm not getting all my shopping from Tesco though. I dont like them much either.Good luck if you decide to try a challenge like the one you have suggested
 
ladysue said:
freebies that have been thrown out- as you say people in poor countries have to do that
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It's not just poor countries :( Here some of the supermarkets don't actually chuck stuff in the bin, they leave it by the side in cardboard boxes for those that need it
 
How about packets of noodles at about 8p a time? quite filling and tasty.
 
Sonriendo said:
Here some of the supermarkets don't actually chuck stuff in the bin, they leave it by the side in cardboard boxes for those that need it
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Be aware that some other supermarkets view collection of their waste by anyone other than the bin men as theft*, and they will prosecute if they catch you.

*They contend they're losing money by freegans et al taking unsaleable stuff from the back, instead of paying for the marketable version at the front. A staff member was offered the choice of dismissal or prosecution for being filmed eating a plum from a box they'd been instructed to bin. :cuckoo:
 
Pop over to moneysaving expert and look at how people feed a family or 4 for £40 per month, yes they do it batch cooking, leftover leftovers and going without for there children,


Well done for doing this, people are on the poverty line on a day to day basis, i used to be a youth worker some 30 years ago and young and old where struggling then, not much changed then,


I remember a story of a girl around 14 years got threw out usual drama at home, my women co worker said she had £0.77 pence to either buy a nessassary item for hygiene, or some fags, don't judge the fags, just the situation I am a smoker and know what the cravings like,


A bloke would not have this to deal with so being on the poverty line affects both genders differently,



Merc

Sent from my iPad using TP Forums
 
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mercmanuk said:
Pop over to moneysaving expert and look at how people feed a family or 4 for £40 per month, yes they do it batch cooking, leftover leftovers and going without for there children,


Well done for doing this, people are on the poverty line on a day to day basis, i used to be a youth worker some 30 years ago and young and old where struggling then, not much changed then,


I remember a story of a girl around 14 years got threw out usual drama at home, my women co worker said she had £0.77 pence to either buy a nessassary item for hygiene, or some fags, don't judge the fags, just the situation I am a smoker and know what the cravings like,


A bloke would not have this to deal with so being on the poverty line affects both genders differently,



Merc

Sent from my iPad using TP Forums
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Yes its surpising what you can do if you have to.I didnt have much money when the kids were little and did go without for them. Thats why it wont be too hard for me doing the challenge.I am just so grateful that I live in a country where no-one has to starve, even though its hard for some to make ends meet.I'll have a look at the moneysaving expert thing.

Sue
 
Took a look at the website, and without meaning to offend anybody, it looks a bit middle class guilt.

If you really want to end poverty, you need to look at the root cause, capitalism.
 
Back on the food front, try porridge filling and cheap
 
lofcuk said:
Took a look at the website, and without meaning to offend anybody, it looks a bit middle class guilt.

If you really want to end poverty, you need to look at the root cause, capitalism.
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Whatever it looks like Christian Aid, that I am supporting , is one of the biggest charities that provide help in disasters and food, education, healthcare and other support in Africa.

The root cause isnt just capitalism. The weather ( floods and droughts) means that frequently crops fail in many of the countries. There have also been wars, many are ongoing. Also people in this country and other rich nations, are quite happy to overeat, throw away perfectly good food because they have bought too much and generally live extravagant lifestyles. They then put a pound in a collection tin and sign a few petitions, or attend marches, and feel that they are doing their best for the poor.Yes, some of the big multinationals do have a lot to answer for and need to pay the taxes they should pay in developing countries.

I dont mind being associated with middle class guilt, if thats what you want to call it- at least I am doing something to raise awareness and a bit of money for those less fortunate.
 
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Easy peasy....

Walk into Tescos look for a buy one get one free.

1) Buy both
2) Pay
3) walk out

4) Walk back in
5) Ask for a refund on just one of the products
6) Keep the other one

Net cost ZERO !
 
pasta,rice,flour and potatoes.also get some dried herbs and spices and lookout for some cheap tinned tomatoes/chilli beans.you should be able to create a variety of dishes here.i know because ive been doing something similar for the past few years and friends and family find it hard to believe my food shopping is under £15 every week and that includes meat and cheese which i would miss and do miss some weeks when i have only £10 for the weeks shop.
anyways if you plan this in advance you should be able to get by on the £1 day for the 5 days and in doing so discover how wasteful most of us are in the western world

good luck


peter
 
pmiddleditch said:
pasta,rice,flour and potatoes.also get some dried herbs and spices and lookout for some cheap tinned tomatoes/chilli beans.you should be able to create a variety of dishes here.i know because ive been doing something similar for the past few years and friends and family find it hard to believe my food shopping is under £15 every week and that includes meat and cheese which i would miss and do miss some weeks when i have only £10 for the weeks shop.
anyways if you plan this in advance you should be able to get by on the £1 day for the 5 days and in doing so discover how wasteful most of us are in the western world

good luck


peter
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Thanks Peter and well done for managing on your money so well. I hope things get better for you and you dont have to in the future. At least, like me, you will know how to do it if you have to.
 
I assume you can buy a weeks worth of shopping and you don't have to go every day with just £1 to spend.

I would buy

Tesco Value Oats - 75p for 1Kg. Depends how much you want to eat, but 100g would fill you up for a long time. 50g is the recommended 'portion'
Rice
Value Eggs - £1.50 for 15. You can make egg fried rice.
 
lofcuk said:
If you really want to end poverty, you need to look at the root cause, capitalism.
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And that right there, is the best post I've seen all day. Thank you, thank you.

Signed,

A communist.
 
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