It's been a long time since I've done a Challenge, a proper Challenge that is one that I can really get my teeth into and channel all my energies.
It was brought home to me a couple of weeks back just how much I was missing them when I bought the above items from Booths one day.
The bill came to £6.85 just for those four items, and no that luscious looking lemon wasn't worth it's higher than usual price tag ... it was all thick peel and hundreds of pips. Of course it straight away got me thinking of all the times I have lived on £7 for a full week and made me want to do it again just to prove to myself that I could still do it.
I did a mix of shopping from my cupboards at that days prices, and picking some things up from Sainsburys until I got to that magic amount of seven pounds, and got as far as starting to plan out a menu, and then life and time ran away with me and nothing became of it.
It's hard living in a small space with someone else that needs feeding too, and with no fridge or freezer space to store prepared foods so that they will last for the week if you have made a batch of something.
Then this week I was watching The Hack, Toba Courage's YouTube channel and pondering over his latest Challenge where he is literally going out three times a day armed with one pound for each meal, buying the food, coming home, cooking it and usually eating most of it. Just click on the photo to watch for yourself.
I could do that I thought!!
Not that I have yet, but it is possible even if it does mean a huge budget of £21 for a weeks meals instead of the much stricter £7 that I'm used to, and just one week of a Challenge should be achievable ... shouldn't it? And cure my itch for a Challenge.
Of course going out armed with just £1 for each meal just before that meal is the Challenge here as it means limited immediate buying power and a possibly a few very meagre meals at the very start until there are a few leftovers. On the plus side it will get my daily steps up nicely as two of my three possible supermarkets are a ten minute walk away 😀
Should I?
Could I?
Oh you know me always up to something new and usually daft!! 😄😂
Hands up if you think I should.
Sue xx
It sounds really interesting. Three pounds each day would be hard unless there was a carry over and I presume there wouldn't be from what you say. How would it work for, say, a bag of oats or rice?
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read about it so it's a hands up from me, please.
(and £21 is still pretty good going - well under £100 for the whole month)
xx
Yes, it's not a bad total amount compared to some of my previous Challenges.
DeleteThe way Toba did it was that he could carry over foodstuffs or odd amounts of change to the following days, but did have to go out for the main part of each meal each day. I think he was getting a bit fed up towards the end as he bought a few whole meals that were reduced to a pound or less.
Absolutely Sue go for it I know you can do it.
ReplyDeletei would be interested in reading about that challenge so my hand is up ! x
ReplyDeleteYes from me!
ReplyDeleteGo for it! Whatever food challenges you do always make for interesting reading and give me ideas.
ReplyDeleteMy hand is up - but with a BIG proviso.... I think you should also add a challenge of Once a week, buying something in the way of food that you wouldn't ordinarily (as a luxury item) and telling us what is was and how you prepared it. So there's a treat AND a challenge.
ReplyDeleteThe Challenge is only one week long, but yes a nice luxury item at the end of it sounds like a brilliant idea :-)
DeleteYou enjoy a challenge,it also makes interesting reading for us, so absolutely yes.
ReplyDeleteMy hand is up too. Your challenges are always inspirational. :-)
ReplyDeleteYes you should that would give us all ideas to live more frugally and not be wasteful thank you
ReplyDeleteOoooo, sounds interesting. Do it!!!
ReplyDeleteI could do the £21 budget as long as the total was over the month as you would get far better value buying larger packs etc. But the £7 would be quite a challenge. I'm always interested in your challenges so its a big hand up from me!!!
ReplyDeleteThis Challenge is to go out armed with £1 just before each meal just as Toba did. So you have £1 three times a day for seven days.
DeleteHere's a link to the YouTube videos in case you can't see them on this post.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-opYkQ9jXa0&t=3s
Very interesting, I'll take a look at Toba.
DeleteMy hand is up! (I had to wander off to look up how much one pound equals in US dollars!) I think it would be very interesting. Even if you can't manage it, the tricks you learn will be enlightening. I personally would not have the patience to go to the store 3x per day. Number one, I'd have to drive which is a waste of gas. I also would not waste the time. Here, I would go to the store in the morning, when the produce gets marked down. I think the biggest skill to learn is planning your meals at the grocery store around what you find on sale. Most recommend coming up with the menu and then shopping for it. I would be very interested to follow your challenge.
ReplyDeleteThe beauty of doing this Challenge now is that I am within walking distance of three supermarkets now that I have moved back to England. Also our weekly street market should be back in action next week, as the lockdown restrictions start to be lifted.
DeleteI think if you look through some of my previous Challenges (the link to my Challenge blog is on the sidebar) you will see that I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve ... thank goodness :-)
My hand is up too.
ReplyDeleteMy eldest son lost his job like 100s like him last year and has been eating frugally.. he now makes all his own meals and bulk makes meals. He's quite pleased with himself and has got his monthly food bill right down. His favourite meal are his meat balls which are a mixture og mince, sausage meat, oats and egg and spices and herbs which he has in a tomato sauce made from tinned toms, tom puree and some cheese.. and then mash and greens. He always cooked when he was younger and of course I can say I taught him!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like he's doing really well, it's nice when Mum's life lessons come in handy isn't it. Both my sons used a lot of my tricks and tips that they witnessed growing up when they hit hard times. My younger son has just managed to get his debts down from over £20,000 to less than £2,000 in three years. Proud Mum moment :-)
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ReplyDeleteSure , you could always try a new challenge every week.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty much what I did over on the other blog, but life and Covid got in the way. Once I'm settled into my new place I will get back on track.
DeleteIn the meantime it looks like I'll be doing this Challenge next week ... lots of hands went up 🤣😃
A definite HAND UP from me too, Sue, I LOVE your challenges and reading your daily post gives me a positive thing to do each day! Wayhay! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all these comments folks, I guess that's it then ... another Challenge is on it's way.
ReplyDeleteYou can stop all the waving now 😄🤣
I think it’s a brilliant idea Sue. I always love reading about your food challenges. A while ago I read How I lived a year on a pound a day by Kath Kelly. Great little book. In fact it may even have been you who recommended it Looking forward to your next challenge.
ReplyDeleteYes quite possibly me, it's one of my favourite books 😃
DeleteHand up. I think this would be a very interesting challenge for you to try and at only for one week very doable.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.