How to live Below the Line 2012 by Butterfly

"I didn't think this would change me so much. It did"

How I did it: I signed up to the Live Below the Line website the month before the challenge started.  On the first day I went shopping for my food for a week.  $10 does not get you very far.  I bought bread, potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, lentils, white rice and apricot jam. 

The first day I felt excited and thought that it would be easy to live on $2 a day.  I was so wrong.  By the third day I was waking up feeling so exhausted.  It was hard to continue my usual lifestyle.  I would walk to work and find that I was so tired by the time I arrived.  I didn't have the energy for empathy.  All I could think about was when my next meal was going to be. 

At one stage I went shopping.  It was so overwhelming. Every choice and colour hit me like a smack in the face.  I had 40 cents left over from my weekly shop.  I was craving fruit badly.  When my pear was weighed and it came to 38 cents I don't think I've ever felt so grateful in my life. 

I started to look at the plants in my garden with longing.  I was jealous of the magpie I saw eating a scrap of bread because it was wholegrain and what I had was white.

I didn't miss chocolate or lollies like I thought I would.  What I missed the most?  Fruit.  Wholegrains.  Cheese.  Milk.  Butter.  I used to take these for granted-I don't think I ever will again. 

It was so hard living like this, but what I experienced these past 5 days is just a glimpse into what 1.4 billion people experience every single day.  And that $2 is not just for food expenses, but for everything. 

In the past 5 days I raised $317.  Enough for one full scholarship for a student in papua new guinea.  In Australia alone, this cause raised over $1 million and that's amazing. 

Lessons & tips:

  • Facebook is a fantastic tool for fundraising.
  • Apricot jam is a luxury item-next time I would spend the money on something else

Resources: https://www.livebelowtheline.com/au


4 people found this helpful
 

May 12, 2012, 04:25AM PDT | 8 comments | 37 cheers


Comments:

(This comment was deleted.)

May 12, 2012, 09:21AM PDT

Butterfly is thoroughly enjoying our new place!

You're welcome

I think this is the longest “How to” I’ve ever written, but I needed to get it out.

May 12, 2012, 06:22PM PDT | Respond to this 2 cheers

Gertie

that's me

I’ve been away from 43T for awhile as my situation means I am living on one meal a day not as a temporary goal but as my daily reality, and I’ve not known how to communicate with others not in my situation.

What you wrote truly encapsulates what it’s like, however, trying to sustain oneself on so little and I feel comfort that there are now words out there that can express some of the emotions of deprivation.

It also reminds me that there are many people out there in worse situations than me, so I’m going to stop feeling ashamed and instead focus on a feeling of gratitude for all that I do have.

May 12, 2012, 09:33AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 12 cheers

Butterfly is thoroughly enjoying our new place!

I truly hope

that your situation changes for the better soon.

(((Gertie)))

May 12, 2012, 06:28PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 2 cheers

Gertie

thank you

all should get better once I find a job…

... or become a trophy wife.
(hahahahahahahahahahahaha)

May 13, 2012, 01:59AM PDT | Respond to this 5 cheers

calypte ready for something new :)

oh hon

I had no idea it had gotten this bad! :(

(((((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))

(useless as they may be, but..?!?)

May 13, 2012, 02:34AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 2 cheers

Gertie

hugs

are awesome, I’ll take ‘em!

May 13, 2012, 03:04AM PDT | Respond to this 3 cheers

Hambam2

FAIR PLAY TO YOU!

That’s all.

Aug 12, 07:34PM PDT | Respond to this


Butterfly has gotten 37 cheers on this entry.

 

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