day 18

7am: Irritation of being awake at 7am on a Saturday is evasoslightly outweighed by joy at glorious sunshine streaming through window.

8am: Porridge. Yawn.

9am-11.30am: Read in garden in sun. Happy.

12pm: Sainsbury’s.

12.05pm: Resume previous day's fury at the extortionate price of meaty goods.

12.10pm: It really is VERY difficult to eat healthily on a tight budget.

One Sainsbury’s orange = 31p; one large pack of Sainsbury’s value shortbread = 30p... a hulking great value Swiss roll is the same price as two tomatoes... celery is more expensive than a multipack of crisps...

12.12pm: Cabbage and carrots are cheap. Homemade coleslaw it is.

12.15pm: Stare dubiously at 500ml jar of extra value mayo (38p) that Sainsburys claim "mixes with everything". Everything? Hmmm.

12.18pm: Ditch "Sainsbury’s value mayonnaise” (38p for 500ml) for slightly more upmarket "Sainsbury’s' mayonnaise” (56p for 250ml). The latter may be more money for quite literally half as much, but this one looks far less like pva glue.

12.20pm: Leave Sainsbury’s with:

one white cabbage 67p
three carrots 35p
one onion 16p
one orange 31p (sod the expense, I need vitamins)
jar of mayo 56p

Total = £2.05

Money left = £15.25

1.15pm: Use half the cabbage, all the onion, all the carrots and half the mayo in the creation of a ridiculously large amount of coleslaw.

1.20pm: Last potato (which is going green) completes lunch of jacket potato and rather rustic looking coleslaw.

7pm: Head to a hen party dressed up in 'funky disco' attire (the designated theme), me in tiny hotpants and a large gold spandex belt, and my friend Kim sporting bright pink fishnets and an even brighter pink wig.

7.30pm: Walk up Holloway Road just as Emirates stadium kicks out the world's entire population of drunk Arsenal fans. Quickly regret 'funky disco' attire.

8pm: Eat as many sausage rolls/wheat crunchies/humous-dipped carrot sticks as is possible whilst still managing to hold some semblance of conversation.

8.30pm: Piously turn down offer of wine, saying firmly that it is just not right me drinking anything alcoholic, as am living on £1-a-day, and have not brought any to contribute. Water is fine.

8.31pm: Am rather swiftly persuaded that if someone offers you wine, you should definitely accept. Mmmm wine.

9.30pm: Head to Renaissance Rooms roller disco* in Vauxhall (www.renaissancerooms.co.uk) for an evening of spandex-clad wobbling on wheels.

*Emailed them earlier in the week explaining my £1-a-day charity mission, and the kind-spirited roller disco folk said I could come in for free. Will put the £15 I would've spent on entry towards my target charity ££s. Thanks roller disco folk.