8.45am: In a surge of early-morning rebellion, bypass habitual porridge oats, and go straight for the office biscuit tin.
8.50am: Make Earl Grey tea with posh Parisian tea leaves using the same elaborate (and moderately painful) process as yesterday.
9am: Coralie (colleague) pityingly offers to pay for some Earl Grey tea bags – if I go and get them.
9.15am: Marks and Spencer’s is filled with white-haired ladies clutching flamboyantly iced cakes. Want cake.
9.20am: Buy Earl Grey tea bags (torturously positioned next to luxury chocolate biscuits) with Coralie's money. Buy brown roll and a high-end M&S tomato with my own (might as well sort lunch out).
Total (minus the teabags) = 61p
Money left = £12.37
9.30am: Mug of tea and a pair of Pound Shop digestives from the office tin.
9.32am: Discover that Pound Shop digestives do not withstand tea-dipping.
9.38pm: Why is biscuit dipped in tea amazing, but biscuity sludge in bottom of mug gross?
1pm: Starving, and definitely on a sugar-downer; hurriedly make tomato roll.
1.15pm: Predictably, still hungry.
2pm: Search absent colleague's desk drawers for edible things. Find none.
6pm: Hate the tube; hate the Central Line; hate everyone on the Central Line. Why doesn't everyone just refuse to use the tube until Boris makes it bigger? Or just only let small people on, or something...
6.35pm: Through door. Need food fast.
6.45pm: Dinner = porridge oats. Pathetic Ruth-Ellen, simply pathetic.
7pm: Listen to blurry tales of dance-floor romance from a very hungover cousin.
8pm: Boyfriend arrives, clutching Tesco’s bag.
8.30pm: Feel little wave of guilt that boyfriend has to bring his own food with him.
8.45pm: Feeling intensifies as I eat some of his avocado.
8.50pm: Definite pangs of guilt as I relieve him of some of his quiche (roasted pepper and mushroom) and a little bit of tomato.
8.51pm: Taste buds jangling in delight.
9.30pm: Cousin orders herself a pizza, under the logic that her hangover is demanding a pudding, and it is only really acceptable to get a pudding, if she gets a pizza as well.
10pm: Start getting ready for bed whilst hearing cousin angrily shout at pizza delivery man who won't walk up the stairs to our flat.
Friday 30 April 2010
Thursday 29 April 2010
day 22
8.45pm: Two fried eggs, four crisped-up rashers of streaky bacon, one large sausage, crumbly chunks of black pudding, fried bread (thick and white), fried mushrooms, beans (Heinz), and a generous dollop of Daddy's sauce.
Oh wait, sorry - I mean cold porridge oats out of a mug. Sigh.
9am: Hungry.
1pm: Remembered lunch today - SHOCK! - so heat up remaining rice/tomato mixture in microwave.
1.06pm: Relish the luxury of warm food.
1.30pm: Little nap on desk. (And yes Mum, that is allowed during lunch break.)
1.53pm: Woken up by huge body twitch.
2pm: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Absolute. Disaster.
We've run out of Earl Grey teabags. Normal tea is supplied, but pretentious tea has to be bought by us. And, shamefully or impressively, depending on your personal tea beliefs, I only drink pretentious tea.
2.15pm: Find a pot of loose Earl Grey tea leaves a French tea place sent us a while back as a bribe to get featured in our Paris guide.
2.17pm: Formulate cunning plan to hurdle obstacle of no tea strainer.
2.19pm: Make a rip in normal teabag. Pour out normal tea.
2.20pm: Fill empty bag with pretentious Earl Grey tea leaves.
2.21pm: Pinch together ripped part of teabag, and hold over mug.
2.22pm: Pour boiling water over tea bag (and fingertips).
2.24pm: Admire steaming mug of slightly Earl Grey flavoured boiling water.
6.30pm: Go to boyfriend's house and brace myself for a dinner of value fish fingers and wilted white cabbage.
6.31pm: Cabbage is well and truly off.
6.35pm: Get VERY easily persuaded by boyfriend to eat one of his bean burgers (he's a bit posh) instead.
Oh wait, sorry - I mean cold porridge oats out of a mug. Sigh.
9am: Hungry.
1pm: Remembered lunch today - SHOCK! - so heat up remaining rice/tomato mixture in microwave.
1.06pm: Relish the luxury of warm food.
1.30pm: Little nap on desk. (And yes Mum, that is allowed during lunch break.)
1.53pm: Woken up by huge body twitch.
2pm: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Absolute. Disaster.
We've run out of Earl Grey teabags. Normal tea is supplied, but pretentious tea has to be bought by us. And, shamefully or impressively, depending on your personal tea beliefs, I only drink pretentious tea.
2.15pm: Find a pot of loose Earl Grey tea leaves a French tea place sent us a while back as a bribe to get featured in our Paris guide.
2.17pm: Formulate cunning plan to hurdle obstacle of no tea strainer.
2.19pm: Make a rip in normal teabag. Pour out normal tea.
2.20pm: Fill empty bag with pretentious Earl Grey tea leaves.
2.21pm: Pinch together ripped part of teabag, and hold over mug.
2.22pm: Pour boiling water over tea bag (and fingertips).
2.24pm: Admire steaming mug of slightly Earl Grey flavoured boiling water.
6.30pm: Go to boyfriend's house and brace myself for a dinner of value fish fingers and wilted white cabbage.
6.31pm: Cabbage is well and truly off.
6.35pm: Get VERY easily persuaded by boyfriend to eat one of his bean burgers (he's a bit posh) instead.
Wednesday 28 April 2010
day 21
8.45am: It is amazing just how far one bag of oats can stretch. Still got a quarter left!
1pm: Want something nice. Go to M&S with tiny hope of being able to find a bargain.
1.15pm: Leave M&S with:
one freshly baked granary roll 31p
one (very high-brow looking) tomato 16p
one portion of Port Salut cheese 40p (treat)
Total = 87p
Money left = £12.98
1.30pm: Bloody lovely cheese and tomato roll. And, considering it was all the finest ingredients all for 87p, pretty good value.
6.15pm: Tesco's on Bethnal Green Road.
6.35pm: After queuing for way too long, buy:
one can of chopped value tomatoes 33p
two carrots 14p
Total = 47p
Money left = £12.51
7pm: Whip up rice/tinned toms/chopped carrot concoction under the somewhat unenthusiastic watch of cousin, who poses such questions as "what on earth are you making?" and "is that it?"
7.10pm: Rejoice at discovery of last cheese portion I bought last week. Grate over food.
7.30pm: Block out immense cravings for sugar and/or alcohol with sorting frenzy.
7.35pm: File bank statements and pay slips in date order.
7.50pm: Tidy underwear drawer.
8pm: Watch "Embarrassing Bodies" on Channel 4 On Demand, and promptly lose all food cravings thanks to the detailed documentation of an operation to remove an anal abscess.
1pm: Want something nice. Go to M&S with tiny hope of being able to find a bargain.
1.15pm: Leave M&S with:
one freshly baked granary roll 31p
one (very high-brow looking) tomato 16p
one portion of Port Salut cheese 40p (treat)
Total = 87p
Money left = £12.98
1.30pm: Bloody lovely cheese and tomato roll. And, considering it was all the finest ingredients all for 87p, pretty good value.
6.15pm: Tesco's on Bethnal Green Road.
6.35pm: After queuing for way too long, buy:
one can of chopped value tomatoes 33p
two carrots 14p
Total = 47p
Money left = £12.51
7pm: Whip up rice/tinned toms/chopped carrot concoction under the somewhat unenthusiastic watch of cousin, who poses such questions as "what on earth are you making?" and "is that it?"
7.10pm: Rejoice at discovery of last cheese portion I bought last week. Grate over food.
7.30pm: Block out immense cravings for sugar and/or alcohol with sorting frenzy.
7.35pm: File bank statements and pay slips in date order.
7.50pm: Tidy underwear drawer.
8pm: Watch "Embarrassing Bodies" on Channel 4 On Demand, and promptly lose all food cravings thanks to the detailed documentation of an operation to remove an anal abscess.
day 20
7.15am: Shovel remaining coleslaw into tub to take for lunch.
7.45am: Leave house without tub.
8.45am: Eat cold porridge oats in kitchen whilst internally berating myself for being such a retard.
1pm: Go to kitchen to have porridge oats for lunch (could have bought something else, but decided my retardedness deserved to be punished).
1.04pm: Sara (aka The Spanish Angel) puts a firm stop to porridge lunch, and provides rivitas, parma ham, cherry tomatoes and cheddar.
2pm: Colin offers round chocolate tea cake things. Today's menu is not so bad after all!
7pm: Watch friend and boyfriend munch quiche lorraine, new potatoes with mint, and fresh herb salad, whilst I eat four value fish fingers and the tub of (now extremely soggy) coleslaw that was intended for lunch.
7.45am: Leave house without tub.
8.45am: Eat cold porridge oats in kitchen whilst internally berating myself for being such a retard.
1pm: Go to kitchen to have porridge oats for lunch (could have bought something else, but decided my retardedness deserved to be punished).
1.04pm: Sara (aka The Spanish Angel) puts a firm stop to porridge lunch, and provides rivitas, parma ham, cherry tomatoes and cheddar.
2pm: Colin offers round chocolate tea cake things. Today's menu is not so bad after all!
7pm: Watch friend and boyfriend munch quiche lorraine, new potatoes with mint, and fresh herb salad, whilst I eat four value fish fingers and the tub of (now extremely soggy) coleslaw that was intended for lunch.
Monday 26 April 2010
day 19
10.30am: Skating-induced laziness.
11am: Eat (small) bowl of boyfriend's Cheerios, for it is Sunday: the day of rest (from porridge).
11.30am: Explode into cleaning frenzy which results in a face-to-face stand off with World's Largest Spider.
11.31am: Emit high-pitched girly whimpers.
11.32am: Frantically wave hoover nozzle at spider (which is gripping the carpet and resisting all suction).
11.33am: Got it - ha! In your eight-legged face.
11.35am: Definitely time to leave the house.
12pm: Stroll around Angel, and somehow end up in Sainsbury's scanning the shelves for reduced food.
12.10pm: You can buy a packet of chicken stock cubes for 10p?! I spent half a day boiling a manky chicken carcass, sieving out a whole rainbow of fat and gristle, and you can buy chicken stock cubes for 10p?!
12.20pm: Leave Sainsbury’s with:
frozen value fish fingers £1 (no idea why)
chicken stock cubes 10p
crusty bread roll 30p
Total = £1.40
Money left = £13.85
1.30pm: Lunch of coleslaw and bread roll. Mayonnaise has gone a bit translucent over night, but, all in all, lunch is not bad, not bad at all.
3pm: Go to pub to heap praise on bearded friend who just ran the London Marathon (in 3hrs 25mins, which is like, well fast).
3pm-5pm: Slowly sip two consecutive pints of water pretending it is COMPLETELY FINE that everyone else is lubricating a lazy Sunday afternoon with beer and cider.
6.30pm: Dinner of rice, cabbage and a very wilted half-an-onion that I'm not 100% sure is mine, but is definitely well past the state that someone not living on £1-a-day would consider edible.
6.45pm: Boyfriend's housemate smugly tucks into a large carton of assorted Chinese takeaway. Breath in deeply to fully inhale greasey takeaway scent.
6.46pm: Realise that what I am doing is very weird, and leave the room.
11am: Eat (small) bowl of boyfriend's Cheerios, for it is Sunday: the day of rest (from porridge).
11.30am: Explode into cleaning frenzy which results in a face-to-face stand off with World's Largest Spider.
11.31am: Emit high-pitched girly whimpers.
11.32am: Frantically wave hoover nozzle at spider (which is gripping the carpet and resisting all suction).
11.33am: Got it - ha! In your eight-legged face.
11.35am: Definitely time to leave the house.
12pm: Stroll around Angel, and somehow end up in Sainsbury's scanning the shelves for reduced food.
12.10pm: You can buy a packet of chicken stock cubes for 10p?! I spent half a day boiling a manky chicken carcass, sieving out a whole rainbow of fat and gristle, and you can buy chicken stock cubes for 10p?!
12.20pm: Leave Sainsbury’s with:
frozen value fish fingers £1 (no idea why)
chicken stock cubes 10p
crusty bread roll 30p
Total = £1.40
Money left = £13.85
1.30pm: Lunch of coleslaw and bread roll. Mayonnaise has gone a bit translucent over night, but, all in all, lunch is not bad, not bad at all.
3pm: Go to pub to heap praise on bearded friend who just ran the London Marathon (in 3hrs 25mins, which is like, well fast).
3pm-5pm: Slowly sip two consecutive pints of water pretending it is COMPLETELY FINE that everyone else is lubricating a lazy Sunday afternoon with beer and cider.
6.30pm: Dinner of rice, cabbage and a very wilted half-an-onion that I'm not 100% sure is mine, but is definitely well past the state that someone not living on £1-a-day would consider edible.
6.45pm: Boyfriend's housemate smugly tucks into a large carton of assorted Chinese takeaway. Breath in deeply to fully inhale greasey takeaway scent.
6.46pm: Realise that what I am doing is very weird, and leave the room.
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.
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.
Friday 23 April 2010
day 17
7.30pm: Rush out of flat and, once again, forget lunch.
8.45am: Still got a bit of donated cereal left. Hurrah.
8.47am: Whoever puts the daily supply of milk in our work fridge appears to be running behind schedule.
8.49am: Moisten cereal with tap water (insert sad face).
10am: Cheer self up with biscuit. Since several co-workers discovered the Pound Shop's mega-value biscuit collection, the office communal biscuit hoard has been flourishing. Could theoretically live off out-of-date jammie dodgers and imitation chocolate bourbons for remaining 13 days.
1pm: Cereal for lunch. This time with milk.
1.15pm: Cheer self up with three jammie dodgers.
2pm: Edit the food and drink section of South Africa travel guide - essentially a rundown of BBQ-ed meats.
2.10pm: Need steak/sausages/anything resembling meat. Why is meat so expensive? Cows are huge. Surely it takes more effort to create the right balance of artificial chemicals necessary for 9p chicken flavoured instant noodles, than it does to cut off a bit of cow?
2.15pm: Maybe we should just all have our own little collection of live stock.
2.30pm: Could I really eat an animal I had named and reared?
2.32pm: Yes.
2.45pm: Two more jammie dodgers are not doing anything to pacify meat cravings.
5.45pm: On packed tube, with face mere milometers from sweaty man devouring a Big Mac. Eating on the tube should be banned. And why does all McFood smell the same?
6.30pm: Jacket potato with two portions of cheese (and no meat).
8.45am: Still got a bit of donated cereal left. Hurrah.
8.47am: Whoever puts the daily supply of milk in our work fridge appears to be running behind schedule.
8.49am: Moisten cereal with tap water (insert sad face).
10am: Cheer self up with biscuit. Since several co-workers discovered the Pound Shop's mega-value biscuit collection, the office communal biscuit hoard has been flourishing. Could theoretically live off out-of-date jammie dodgers and imitation chocolate bourbons for remaining 13 days.
1pm: Cereal for lunch. This time with milk.
1.15pm: Cheer self up with three jammie dodgers.
2pm: Edit the food and drink section of South Africa travel guide - essentially a rundown of BBQ-ed meats.
2.10pm: Need steak/sausages/anything resembling meat. Why is meat so expensive? Cows are huge. Surely it takes more effort to create the right balance of artificial chemicals necessary for 9p chicken flavoured instant noodles, than it does to cut off a bit of cow?
2.15pm: Maybe we should just all have our own little collection of live stock.
2.30pm: Could I really eat an animal I had named and reared?
2.32pm: Yes.
2.45pm: Two more jammie dodgers are not doing anything to pacify meat cravings.
5.45pm: On packed tube, with face mere milometers from sweaty man devouring a Big Mac. Eating on the tube should be banned. And why does all McFood smell the same?
6.30pm: Jacket potato with two portions of cheese (and no meat).
day 16
8.22am: Train delayed.
8.30am: Train still delayed.
8.40am: Still not moved, and now a loud-headphones-person is sitting next to me.
8.41am: Root around for iPod. iPod is dead. Being literally forced to listen to Craig David - am furious.
9am: Arrive at work in a flustered state, with no time for breakfast.
11am: Hungry.
11.30am: Very hungry.
12pm: Very very veeeery hungry. And a bit grumpy.
1pm: Realise forgot last of rice n veg.
1.10pm: Eat cereal, somewhat dejectedly.
2pm: In no way satisfied, and still grumpy.
2.15pm: Go to make a round of tea, try to open large glass office door, and hand slips from one side of tray.
2.16pm: Whole office stares at me, and then the pile of smashed crockery at my feet.
2.30pm-5.15pm: Think in immense detail about roast parsnips, chicken chow mien, pepperoni pizza (stone baked), and McDonalds chicken nuggets with BBQ sauce.
6pm: Fly in the door of flat and heat up last of rice n veg.
6.30pm: Really should head to Tesco and plan more value meals.
6.35pm: Start watching Desperate Housewives on 4 On Demand.
6.45pm: Terry Hatcher really does have very nice skin.
7.30pm: Tidy room.
8pm: Read latest Time Out London restaurant reviews and think about food.
9pm: Remember need for food shop - pretty sure Tesco now closed. Damn it.
8.30am: Train still delayed.
8.40am: Still not moved, and now a loud-headphones-person is sitting next to me.
8.41am: Root around for iPod. iPod is dead. Being literally forced to listen to Craig David - am furious.
9am: Arrive at work in a flustered state, with no time for breakfast.
11am: Hungry.
11.30am: Very hungry.
12pm: Very very veeeery hungry. And a bit grumpy.
1pm: Realise forgot last of rice n veg.
1.10pm: Eat cereal, somewhat dejectedly.
2pm: In no way satisfied, and still grumpy.
2.15pm: Go to make a round of tea, try to open large glass office door, and hand slips from one side of tray.
2.16pm: Whole office stares at me, and then the pile of smashed crockery at my feet.
2.30pm-5.15pm: Think in immense detail about roast parsnips, chicken chow mien, pepperoni pizza (stone baked), and McDonalds chicken nuggets with BBQ sauce.
6pm: Fly in the door of flat and heat up last of rice n veg.
6.30pm: Really should head to Tesco and plan more value meals.
6.35pm: Start watching Desperate Housewives on 4 On Demand.
6.45pm: Terry Hatcher really does have very nice skin.
7.30pm: Tidy room.
8pm: Read latest Time Out London restaurant reviews and think about food.
9pm: Remember need for food shop - pretty sure Tesco now closed. Damn it.
Thursday 22 April 2010
day 15
8am: Day 15. Half way through. Hurrah!
8.45am: Forget I have some donnated cereal left, and eat mugfull of cold porridge oats.
1.10pm: Slice up two cheese portions with remaining half of baguette. Bit... dry.
1.20pm: Down two pints of water.
2pm: Crave sugar.
2.30pm: Absolutely rinse work supply of jammie dodgers. Nothing has ever tasted better ever.
2.45pm: Sugar shakes.
6.30pm: Jacket potato (from bargain ones I bought on Sunday) with cheese portion.
7pm: Feeling a bit malnourished from lack of fresh fruit and veg.
7.10pm: Find old tub of multivitamins in bedroom draw. Eat five.
8.45am: Forget I have some donnated cereal left, and eat mugfull of cold porridge oats.
1.10pm: Slice up two cheese portions with remaining half of baguette. Bit... dry.
1.20pm: Down two pints of water.
2pm: Crave sugar.
2.30pm: Absolutely rinse work supply of jammie dodgers. Nothing has ever tasted better ever.
2.45pm: Sugar shakes.
6.30pm: Jacket potato (from bargain ones I bought on Sunday) with cheese portion.
7pm: Feeling a bit malnourished from lack of fresh fruit and veg.
7.10pm: Find old tub of multivitamins in bedroom draw. Eat five.
Tuesday 20 April 2010
day 14
8.45am: Colleague donates half a packet of sugar-free muesli she has decided is horrid.
8.50am: Tastes fine to me. Feel quite spoiled with unexpected upgrade from plain porridge oats.
1.10pm: Trip to Sainsburys. Determined to make sensible and healthy purchases.
1.45pm: Leave Sainsburys with:
three carrots 30p
bag of value rice 73p
chopped value tomatoes 32p
tin of value kidney beans 19p
one onion 11p
small poppy seed baguette 35p
bag of six mini Cathedral City cheddar cheese £1
Total = £3
Money left = £17.30
Plan = make vegetable chili type thing (without any actual chili powder) to have in different ways over next two or three days.
1.55pm: Halve baguette. Slice up one little cheese and make cheese roll. Leave the other half of baguette for tomorrow's lunch.
6.30pm: Turn Guns n Roses 'Sweet Child of Mine' on full blast, chop up one onion, two carrots (recklessly eat the third whilst cooking/dancing) and saute before adding chopped toms and kidney beans.
6.40pm: Add generous amount of value salt and pepper I procured the other day. Finely chop sprigs of thyme that my Mum cut from her own garden, sealed in a sandwich bag, and posted to my work after hearing her daughter's numerous complaints about bland food. (Thanks Mum!)
6.45pm: Boil enough rice for two meals.
7pm: Dollop of rice, topped with large dollop of chili-less vegetable chili, topped with one Cathedral City portion (grated).
7.10pm: That was bloody nice (relatively speaking, of course).
7.30pm: Box up portion for tomorrow's dinner, and definitely have enough veg mix to have with a jacket potato or rice on the day after tomorrow.
7.32pm: Smug.
7.35pm: Realise I've still not eaten the 9p noodles. Decide to save for emergency - my 9p chicken flavour instant noodle security blanket.
8.50am: Tastes fine to me. Feel quite spoiled with unexpected upgrade from plain porridge oats.
1.10pm: Trip to Sainsburys. Determined to make sensible and healthy purchases.
1.45pm: Leave Sainsburys with:
three carrots 30p
bag of value rice 73p
chopped value tomatoes 32p
tin of value kidney beans 19p
one onion 11p
small poppy seed baguette 35p
bag of six mini Cathedral City cheddar cheese £1
Total = £3
Money left = £17.30
Plan = make vegetable chili type thing (without any actual chili powder) to have in different ways over next two or three days.
1.55pm: Halve baguette. Slice up one little cheese and make cheese roll. Leave the other half of baguette for tomorrow's lunch.
6.30pm: Turn Guns n Roses 'Sweet Child of Mine' on full blast, chop up one onion, two carrots (recklessly eat the third whilst cooking/dancing) and saute before adding chopped toms and kidney beans.
6.40pm: Add generous amount of value salt and pepper I procured the other day. Finely chop sprigs of thyme that my Mum cut from her own garden, sealed in a sandwich bag, and posted to my work after hearing her daughter's numerous complaints about bland food. (Thanks Mum!)
6.45pm: Boil enough rice for two meals.
7pm: Dollop of rice, topped with large dollop of chili-less vegetable chili, topped with one Cathedral City portion (grated).
7.10pm: That was bloody nice (relatively speaking, of course).
7.30pm: Box up portion for tomorrow's dinner, and definitely have enough veg mix to have with a jacket potato or rice on the day after tomorrow.
7.32pm: Smug.
7.35pm: Realise I've still not eaten the 9p noodles. Decide to save for emergency - my 9p chicken flavour instant noodle security blanket.
Monday 19 April 2010
day 13
8.20am: Am actually craving porridge. Weird how your taste buds grow to love something through perseverance and sheer necesity.
10am: Crave quiche. Not eaten quiche in months. Very strange.
1pm: Persuade a fruit market man to sell me one and a half punnets of strawberries and two oranges for £1. (Is this a good deal?!)
Money left: £19.30.
1.15pm: Trade handful of strawberries for a few rivita and cream cheese in work kitchen.
3pm: Colleague offers round a large Toblerone. I love him.
6.30pm: Defrost last portion of lentil and cabbage soup.
6.35pm: Toast slightly stale slices of very yeasty homemade bread to accompany bowl of brown soup.
6.40pm: Eat. It would seem taste buds cannot grow to like everything.
6.42pm: Vow this really REALLY is the very VERY last day before I get myself properly sorted.
10am: Crave quiche. Not eaten quiche in months. Very strange.
1pm: Persuade a fruit market man to sell me one and a half punnets of strawberries and two oranges for £1. (Is this a good deal?!)
Money left: £19.30.
1.15pm: Trade handful of strawberries for a few rivita and cream cheese in work kitchen.
3pm: Colleague offers round a large Toblerone. I love him.
6.30pm: Defrost last portion of lentil and cabbage soup.
6.35pm: Toast slightly stale slices of very yeasty homemade bread to accompany bowl of brown soup.
6.40pm: Eat. It would seem taste buds cannot grow to like everything.
6.42pm: Vow this really REALLY is the very VERY last day before I get myself properly sorted.
day 12
10am: Still very VERY full. Decide breakfast not required.
10.30am: Head to Hyde Park to watch boyfriend's sister compete in a triathlon.
11am: Surrounded by lots of very energetic people in tight fitting clothes.
11.30am: Eat half bag of jelly babies that boyfriend bought to help energise his sister.
12pm: Settle in a sunny spot near finish line. Can smell some kind of BBQ-ing meat.
12.30pm: Cheer Josie past finish line.
1.30pm: Share sandwiches in pub with boyfriend's family. Initially refuse, but crumble after being told off by boyfriend for not eating properly. Must get better prepared.
3pm: Bit sunburnt. Head home for a nap.
6pm: Wake up. Am rather pink.
7pm: Walk to Tesco to see what end of weekend bargains can be had.
8pm: Leave Tescos with:
a bag of potatoes 32p (reduced)
one small steak and kidney pie 15p (reduced)
one large courgette 8p (reduced)
Total spent: 55p
Money left: £20.30
8.30pm: Relatively balanced dinner of pie, mashed potato and steamed courgettes.
10.30am: Head to Hyde Park to watch boyfriend's sister compete in a triathlon.
11am: Surrounded by lots of very energetic people in tight fitting clothes.
11.30am: Eat half bag of jelly babies that boyfriend bought to help energise his sister.
12pm: Settle in a sunny spot near finish line. Can smell some kind of BBQ-ing meat.
12.30pm: Cheer Josie past finish line.
1.30pm: Share sandwiches in pub with boyfriend's family. Initially refuse, but crumble after being told off by boyfriend for not eating properly. Must get better prepared.
3pm: Bit sunburnt. Head home for a nap.
6pm: Wake up. Am rather pink.
7pm: Walk to Tesco to see what end of weekend bargains can be had.
8pm: Leave Tescos with:
a bag of potatoes 32p (reduced)
one small steak and kidney pie 15p (reduced)
one large courgette 8p (reduced)
Total spent: 55p
Money left: £20.30
8.30pm: Relatively balanced dinner of pie, mashed potato and steamed courgettes.
day 11
9am: Yeasty toast with homemade marmalade from boyfriend's mum. (Have finished my mum's marmalade. Am very grateful mums like making marmalade.)
10am: Sunshine.
12pm: Picnic in the park is the only sensible action.
12.30pm: Whoop loudly in Tesco when find a Tesco Finest roasted vegetable cous cous salad reduced to 30p.
12.45pm: Head to join cousin in Weavers Fields (big green park sandwiched between the shiny bank buildings of The City and the market stalls of Bethnal Green Road) with:
one cous cous salad 30p
one banana 19p
Total spent: 49p
Money left: £20.85
1.30pm: Full with nice bargain food, sleep in sunshine in park.
3.30pm: Stroll the 40 minute stroll to Angel to meet boyfriend.
4pm: Find grassy spot near the canal and lounge.
5pm: Meet boyfriend's friends in beer garden of The Crown.
5.15pm: Glorious evening. Not a cloud, or plane, in the sky.
5.45pm: Slightly odd discussion with a strawberry blond chap called Alan about dog poo.
7pm: Perplexed and disturbed by my diet of yeasty bread and raw porridge oats, my boyfriend very kindly offers to shout me dinner.
8pm: Table for two at latin restaurant Sabor.
9pm: Stomach has massively shrunk. Chorizo and chimichangas later, and am the fullest I have ever been in life.
10pm: Still very VERY full.
10am: Sunshine.
12pm: Picnic in the park is the only sensible action.
12.30pm: Whoop loudly in Tesco when find a Tesco Finest roasted vegetable cous cous salad reduced to 30p.
12.45pm: Head to join cousin in Weavers Fields (big green park sandwiched between the shiny bank buildings of The City and the market stalls of Bethnal Green Road) with:
one cous cous salad 30p
one banana 19p
Total spent: 49p
Money left: £20.85
1.30pm: Full with nice bargain food, sleep in sunshine in park.
3.30pm: Stroll the 40 minute stroll to Angel to meet boyfriend.
4pm: Find grassy spot near the canal and lounge.
5pm: Meet boyfriend's friends in beer garden of The Crown.
5.15pm: Glorious evening. Not a cloud, or plane, in the sky.
5.45pm: Slightly odd discussion with a strawberry blond chap called Alan about dog poo.
7pm: Perplexed and disturbed by my diet of yeasty bread and raw porridge oats, my boyfriend very kindly offers to shout me dinner.
8pm: Table for two at latin restaurant Sabor.
9pm: Stomach has massively shrunk. Chorizo and chimichangas later, and am the fullest I have ever been in life.
10pm: Still very VERY full.
Friday 16 April 2010
day 10
8.45pm: Oats + milk + mug (still not brought in bowl) in work kitchen. Fantasize about toast. Vow to have another crack at breadmaking though, rather than buy rubbish bread.
1pm: Sainsburys is a very busy place.
1.05pm: Evil colleague makes me walk down cake isle.
1.10pm: Have to leave before I start shoplifting slabs of cheese and large sausage rolls.
Quickly buy:
one granery roll with sundried tomato 30p (very reasonable)
one small tomato 16p (not very reasonable AT ALL)
one large banana 14p (highlighting overpricedness of small tomato)
Sainsburys basics chicken flavour instant noodles 9p (what ON EARTH do 9p noodles taste like?!)
1.15pm: Evil colleague drags me into Greggs on way back to office to check out their Belgian buns.
1.16pm: Cakey sweetness smells amazing. Hurriedly eat banana.
1.30pm: Slice roll in half; slice tomato in half. Rub tomato over roll, Spanish style. Makes a bit of a mess, and should really feature garlic and olive oil, but certainly nice enough (and makes me feel I am eating something a bit more inspired than a tomato sandwich).
7pm: After much flour spilling and mild swearing, squish ball of risen dough into bread tin, and place in oven.
7.30pm: Remove from the oven what very much resembles a loaf of bread.
7.40pm: Bread does smell rather yeasty.
7.50pm: Cousin gives bread thumbs up.
7.55pm: We eat half. Tastes a bit yeasty.
8.10pm: Cousin and I have stomach ache. Am pretty sure I put in too much yeast.
8.30pm: Cousin tells me to stop talking about yeast, and that "yeasty" isn't a word.
8.45pm: Eat porridge.
1pm: Sainsburys is a very busy place.
1.05pm: Evil colleague makes me walk down cake isle.
1.10pm: Have to leave before I start shoplifting slabs of cheese and large sausage rolls.
Quickly buy:
one granery roll with sundried tomato 30p (very reasonable)
one small tomato 16p (not very reasonable AT ALL)
one large banana 14p (highlighting overpricedness of small tomato)
Sainsburys basics chicken flavour instant noodles 9p (what ON EARTH do 9p noodles taste like?!)
1.15pm: Evil colleague drags me into Greggs on way back to office to check out their Belgian buns.
1.16pm: Cakey sweetness smells amazing. Hurriedly eat banana.
1.30pm: Slice roll in half; slice tomato in half. Rub tomato over roll, Spanish style. Makes a bit of a mess, and should really feature garlic and olive oil, but certainly nice enough (and makes me feel I am eating something a bit more inspired than a tomato sandwich).
7pm: After much flour spilling and mild swearing, squish ball of risen dough into bread tin, and place in oven.
7.30pm: Remove from the oven what very much resembles a loaf of bread.
7.40pm: Bread does smell rather yeasty.
7.50pm: Cousin gives bread thumbs up.
7.55pm: We eat half. Tastes a bit yeasty.
8.10pm: Cousin and I have stomach ache. Am pretty sure I put in too much yeast.
8.30pm: Cousin tells me to stop talking about yeast, and that "yeasty" isn't a word.
8.45pm: Eat porridge.
Thursday 15 April 2010
day 9
8.55am: Have concluded that raw oats with cold milk are preferable to microwaved porridge oats. Like a very basic muesli.
1pm: Feeling decidedly undernourished.
1.10pm: Tell (very kind) man on fruit stall outside my work that am living off £1 a day.
He charges me 50p for:
one banana
one orange
one grapefruit
two apples
four clementines
Money left: £22.03
1.15pm: Eat banana. Body rejoices at reunion with vitamins.
1.20pm: After also demolishing the orange, three clementines and an apple, break out into inane giggling. Natural sugar high?
1.30pm: All fruit gone.
2pm: Feeling decidedly buoyant from fruity lunch.
6.30pm: Defrost batch of homemade lentil and cabbage soup from freezer and have with homemade bread. Feel like accomplished 1940s housewife.
7pm: Collapse on sofa. Crave a nice cold beer so much I can actually smell it.
7.05pm: Realise our sofa smells of beer.
1pm: Feeling decidedly undernourished.
1.10pm: Tell (very kind) man on fruit stall outside my work that am living off £1 a day.
He charges me 50p for:
one banana
one orange
one grapefruit
two apples
four clementines
Money left: £22.03
1.15pm: Eat banana. Body rejoices at reunion with vitamins.
1.20pm: After also demolishing the orange, three clementines and an apple, break out into inane giggling. Natural sugar high?
1.30pm: All fruit gone.
2pm: Feeling decidedly buoyant from fruity lunch.
6.30pm: Defrost batch of homemade lentil and cabbage soup from freezer and have with homemade bread. Feel like accomplished 1940s housewife.
7pm: Collapse on sofa. Crave a nice cold beer so much I can actually smell it.
7.05pm: Realise our sofa smells of beer.
Wednesday 14 April 2010
day 8
8am: Bread has definitely got denser overnight. Start eating a small slice.
8.10am: Finish eating slice. Jaw ache and very thirsty. Drink pint of water.
11am: Colleague flaunts her humous, tauntingly.
1pm: Still feel ill. Batch of lentil and cabbage soup I've brought in doesn't seem all that appealing.
1.10pm: Purchase toast and peanut butter from grumpy girls in cafe.
Money spent: 80p
Total left: £22.53
6pm: Head to Cafe de Paris in the West End for media event run by Bermudan tourist board - am very tired, and want bed, but have heard rumours of there being free food.
6.30pm: Delight at sight of man brandishing tray of mini goats' cheese tarts. Take two.
6.31pm: Quick debate with colleague on canapé etiquette. Decide is almost certainly wrong to take more than one at a time.
6.32pm: Canapé spoons loaded with lobster.
6.34pm: Sea bass belinis. Take one, chew fast, take another when think waitress isn't looking.
6.35pm: More goats' cheese.
6.38pm: Cubes of steak on potato topped with Dijon mustard.
6.39pm: Lobster.
6.40pm: Crab cake with salsa.
6.41pm: Goats' cheese.
6.42pm: Steak cubes x 2.
6.45pm: Sea bass.
6.48pm: Lobster.
6.51pm: Goats' cheese.
6.55pm: Crab cake x 2.
6.57pm: Goats' cheese.
7pm: Suddenly feel very full, and a little bit nauseous.
7.15pm: Think may faint and/or vomit.
7.20pm: Decide may need looking after.
8pm: Arrive on boyfriend's doorstep looking extremely sorry for self.
8.15pm: Agree, with pathetic childlike pouting, that lobster, goats' cheese and steak cocktail was probably not wisest choice when recovering from stomach bug, even if was free.
8.10am: Finish eating slice. Jaw ache and very thirsty. Drink pint of water.
11am: Colleague flaunts her humous, tauntingly.
1pm: Still feel ill. Batch of lentil and cabbage soup I've brought in doesn't seem all that appealing.
1.10pm: Purchase toast and peanut butter from grumpy girls in cafe.
Money spent: 80p
Total left: £22.53
6pm: Head to Cafe de Paris in the West End for media event run by Bermudan tourist board - am very tired, and want bed, but have heard rumours of there being free food.
6.30pm: Delight at sight of man brandishing tray of mini goats' cheese tarts. Take two.
6.31pm: Quick debate with colleague on canapé etiquette. Decide is almost certainly wrong to take more than one at a time.
6.32pm: Canapé spoons loaded with lobster.
6.34pm: Sea bass belinis. Take one, chew fast, take another when think waitress isn't looking.
6.35pm: More goats' cheese.
6.38pm: Cubes of steak on potato topped with Dijon mustard.
6.39pm: Lobster.
6.40pm: Crab cake with salsa.
6.41pm: Goats' cheese.
6.42pm: Steak cubes x 2.
6.45pm: Sea bass.
6.48pm: Lobster.
6.51pm: Goats' cheese.
6.55pm: Crab cake x 2.
6.57pm: Goats' cheese.
7pm: Suddenly feel very full, and a little bit nauseous.
7.15pm: Think may faint and/or vomit.
7.20pm: Decide may need looking after.
8pm: Arrive on boyfriend's doorstep looking extremely sorry for self.
8.15pm: Agree, with pathetic childlike pouting, that lobster, goats' cheese and steak cocktail was probably not wisest choice when recovering from stomach bug, even if was free.
Tuesday 13 April 2010
day 7
7am: Decide to go to work, even though severely lacking sleep, and feel like may vomit.
9am: Two spoonfuls of porridge in the kitchen.
11am: Get sent home from work as look hideous.
11.30am: Try best not to be sick on train.
11.45am: Try best not to be sick on tube.
11.55am: Home.
12.05pm: Sick.
1pm: Although feeling generally awful, plus side is it looks like I won't want to eat today, so definitely slightly over budget.
4.30pm: Very bored, and rather malnourished.
4.35pm: Crawl to Tesco and allow myself to spend £1 on anything my heart desires.
4.45pm: Leave Tesco with one pack of six pancakes (reduced to 50p) and, to balance out the (I'm guessing) non-nutritional value of pancakes, one pack of winter veg (reduced to 45p).
Money left: £23.33
6pm: Eat 5.5 pancakes (give 0.5 to cousin). Feel sick.
6.15pm: Steam and eat veg. Feel better.
6.25pm: Find Saturday's free lamb in fridge drawer. Has gone very dark and a bit green. Balls. Throw in bin.
6.30pm: Decide to put new breadmaking skills to the test.
6.45pm: Cannot find suitabley warm place in flat to leave dough to rise. Decide that stage is probably not vital.
7.15pm: Remove from oven one rather small, hard and dense, but not entirely inedible, loaf of brown bread.
7.20pm: Cousin pronounces my first loaf a success, if a little "carby".
9am: Two spoonfuls of porridge in the kitchen.
11am: Get sent home from work as look hideous.
11.30am: Try best not to be sick on train.
11.45am: Try best not to be sick on tube.
11.55am: Home.
12.05pm: Sick.
1pm: Although feeling generally awful, plus side is it looks like I won't want to eat today, so definitely slightly over budget.
4.30pm: Very bored, and rather malnourished.
4.35pm: Crawl to Tesco and allow myself to spend £1 on anything my heart desires.
4.45pm: Leave Tesco with one pack of six pancakes (reduced to 50p) and, to balance out the (I'm guessing) non-nutritional value of pancakes, one pack of winter veg (reduced to 45p).
Money left: £23.33
6pm: Eat 5.5 pancakes (give 0.5 to cousin). Feel sick.
6.15pm: Steam and eat veg. Feel better.
6.25pm: Find Saturday's free lamb in fridge drawer. Has gone very dark and a bit green. Balls. Throw in bin.
6.30pm: Decide to put new breadmaking skills to the test.
6.45pm: Cannot find suitabley warm place in flat to leave dough to rise. Decide that stage is probably not vital.
7.15pm: Remove from oven one rather small, hard and dense, but not entirely inedible, loaf of brown bread.
7.20pm: Cousin pronounces my first loaf a success, if a little "carby".
day 5
11am: Eat toast with marmalade my Mum made me. (Again, allowed as is her job to provide for offspring.)
12pm: Walk in sunshine around Brick Lane.
14pm: Soup. Still tastes nice.
16pm: Start to feel a bit weird.
18pm: Glands up, throat sore, head hurts.
12pm: Walk in sunshine around Brick Lane.
14pm: Soup. Still tastes nice.
16pm: Start to feel a bit weird.
18pm: Glands up, throat sore, head hurts.
Monday 12 April 2010
day 4
9.30am: Pass (fourth attempt at) driving theory test. (First one slept through, age 17; second one failed as didn't read the Highway Code, age 26; third one lost provisional driving license the day before, age 27.)
9.45am: Head to big brother and little nephew's house for a celebratory breakfast. Have decided that eating food belonging to older family members is allowed in moderation, as surely is their duty to provide for younger ones.
10.15pm: Get tuition in making bread by very domesticated big brother.
10.30am: Not eaten since potato and beans last night. Devour plate of sausages, hash browns, beans and toast.
11.00am: Read one-and-a-half-year-old nephew a story about an unfortuneate gorilla whose chest hair falls off, but whose kind friends make him a hairy bottom to wear instead.
11.05am-11.20am: Read story five more times prompted by intermittent yells of "gen! gen! gen!"
11.30am: Head off to scour some markets, with a full stomach, and armed with a freshly baked loaf of bread, and two sachets of yeast - so can give new bread making skills a go at home. Cheers bro!
12.15pm: Explain to a butchers on Bethnal Green Road that I'm living off £1-a-day, and does he have any bones he was going to chuck out, that I could use to make a stock with?
12.20pm: Walk out of butchers with one chicken carcass still boasting quite a bit of meat, and two large chunks of lamb - for free.
12.30pm: Walk to Roman Road market. Not at all tempted by shriveled, dusty veg.
12.35pm: Pop in Tescos on way home.
Buy:
three onions 32p
packet of lentils 45p
value table salt 23p (who knew salt was so cheap!)
value pepper 19p
savoy cabbage (reduced) 20p
Money spent: £1.39
Total left: £24.28 (need to stop spending money)
1pm: Simmer chicken carcass in saucepan of water, with two onions, and one very old looking carrot I find in bottom of fridge.
3pm: Sieve out all bits, skim off floating layer of fat, et voila, enough stock for a good few bowls of soup.
4pm: Boil up lentils in a separate pan, while adding half the cabbage and last onion to stock.
4.45pm: Whiz everything up together with hand-held blender thingy.
4.50pm: Admire large steaming pan of lentil and cabbage soup.
5pm: Eat one portion of soup with two slices of home made bread.
6pm: Cousin (who i live with) forces white wine upon me (kindly but firmly).
7.30pm: Head to Favela Chic - eclectic bar/club just off Old Street which is free entry before 9pm.
1.30am: Feet hurt from all-out dance fest. Home time.
2am: Eat two more slices of bread.
9.45am: Head to big brother and little nephew's house for a celebratory breakfast. Have decided that eating food belonging to older family members is allowed in moderation, as surely is their duty to provide for younger ones.
10.15pm: Get tuition in making bread by very domesticated big brother.
10.30am: Not eaten since potato and beans last night. Devour plate of sausages, hash browns, beans and toast.
11.00am: Read one-and-a-half-year-old nephew a story about an unfortuneate gorilla whose chest hair falls off, but whose kind friends make him a hairy bottom to wear instead.
11.05am-11.20am: Read story five more times prompted by intermittent yells of "gen! gen! gen!"
11.30am: Head off to scour some markets, with a full stomach, and armed with a freshly baked loaf of bread, and two sachets of yeast - so can give new bread making skills a go at home. Cheers bro!
12.15pm: Explain to a butchers on Bethnal Green Road that I'm living off £1-a-day, and does he have any bones he was going to chuck out, that I could use to make a stock with?
12.20pm: Walk out of butchers with one chicken carcass still boasting quite a bit of meat, and two large chunks of lamb - for free.
12.30pm: Walk to Roman Road market. Not at all tempted by shriveled, dusty veg.
12.35pm: Pop in Tescos on way home.
Buy:
three onions 32p
packet of lentils 45p
value table salt 23p (who knew salt was so cheap!)
value pepper 19p
savoy cabbage (reduced) 20p
Money spent: £1.39
Total left: £24.28 (need to stop spending money)
1pm: Simmer chicken carcass in saucepan of water, with two onions, and one very old looking carrot I find in bottom of fridge.
3pm: Sieve out all bits, skim off floating layer of fat, et voila, enough stock for a good few bowls of soup.
4pm: Boil up lentils in a separate pan, while adding half the cabbage and last onion to stock.
4.45pm: Whiz everything up together with hand-held blender thingy.
4.50pm: Admire large steaming pan of lentil and cabbage soup.
5pm: Eat one portion of soup with two slices of home made bread.
6pm: Cousin (who i live with) forces white wine upon me (kindly but firmly).
7.30pm: Head to Favela Chic - eclectic bar/club just off Old Street which is free entry before 9pm.
1.30am: Feet hurt from all-out dance fest. Home time.
2am: Eat two more slices of bread.
Friday 9 April 2010
day 3
7.55am: Get on tube going in wrong direction.
8.23am: Miss 8.22am train.
9.00am: Get to work too late to make porridge.
9.10am: Volunteer to go make a round of tea, and speedily scoff down a mug full of raw oats and cold milk.
1.01pm: Run to kitchen clutching tub of three-day-old room-temperature (forgot to put it in fridge) value pasta concoction.
1.03pm: Methodically chomp way through bland lunch while Barclay (colleague, not bank) heats up large slices of pizza.
1.10pm Hate Barclay.
6.45pm: Vow that this is absolutely and completely the last rushed trip to Tesco before properly planning healthy, filling, exciting budget meals.
Buy:
value beans: 29p
large potato: 44p (wish had known that a single potato would take up nearly half day's budget before heading to checkout.)
Total = 73p
Money left = 25.67
7.30pm: Feel rather smug about wholesome Friday night of baked potato, beans and TV.
8.15pm: Take tentative swig from the remnants of a bottle of wine I left beside the kitchen recycling bin over a week ago.
8.19pm: Go back to watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire thoroughly disgusted with self.
8.25pm: Brush teeth.
8.23am: Miss 8.22am train.
9.00am: Get to work too late to make porridge.
9.10am: Volunteer to go make a round of tea, and speedily scoff down a mug full of raw oats and cold milk.
1.01pm: Run to kitchen clutching tub of three-day-old room-temperature (forgot to put it in fridge) value pasta concoction.
1.03pm: Methodically chomp way through bland lunch while Barclay (colleague, not bank) heats up large slices of pizza.
1.10pm Hate Barclay.
6.45pm: Vow that this is absolutely and completely the last rushed trip to Tesco before properly planning healthy, filling, exciting budget meals.
Buy:
value beans: 29p
large potato: 44p (wish had known that a single potato would take up nearly half day's budget before heading to checkout.)
Total = 73p
Money left = 25.67
7.30pm: Feel rather smug about wholesome Friday night of baked potato, beans and TV.
8.15pm: Take tentative swig from the remnants of a bottle of wine I left beside the kitchen recycling bin over a week ago.
8.19pm: Go back to watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire thoroughly disgusted with self.
8.25pm: Brush teeth.
Thursday 8 April 2010
day 2
8.45am: Appologise to grumpy man from neighbouring office for my porridge exploding all over the microwave.
8.48am: Burn hand on scalding porridge explosion.
9.00am: Stop running hand under cold tap and head to my desk.
11.am: Bit spacey after no breakfast.
11.30am: Get force-fed an oat cake by a colleague.
1pm: Wolf down tub number three of value pasta in four minutes and spend rest of lunch break daydreaming of cheese burger and chips.
2pm: Enthusiastically make a list of all the bargainous food items I am sure to pick up this weekend at East London food markets.
2.06pm: Decide have been a tad optimistic. Cross off 'mangoes' and 'smoked Danish bacon'.
6pm: Pop in Bethnal Green Tesco and buy:
two small tomatoes: 41p (how much?!)
one onion: 10p (must be smaller than previous onion)
one apple 24p (little treat)
Total = 75p
Money left = £26.40
6.15pm: Head home across Weavers Fields (very big park), sauntering in the sunshine, eating my apple. Green grass, bright yellow daffodils, children flying kites and the silhouette of the gherkin poking up behind our block of flats. Momentarily forget hunger.
6.16pm: Remember hunger. Speed up.
7pm: Dinner = flour tortilla-type things, made from flour purchased during first Tescos shop, and council-supplied water from the tap. Make a rather onion-heavy salsa from over-priced tomatoes, onion and remaining garlic cloves. While nose-stingingly strong, tastebuds rejoice at break from value pasta (one tub left in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch).
10pm: Boyfriend informs me I still smell of onion.
8.48am: Burn hand on scalding porridge explosion.
9.00am: Stop running hand under cold tap and head to my desk.
11.am: Bit spacey after no breakfast.
11.30am: Get force-fed an oat cake by a colleague.
1pm: Wolf down tub number three of value pasta in four minutes and spend rest of lunch break daydreaming of cheese burger and chips.
2pm: Enthusiastically make a list of all the bargainous food items I am sure to pick up this weekend at East London food markets.
2.06pm: Decide have been a tad optimistic. Cross off 'mangoes' and 'smoked Danish bacon'.
6pm: Pop in Bethnal Green Tesco and buy:
two small tomatoes: 41p (how much?!)
one onion: 10p (must be smaller than previous onion)
one apple 24p (little treat)
Total = 75p
Money left = £26.40
6.15pm: Head home across Weavers Fields (very big park), sauntering in the sunshine, eating my apple. Green grass, bright yellow daffodils, children flying kites and the silhouette of the gherkin poking up behind our block of flats. Momentarily forget hunger.
6.16pm: Remember hunger. Speed up.
7pm: Dinner = flour tortilla-type things, made from flour purchased during first Tescos shop, and council-supplied water from the tap. Make a rather onion-heavy salsa from over-priced tomatoes, onion and remaining garlic cloves. While nose-stingingly strong, tastebuds rejoice at break from value pasta (one tub left in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch).
10pm: Boyfriend informs me I still smell of onion.
Wednesday 7 April 2010
day 1
8.40am: Arrive at work with plenty of porridge-making time to spare. Not until have opened bag of oats and got milk from fridge do I consider the need for a bowl.
8.50am: Eat a few spoonfuls of very thick, very hot microwaved porridge from a mug.
10am: Hungry. Munch carrots sticks at desk. Carrots are loud.
1pm: Pasta time. Eat it cold - salad style. The inclusion of garlic proves a tremndous move as one tin of value tomatoes does spread rather thin across a whole bag of pasta. However, am pleased to discover that value pasta is really not that dissimilar in texture to un-value pasta.
1.30pm: Watch colleague eat Waitrose mousaka.
2pm: Watch another colleague eat a large Toblerone.
3pm: Make tea.
3.30pm: Make tea.
4pm: Make tea.
4.30pm: Make tea.
6.30pm: Home. Immediately heat up another bowl of pasta concoction. All taste molecules seem to have evaporated in microwave. Must figure out cheapest way to procure salt.
6.35pm: Sea water?
6.38pm: Dismiss sea water idea as live in East London.
8.50am: Eat a few spoonfuls of very thick, very hot microwaved porridge from a mug.
10am: Hungry. Munch carrots sticks at desk. Carrots are loud.
1pm: Pasta time. Eat it cold - salad style. The inclusion of garlic proves a tremndous move as one tin of value tomatoes does spread rather thin across a whole bag of pasta. However, am pleased to discover that value pasta is really not that dissimilar in texture to un-value pasta.
1.30pm: Watch colleague eat Waitrose mousaka.
2pm: Watch another colleague eat a large Toblerone.
3pm: Make tea.
3.30pm: Make tea.
4pm: Make tea.
4.30pm: Make tea.
6.30pm: Home. Immediately heat up another bowl of pasta concoction. All taste molecules seem to have evaporated in microwave. Must figure out cheapest way to procure salt.
6.35pm: Sea water?
6.38pm: Dismiss sea water idea as live in East London.
Tuesday 6 April 2010
night before...
8pm: Just treated myself to a quietly indulgent last supper of nachos. Essentially, a dinner of cheese and crisps.
Must admit, I did anticipate being a little better prepared. Tonight was meant to be spent putting the final touches to a perfectly tuned 30-day budget, while the scent of my first homemade loaf steadily filled the kitchen.
Instead, I got stuck on a tube, spent a frantic half hour scouring the shelves of Tesco on Bethnal Green Road, and grabbed a few basic items to see me through a couple of days.
Sitting beside me now are:
a large bag of porridge oats: 58p
a large bag of wholemeal flour: 95p
three carrots: 30p
garlic: 25p
one tin of value chopped tomatoes: 33p
one onion: 12p
a moderately sized bag of value penne pasta: 32p
Total spent = £2.85
Money left = £27.15
Plan = make basic sauce from onion, tomatoes and carrots, mix with value pasta, split into three tubs. Take one tub to work for lunch, leave one in fridge for dinner, and have one for lunch the day after. Get to work early tomorrow so can make porridge with milk from work fridge. (Surely allowed as work milk is free?)
9.30pm: Pasta concoction stretches to four portions. Result.
10pm: Realise I fogot to put in carrots. Chop up two and put in sandwich bag for 'work snack'.
11.45pm: Hungry already. Regretting crisp dinner.
Must admit, I did anticipate being a little better prepared. Tonight was meant to be spent putting the final touches to a perfectly tuned 30-day budget, while the scent of my first homemade loaf steadily filled the kitchen.
Instead, I got stuck on a tube, spent a frantic half hour scouring the shelves of Tesco on Bethnal Green Road, and grabbed a few basic items to see me through a couple of days.
Sitting beside me now are:
a large bag of porridge oats: 58p
a large bag of wholemeal flour: 95p
three carrots: 30p
garlic: 25p
one tin of value chopped tomatoes: 33p
one onion: 12p
a moderately sized bag of value penne pasta: 32p
Total spent = £2.85
Money left = £27.15
Plan = make basic sauce from onion, tomatoes and carrots, mix with value pasta, split into three tubs. Take one tub to work for lunch, leave one in fridge for dinner, and have one for lunch the day after. Get to work early tomorrow so can make porridge with milk from work fridge. (Surely allowed as work milk is free?)
9.30pm: Pasta concoction stretches to four portions. Result.
10pm: Realise I fogot to put in carrots. Chop up two and put in sandwich bag for 'work snack'.
11.45pm: Hungry already. Regretting crisp dinner.
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