Amazing Generosity

Just wanted to thank everybody who has dontated. I know I have tried to personally thank everyone, however as a total, hannah and I rasied A MASSIVE $927.75.

I think that it is amazing, and never expected to raise this much at all. Since doing it has made me realise jsut how much money we have. At uni, its extremely hard to find a feed for under $7, and as soon as we go out to a restraunt, we are paying nearly $20 for a feed. When all you have if $2, it makes you appriciated the small things in life. Im glad I took on the challenge, and thanks again to everyone. Your all amazing

We made the paper!

http://southern-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/living-below-the-line/

6 hours to go

And I'm currently sitting back at home counting down until the week of living below the line is over. Its been hard yet easy in some ways...and i'm overwhelmingly greatful for the experience its given me.
As i've said, i've become so much more aware of just how much money i spend and, in some sense, waste each week just on little 'extras' to get me by. I've become more aware that i *could* survive on so much less - its just a comfort thing that stops me from doing so.
I'm incredibly incredibly lucky to be in the position I am in. I take for granted so often what I have, the food i eat, the shelter i have, the clothes i wear - weekly i'd spend so much more than $14 just on living without a second thought.

As a sidenote, these last 6 hours aren't going to be any easier. Dad's just told us they're having pizza and chips for dinner...a fitting challenge for the end of the week.

Last Day!!!

Finally the last day is here. It is so repeative when you are having the same food every day. Like hannah said below, it really does make you appriciate the small things in life, like just being able to grab any food, or even the smaller things like the choice of things.

I was thinking about what I am going to eat on saturday, and we spoke about having indian, but then i realised every time we go there, we spend $22. So for the one meal, its the same as a weeks worth of food for both of us. Its really gave me a reality check to my life, that i shouldnt jsut spend because I can, as there are alot of people that cant do that.

Yesterday I worked an 11 hour day (9am till 8pm), hence was lucky that i brought enough food with me for the day. It meant I didnt get to have dinner till nearly 9pm.

Today its again porridge (suprise suprise), then we dont know. We have so much food left over. We were fairly conserviative at the start as we thought that towards the end we would need more as we would be more run down. Hannah was sick again yesterday, but she didnt have alot more food like we planned for.

As of today we have raised $782.75 which is astounding, considering at the start my goal was $200, and I thought that would be hard to get to. I have now raised 472.75, so have flogged the original target. I have included all cash donations + my donation under Scott Walsh.

Thanks everyone who has donated. Really means alot

Also the organisation yester broke the 1 million dollar mark. Thats 1,000,000.00!!! they are now at 1.064mill!!

The home stretch

So, today marks thursday - the fourth day into our living below the line.
Thus far, I've eaten porridge, two-minute noodles, veges and rice...and I am hanging for something different. I've become more and more aware just how blessed I am to be living in a country like Australia where we have seemingly limitless choices in what, when, and where we eat. More often than not we don't think twice about handing over $10 or even $20 for a meal out somewhere; not for a treat, just because we can. Living below the line has really shown me firstly how it actually is possible to live off so little, and secondly, how much I really have.

Even little things like being able to choose what spread i'd have on my toast at breakfast in college. Or the fact every meal for me is different. Or the fact I can 'treat' myself to some chocolate or some other snack whenever I please. Seeing people around me in uni pulling out lunch boxes full of food has been quite challenging this week. I've realised how things I would have thought were so mundane previously I relish the opportunity to eat: Today I had an orange with breakfast. It was absolutely amazing. A week of living off the bare minimum has made me appreciate so much more what I have.

Two days, and then this experience is over. So far we've raised over $750 for providing schools in remote papua new guinea thanks to our generous friends and family - its made every longing for other food oh so worth it. Thankyou all!

Day 3 already

In some ways its seem that it has gone quickly, in others feels like forever. Quite glad I’m on the run home now. We are both very over porridge, and can’t wait for some bacon and eggs or something else.

For me today i have had porridge, and at 2:30 a bruised apple. I couldn’t have lunch till 4:30 as I was at uni till 4, hence the apple had to get me through. Hannah ended up cooking last night as her tutoring got pushed to today. Hannah wanted to be creative tonight and is going to do something with the eggplants, but dinner won’t be till around 8:30 or so.

I’m struggling without my cans of soft drink. I usually have 2 a day (I know I’m crazy and its bad for me but they are nice!).
I’m also struggling with all these veggies. GIVE ME MEAT! haha


Both of us have been eating later, as we are eating when we are starving opposed to eating for the sake of it. We are also having alot more sleep then usual, as we cant muster the energy to stay up to the hours we usually do. Whilst its good to get sleep, I know I am starting to fall behind with uni work.

Day duex.

My tummy is not happy. It misses things. Like corn. And orange juice. and toast.
This was dinner. Eggplant-tomato-potato-onion-ness and rice. It is better than split peas.
I miss my fruit.
I think this is harder than I first thought.
Water is boring to drink at times, also.
And I think porridge is a basquillion times better with sugar.

End whinge: This is eye-opening. I think for that, I like it.