There are now over 2 million people in the UK using food parcels, including a colleague of mine (even though we're a Living Wage Employer) who recently used one for the first time. If you'd like to support these people, then please donate to my fundraiser at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fabian-ultra
To find out about my fundraiser, read below.
A while back, in response to the fiscal plans of the now-former PM and Chancellor, I was planning on running an ultra-marathon to raise money for the Trussel Trust. It was clear then that the mini budget was going to damage the economy and, looking at the current situation, that is true despite attempts to undo the actions.
Now, I ran a half marathon to see if 54.4km (when a marathon is 42.2km) would be possible. I completed it (see images below), despite a little niggle in my knee, and so began fundraising. That night, however, I woke up in pain from that previously "little niggle" and knew that it would be too dangerous to train, let alone run the full distance.
I decided to switch up the challenge and instead attempted to live off £25 of food over the course of a week, in a bid to give some justification to the donations I'd already received. The £25 figure comes from a Big Issue article saying that the average family of 4 spends £99/week on the weekly shop. For perspective, when I ran that practice half marathon, I was knackered and then spent £15 on food to recover from that one session.
Funnily enough, when I told my touch rugby team that I'd be doing this challenge (and not the ultra), I clearly didn't communicate properly because they almost did a whip round, thinking I was short on money. I felt like a numpty, but also very appreciative that they would do that. It also made me think that this was going to be a bit too difficult for me.
In the end - and I'll make some clarifications later - it wasn't too difficult once my stomach had adapted to not having a steady stream of snacks being poured into it. I spent £24.19 on food and some orange juice, plus an extra couple of quid on delivery. Yes, I know that technically takes me over £25, but I was coming back up North from visiting my parents and it was a Sunday, so I couldn't go to the shops in time.
The only way that sticking to this budget was possible, however, was through meal planning - an unwelcome addition if you're feeling too busy already. I also had to rely almost entirely on the Asda Essentials range which is so cheap and often tastes just as good as more expensive alternatives.
However, when the delivery arrived, there had been some substitutes, like having 3 tins of Asda beans for 75p replaced with a single 75p HP tin of beans. This left me two tins short, but fortunately for me, I had tins available from pre-challenge shops and so used those instead.
The thing is, if I were realistically in that situation, Asda would have just made me spend the same amount of money and left me not knowing where two lunches were going to come from. Those are the fine margins that normally wouldn't be anything more than a minor inconvenience to me that reminded me a temporary challenge is not the same as living these issues.
I also used spices that we already had in the house. Although spices last for ages, those are big purchases initially, but they're so important for enjoying your food and encouraging people to eat healthy, home-cooked meals. I also had my supplements that I need to stay healthy as a - yes, I'm going to say it - vegan. These are expensive and highlights how difficult it can be to be healthy on a budget.
If I'm honest, the most challenging part of this challenge wasn't the amount of food or the lack of variety - I tend to have the same breakfast and lunch on a daily basis anyway and then just switch up my dinner. The challenge for me was having food go from being a social lubricant to a social barrier. Want to get a takeaway with your mates to round of a fun night in? No chance. Want to go out for lunch for the first time in ages? Not happening.
It wasn't the toughest challenge I've ever put myself through, but it was more time-consuming, less healthy and didn't taste as good. On top of that, it probably wasn't that small of a budget, especially considering there are people - that have children relying on them - who right now are choosing between rent, heating and eating.
So, as a reminder, if you'd like to support those people, then please donate to the Trussell Trust at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fabian-ultra
See my order below:
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