Live Below the Line, Part 1

Part 1: Prep Work

This year I am participating in the Live Below the Line Challenge. It’s a global 5-day challenge to live—or rather eat—on less than $1.50 per day. This $1.50 represents extreme poverty and unfortunately 1.2 billion people around the world. This year the challenge is taking place next week from April 28^th-May 2^nd.

Due to a plane flight on Friday, I will be moving the challenge start up to this Sunday. You see, the last time I flew into Boston (indeed, the last time I flew anywhere), I had a problem and was greeted by a team of medics. The solution was food, water and sleep. I don’t want to meet anymore medics, so I will be a pansy and eat like a regular Western girl on Friday to avoid a repeat of this fate. But to complete the 5 day challenge, I'll start early.

Clearly I will not be living below the line in every aspect. My fancy apartment, access to health care, wardrobe and a host of other items pretty much guarantee that. I’m focusing on understanding one aspect of poverty: food. And so far, even before this challenge has begun, the task has been illuminating.

Figuring out a $1.50/day menu took hours. I essentially made a cheaper version of my normal 3 meals. Basically, I budgeted smaller portions and eliminated snacks. Once I had done this, I realized that it would not provide enough energy. A lot of the foods I normally value do not provide nearly enough energy. I’m looking at you, vegetables!

Making the menu fit the budget required quite a bit of shopping around. I also felt like schmuck pulling into the Walmart parking lot in a brand new car in order to buy the cheapest food I could find. Although those who face these constraints every day probably do not use the internet to find coupons and the best deals or have a car to drive miles to benefit from said deals, approaching this challenge with my current means only further serves to highlight how lucky I am.