Thought for the Day

On day three of my Live Below the Line week I delivered this thought at BBC Radio Bristol today:

The prophetess Joni Mitchell said 'You don't know what you got 'til it's gone.' She was right.

They may not have paved paradise and put up a parking lot - who knows how much they would charge for parking there - but we do take lots of things for granted. Then if we lose them life is difficult. Power cuts. Computer crashes. Washing machine break downs. How we miss those things.

So I, along with many others this week, am trying to live below the line. Can I live on £1 a day for food for five days?

I'm on day three. I'm carb rich and protein poor.

My wife is in on it too. That makes it easier. Larger quantities are cheaper than small ones.

Eye-opening for me has not been the actual doing of the task but the research. Pasta, rice, pulses and oats all give meals bulk. I won't starve. But getting a bit of taste into it with meat or cheese - gosh that's hard.

We have six apples for the week and a little cheddar. We foraged some wild garlic and a few leaves for a salad to go with my frozen peas. Green food just looks healthier. I have some herbs in the garden. I bought two carrots.

40 fish fingers for £2 would be nice but how good for you are fish fingers that cheap? Are they really fingers or some less noble part?

On Saturday I have booked a cooked breakfast, a lunchtime pint and a cake. And I spare a thought for those who don't have the luxury of that choice. Give us each day our daily bread. From now on I'll mean it just a little bit more.