Living below the line: $2.25 a day - day three

Petra Bagust says the challenge to live off $2.25 a day brings everyday convenience into focus. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The Herald will follow well known Kiwis for five days as they attempt to 'Live Below the Line' - by spending just $2.25 a day on food and drink. Beginning Monday (September 21), Petra Bagust, Geoff Scott, Ria Hall, Eve Gordon and Holly Arrowsmith will share their thoughts, struggles and hunger pangs with Herald readers as they attempt to live off little to raise funds for and awareness of TearFund's fight against human trafficking.

Day one
Day two
Day four

Day three

Petra Bagust

Breakfast - Bircher muesli, soaked in water today so I can have some yogurt. (Had an apple cider and hot water, forgot to have a cup of tea - I'm nearly in tears by midday. Lots to do, not much to eat and feeling slightly overwhelmed.)
Morning Tea - None, as I'm out and about. Walked past a café - hit by the smell of coffee - full in the face, told myself not to go in. Ha ha!
Lunch - 2 x cups of strong tea, a boiled egg, couple of carrots and an apple. (I put carrots and apple into a processor - to make a smoothie with ice. Quick and easy to consume.)
Dinner - Pasta with oil and garlic - it's a real Italian dish - albeit usually one of 3-4 other meat, fish and vege courses! I threw in another carrot to ward off scurvy they're 7 cents each.

How I'm feeling: "I feel low today, probably because I can't use food and drink as a pick me up. I need to stay focused and drinking water is helping ward off hunger and panic. I feel better after eating at midday - early for me - but necessary to keep going effectively. There is something really good about not eating all the time - It's like making life simpler. It helps me to focus in one way. It's also challenging on a physical level - making sure my body has enough fuel to function. The thought of trying to parent, work and live on not enough to eat everyday - instead of just 5 days - brings me to tears."

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Eve Gordon

Lunch - I actually loved my lunch so much I repeated it exactly!!
Snack - Apple and peanut butter
Snack - 1/3 of a mars bar
Dinner - steamed carrots with a side of apple!

How I'm feeling: So today was definitely a hungrier day... not too bad but I was just wanting to snack all day... :) I'm super surprised but I'm actually not sick of either carrots or apples yet!! (Maybe tomorrow I'll be screaming for something different...)

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Holly Arrowsmith

Breakfast - Home made bread with boiled egg and butter. 63 Cents
Lunch - Pumpkin soup with slice of home made bread. 70 cents
Dinner - Same as lunch. 70 cents

How I'm feeling: Today I lost power in my house all afternoon. The lights are still out.

This has probably made the experience more real, without mod con distractions such as emails to tend to, I noticed my grumbling stomach more.
It was a good chance to think about things more thoroughly.

Other thoughts: Favourite quote of the day (From One Helping Cookbook):

"The treatment by men of women as goods, objects, toys, amusements, or chattels is at the heart of global trafficking of women into sex markets, and those attitudes are the only place to create lasting change in the dynamics of the trade." - Brian Iselin

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Geoff Scott

Breakfast - I had 4 Weetbix with a sprinkling of muesli and a big spoon of yoghurt to start then I was off to AUT where I am teaching some first year hospitality students. We made a delicious selection of finger sandwiches and mini quiche for a 'high tea' and the temptation to gobble up a few of those dainty savoury treats was killing!
Lunch - I ended up having some left over pearl barley cassoulet that I had kept, and just pepped it up in the microwave with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of parmesan.
Dinner - Tonight at Vinnies I cooked for my staff a very simple country style soup using vegetables and rice. I put some of the chicken stock I had made from the chicken and it had kumara, silver beet, onion, garlic, carrot, celery and parsnip. Quite sweet with the kumara, filling and nostalgically nourishing.

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Ria Hall

Breakfast - Porridge with banana and cinnamon (50 cents)
Lunch - Vegetable and barley soup (75 cents)
Snack - Small bowl of brown rice with a dash of soy sauce (10 cents)
Dinner - vegetable and barley soup (75 cents)

How I'm feeling: I'm over soup but made quite a substantial amount that I refuse to waste. I'm getting a little grumpy and finding myself low on energy especially when I'm exercising. Maybe I won't train tomorrow. I'm not over porridge yet though, I love eating that for brekkie.

Other thoughts: my tummy is rumbling as we speak.