Wow it has been absolutely ages since I updated here but plenty has been going on.
The discrepancies with Orphancare Malawi turned out to be too true to ignore and Real Gap pulled the Orphan Care project. There has been much drama surrounding how my trip will continue since this decision was made but pulling out wasn't an option.
I have now removed my fundraising page at Just Giving and will now be joining a medical programme in Monkey Bay.
I only have £320 left to pay of my project costs and have started thinking about kit and equipment I will need.
I have created a gift registry which has had over a 100 hits in less than two days.
http://justthething.co.uk/themalawiproject/The-Malawi-Project
I also have a new user name on Twitter so if you want to follow me I am now listed under 'sarahchurchins' - see below for a direct link to my page.
http://twitter.com/sarahchurchins
Starting to get excited now...much improvement on being just consumed with fear...
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Monday, 23 February 2009
The almost $2 a day challenge.
Begins tomorrow!
So as of tomorrow everything I usually have access to financially will be handed over to my mum for the month...and if it's not too bad maybe two months! I do need to save a hell of a lot of money still...
Nearly half the world's population has to live like this every day of their lives for food alone. I need to save a lot of money so I thought I might as well apply this to EVERYTHING for 4 weeks and see how I fair...
It costs roughly £13 a week to get to and from work, this is something I can't really give up so after that I am left with £8 if I stick to the £20 per week rule I set myself in my last entry.
That is basically feeding myself with £1 a day...! This, you might think would be pretty easy for someone my size but unfortunately I do tend to eat like a horse so I'm going to be in one big sulk for a month feeling hungry and unable to afford a decent night out.
Hence taking on job number 3.
My Fridays and Saturday nights are now booked up with work times so I will be earning extra...but still not allowed to spend it...bad times.
I found a few websites based on this challenge and some even listed foods to go...turns out Netto do a can of baked beans for 9 pence...NINE PENCE! Mental!
Someone take me to Netto immediately...
You can follow the ups and downs of this month at https://twitter.com/sarahdoesmalawi
x
So as of tomorrow everything I usually have access to financially will be handed over to my mum for the month...and if it's not too bad maybe two months! I do need to save a hell of a lot of money still...
Nearly half the world's population has to live like this every day of their lives for food alone. I need to save a lot of money so I thought I might as well apply this to EVERYTHING for 4 weeks and see how I fair...
It costs roughly £13 a week to get to and from work, this is something I can't really give up so after that I am left with £8 if I stick to the £20 per week rule I set myself in my last entry.
That is basically feeding myself with £1 a day...! This, you might think would be pretty easy for someone my size but unfortunately I do tend to eat like a horse so I'm going to be in one big sulk for a month feeling hungry and unable to afford a decent night out.
Hence taking on job number 3.
My Fridays and Saturday nights are now booked up with work times so I will be earning extra...but still not allowed to spend it...bad times.
I found a few websites based on this challenge and some even listed foods to go...turns out Netto do a can of baked beans for 9 pence...NINE PENCE! Mental!
Someone take me to Netto immediately...
You can follow the ups and downs of this month at https://twitter.com/sarahdoesmalawi
x
Friday, 30 January 2009
Tough love, easy saving?
My last entry ended with me wanting more time & more money. Surely in life that is just what everyone is hoping for but how often do we do anything about it. In my eyes I see the time between now and my departure to Africa as EIGHT paydays. I do not see over half a year, 8 months or even 243.494799 long days. I see how much money is coming in between then and now & there’s not a lot to be honest. This must mean I have truly become the corporate wage slave that I never thought I'd be...eight paydays.
Almost two years ago (oh god sudden realisation how longs it’s been) I quit a job I disliked and moved home to my mum who was not so long ago bedridden with ME. She is now much better although still blighted by the illness and fighting for its recognition as a serious debilitating condition. My being there and contributing towards the mortgage means she is able to upkeep a car, get out of the house and regain the social life she saw slip away.
Being at home, free of sky high rent, bills and council tax should mean I have plenty of money spare to save and that this should all be done, dusted and paid for in a matter of months. This however, is far from the case.
Each month I flitter away the majority of my wage on food, drink and nights out. I find it IMPOSSIBLE to save money, it just seems to…disappear…
I have just about managed to hold myself to saving a couple of hundred pounds this month, far from ideal when the cost of my flight sets to soar as the battle for oil continues. I must be looking at about £800+ maybe more, possibly less. I really should actually look into these things.
Anyway, my mum is always making a point about what this trip will do to me. That being, that it should change my values forever…
I have read about the $2 a day challenge…one week on roughly £1.30 a day but that is for food alone. So my plan is to give myself £80. £20 a week, far more than I will need in Malawi per day, but this will cover my food, travel and hopefully cure my cosmetic addiction in the process. If it’ll make my hair thicker I’ll buy it, if it’ll make my skin less shiny, I’ll use it, if the adverts right, I’ll fall for it. Last month I spent something like £80 in one go on shampoo, conditioner, skin products, make up, fake tan…the list goes on and mostly, it’s just unnecessary.
I get paid on the 24th of every month. So this February 24th I will be leaving my wages where they belong, in the bank. My bills are all paid by direct debit so that money can go when it needs to. The rest of it bar £80 is locked down. My mum will be sole keeper of my bankcard, credit card and store card. I only have one of each so I could be worse off. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep myself from having a sneak peak on Internet banking so how much remains at the end of the month will be a nice surprise. Well that’s the idea anyway…
I have the opportunity to save £500 if not more in one month. With no choice but to pull it off, no money to fall back on and no hole in the wall to feed my spending habits. That would be my flight more or less paid for and all those months remaining to get rid of overdrafts, clothing bills etc etc.
My travel to work alone costs me £13.00 for just over a week so it will be a challenge to see just how far the remaining money can stretch. I am determined to kill my itchy cash machine finger and it seems the only way to do it is with some serious tough love.
Almost two years ago (oh god sudden realisation how longs it’s been) I quit a job I disliked and moved home to my mum who was not so long ago bedridden with ME. She is now much better although still blighted by the illness and fighting for its recognition as a serious debilitating condition. My being there and contributing towards the mortgage means she is able to upkeep a car, get out of the house and regain the social life she saw slip away.
Being at home, free of sky high rent, bills and council tax should mean I have plenty of money spare to save and that this should all be done, dusted and paid for in a matter of months. This however, is far from the case.
Each month I flitter away the majority of my wage on food, drink and nights out. I find it IMPOSSIBLE to save money, it just seems to…disappear…
I have just about managed to hold myself to saving a couple of hundred pounds this month, far from ideal when the cost of my flight sets to soar as the battle for oil continues. I must be looking at about £800+ maybe more, possibly less. I really should actually look into these things.
Anyway, my mum is always making a point about what this trip will do to me. That being, that it should change my values forever…
I have read about the $2 a day challenge…one week on roughly £1.30 a day but that is for food alone. So my plan is to give myself £80. £20 a week, far more than I will need in Malawi per day, but this will cover my food, travel and hopefully cure my cosmetic addiction in the process. If it’ll make my hair thicker I’ll buy it, if it’ll make my skin less shiny, I’ll use it, if the adverts right, I’ll fall for it. Last month I spent something like £80 in one go on shampoo, conditioner, skin products, make up, fake tan…the list goes on and mostly, it’s just unnecessary.
I get paid on the 24th of every month. So this February 24th I will be leaving my wages where they belong, in the bank. My bills are all paid by direct debit so that money can go when it needs to. The rest of it bar £80 is locked down. My mum will be sole keeper of my bankcard, credit card and store card. I only have one of each so I could be worse off. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep myself from having a sneak peak on Internet banking so how much remains at the end of the month will be a nice surprise. Well that’s the idea anyway…
I have the opportunity to save £500 if not more in one month. With no choice but to pull it off, no money to fall back on and no hole in the wall to feed my spending habits. That would be my flight more or less paid for and all those months remaining to get rid of overdrafts, clothing bills etc etc.
My travel to work alone costs me £13.00 for just over a week so it will be a challenge to see just how far the remaining money can stretch. I am determined to kill my itchy cash machine finger and it seems the only way to do it is with some serious tough love.
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Hunger; been & gone...
I carried out on my fast on Tuesday just gone in the end because I was pretty run down on Monday so decided to play it safe and wait till I was feeling a little less like death.
It went well, despite me morphing into a very grumpy little girl indeed! The trick, it turns outs is toothpaste...as soon as I'd brushed my teeth ready for bed, I felt fine, now if only I'd known that five hours earlier. All in all I raised an extra £40 or so for Orphancare Malawi which isn't a huge amount but it was just a small fundraiser & every penny counts.
I have learnt that there is some trouble with Orphancare Malawi at the moment and someone from Real Gap will be visiting Blantyre to assess the situation within the next couple of weeks, I guess for now all I can do is sit and wait and hope that my place on this project is not in jeopardy.
We said goodbye to a friend and neighbour yesterday so things haven't been great lately. It was a nice service...but funerals always leave you feeling a little dark & so the pessimism creeps back in. Eight months just doesn't seem enough time to prepare for this in my mind, which frustrates me, because I know plenty of people who could jump ship and do this next week.
This and the news that all is not well in Malawi hasn't made for the best of weeks.
While I wait on news from Real Gap I will be having another fundraising sale at my local cricket club on February 21st, the same day as my sister's 30Th movie themed birthday...costume ideas anyone?
I will also be having my third day at Barnardo's on Saturday and the closing date for the job I optimistically applied for was yesterday so fingers, toes and numerous other bodily parts crossed.
Thanks to everyone that donated at www.justgiving.com/sarahkitchen & everyone at work who donated their loose change.
I now need time to go a little slower, things to go a little smoother and money to grow a lot lot faster...
It went well, despite me morphing into a very grumpy little girl indeed! The trick, it turns outs is toothpaste...as soon as I'd brushed my teeth ready for bed, I felt fine, now if only I'd known that five hours earlier. All in all I raised an extra £40 or so for Orphancare Malawi which isn't a huge amount but it was just a small fundraiser & every penny counts.
I have learnt that there is some trouble with Orphancare Malawi at the moment and someone from Real Gap will be visiting Blantyre to assess the situation within the next couple of weeks, I guess for now all I can do is sit and wait and hope that my place on this project is not in jeopardy.
We said goodbye to a friend and neighbour yesterday so things haven't been great lately. It was a nice service...but funerals always leave you feeling a little dark & so the pessimism creeps back in. Eight months just doesn't seem enough time to prepare for this in my mind, which frustrates me, because I know plenty of people who could jump ship and do this next week.
This and the news that all is not well in Malawi hasn't made for the best of weeks.
While I wait on news from Real Gap I will be having another fundraising sale at my local cricket club on February 21st, the same day as my sister's 30Th movie themed birthday...costume ideas anyone?
I will also be having my third day at Barnardo's on Saturday and the closing date for the job I optimistically applied for was yesterday so fingers, toes and numerous other bodily parts crossed.
Thanks to everyone that donated at www.justgiving.com/sarahkitchen & everyone at work who donated their loose change.
I now need time to go a little slower, things to go a little smoother and money to grow a lot lot faster...
Sunday, 18 January 2009
All in a days work...
Yesterday was my second day working for Barnardo's. This is a side project I have taken on to boost my fundraising/volunteering profile career wise and at the same time, I stumbled across a full time position with Barnardo's that I may or may not have applied for...
After only two days with them, it's incredible how many different people I've met and I guess it is good experience talking to people I wouldn't normally meet. The people I've worked with are really nice and the manager clearly cares about the place, it's just a shame that with the recession, the business is obviously suffering.
There's a young girl who works there who is very sweet, she seems a lot younger than her 20 years. The other volunteers who work during the week are mainly from some kind of back to work programmes. There's one guy who was bullied so badly at his previous retail job that he's now slowly being taken back to working life through volunteering.
Anyway, it wouldn't be that ethical to go into everyone's problems and stories so I'll leave it at that. There are plenty of regulars that I have already got to recognise and hope to see again next week.
So at least I have definitely taken something off The List that I was so keen to make. My second thing is to call someone involved with Lake of Stars today to see if I might be able to extend my trip to Malawi and help out with that. God knows why I'm so terrified of making calls, when I spend the majority of day at work talking to people on the phone.
Anyway, I have started the ball rolling for a small fundraiser to make a little bit of money for Orphancare Malawi and here are the details:
On Monday 26th January I will participating in a 24 hour fast and am hoping people will sponsor me £2/3. I know a lot of you sponsored me for my bungee jump so if you sponsored me again I would be doubly grateful.
This time all donations are going direct to Orphancare Malawi -www.orphancaremalawi.com
Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/sarahkitchen.
I am only asking for a minimum donation which is I think, £2/3 on the Just Giving site as everyone has already been so generous.
The fast will take place on Monday 26th from 1pm to 1pm the following day. I will be at work so my colleagues will act as witnesses and I will spend the evening at Will's house so him and his housemates, who will most probably cook a lovely roast dinner that night, so they can all keep an eye on me.
& if anyone wants to join in, please feel free!
Donations through Just Giving are very simple and they can be made before or after the event takes place, it's up to you.
P.S The event page on facebook can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=59674740616&ref=mf and please join The Malawi Project group. The more members I have the more likely I will be able to convince people to give me publicity!
I am also having another sale on February 21st, I made about £50 from the last one so I need to start making some new cards to sell.
If anyone has any junk they want getting rid of...send it my way!
After only two days with them, it's incredible how many different people I've met and I guess it is good experience talking to people I wouldn't normally meet. The people I've worked with are really nice and the manager clearly cares about the place, it's just a shame that with the recession, the business is obviously suffering.
There's a young girl who works there who is very sweet, she seems a lot younger than her 20 years. The other volunteers who work during the week are mainly from some kind of back to work programmes. There's one guy who was bullied so badly at his previous retail job that he's now slowly being taken back to working life through volunteering.
Anyway, it wouldn't be that ethical to go into everyone's problems and stories so I'll leave it at that. There are plenty of regulars that I have already got to recognise and hope to see again next week.
So at least I have definitely taken something off The List that I was so keen to make. My second thing is to call someone involved with Lake of Stars today to see if I might be able to extend my trip to Malawi and help out with that. God knows why I'm so terrified of making calls, when I spend the majority of day at work talking to people on the phone.
Anyway, I have started the ball rolling for a small fundraiser to make a little bit of money for Orphancare Malawi and here are the details:
On Monday 26th January I will participating in a 24 hour fast and am hoping people will sponsor me £2/3. I know a lot of you sponsored me for my bungee jump so if you sponsored me again I would be doubly grateful.
This time all donations are going direct to Orphancare Malawi -www.orphancaremalawi.com
Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/sarahkitchen.
I am only asking for a minimum donation which is I think, £2/3 on the Just Giving site as everyone has already been so generous.
The fast will take place on Monday 26th from 1pm to 1pm the following day. I will be at work so my colleagues will act as witnesses and I will spend the evening at Will's house so him and his housemates, who will most probably cook a lovely roast dinner that night, so they can all keep an eye on me.
& if anyone wants to join in, please feel free!
Donations through Just Giving are very simple and they can be made before or after the event takes place, it's up to you.
P.S The event page on facebook can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=59674740616&ref=mf and please join The Malawi Project group. The more members I have the more likely I will be able to convince people to give me publicity!
I am also having another sale on February 21st, I made about £50 from the last one so I need to start making some new cards to sell.
If anyone has any junk they want getting rid of...send it my way!
Thursday, 8 January 2009
Graze.com - first order free
Sooowa I've mentioned easyfundraising.org and how you can raise money for me through it. They have a new retailer in the shape of Graze.com and here's the info:
Graze - Your order will raise me £1.00 Donation
You can order your first box for free and that's it. You don't have to make any other orders. Done.
graze are the first company ever to send fresh fruit using the post. You can eat amazing, natural food that just arrives at your desk. Choose a box put together by the graze nutrition team, or set your own preferences so graze can make you the perfect box with that day’s freshest produce. Try graze for free and you'll earn a £1 donation for your cause, plus an additional £1.50 donation if you then go on to purchase a full paid box.
Basically you go to easyfundraising.org and register to support my cause which you will find under 'T' for naturally, The Malawi Project-Sarah Kitchen.
Search for Graze, sign up for your free box and feel smug about giving me hand. Easy.
Do it now! There are loads of other ways of raising money through this site, simply by doing your normal online shopping. Check out the free funds section too.
http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk
http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/search_results/?ef_search=graze
Cheers now!
Graze - Your order will raise me £1.00 Donation
You can order your first box for free and that's it. You don't have to make any other orders. Done.
graze are the first company ever to send fresh fruit using the post. You can eat amazing, natural food that just arrives at your desk. Choose a box put together by the graze nutrition team, or set your own preferences so graze can make you the perfect box with that day’s freshest produce. Try graze for free and you'll earn a £1 donation for your cause, plus an additional £1.50 donation if you then go on to purchase a full paid box.
Basically you go to easyfundraising.org and register to support my cause which you will find under 'T' for naturally, The Malawi Project-Sarah Kitchen.
Search for Graze, sign up for your free box and feel smug about giving me hand. Easy.
Do it now! There are loads of other ways of raising money through this site, simply by doing your normal online shopping. Check out the free funds section too.
http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk
http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/search_results/?ef_search=graze
Cheers now!
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
The thing about the Mooses...
So Williaaam has buggered off to Canada for two weeks and now that Christmas and New Year have been & gone I know it’s time to stop fannying around with this whole saving lark and actually start putting some real money aside for my trip. There are things I’d like to have paid off before I go, the normal list of debts; credit cards, store cards, overdrafts blah blah blah but it’s not exactly the ideal climate to be finding a second job so I figured while my weekends are free I may as well start building on my charity/fundraising/volunteering profile.
I made a few enquiries late last night and first thing this morning I got a call from Barnado’s.
So come Saturday morning I will be volunteering in their shop. I agreed, for some reason to go in for a meeting at 10am...bah...it’s not exactly a job interview but I decided to look keen and opt for a morning meeting...on reflectionthis is hideous news considering I get up at 6:30am each morning during the week.
Saturdays are usually for massive hangovers and all day sleepathons but apparently this has now changed. I changed it. But at least I now have a good reason for staying in on a Friday night (because saving money doesn’t fly apparently) ...work. More work. Unpaid work. Hmm...
I don’t sound very charitable do I?
This is probably because I’m sat at work with three hours left to kill and the bulk of my work very much behind me. So basically I will twiddle my thumbs till 5pm, accomplishing nothing and bombarding Will with nonsensical emails about Canadian moose (these being different to North American moose/mooses/meese). At least when we were allowed free roaming of the internet I could research escape routes from my current employment.
On the subject of reserach, it would appear the best way to set yourself aiside from others when applying for a job within a charity is to have undertaken an internship for one. So now I am wondering whether it might be worthwhile begging my manager for extended time out of work so I might be able to do something like that on my return to the UK. The only major problem being the need for even more money...is it worth giving up my job to take part in an unpaid internship that would take me away from home for something like three months with no income to return to...with just a hope that it might benefit me in the future...
Anyway, I sent the £100 as promised to Bronwen, one of the current volunteers in Malawi, on Christmas Eve. With that money they were able to finish the roof of the orphanage, the fixtures and fittings inside and I think they were able to finish either the windows/door therefore make the building secure. Because of this, hopefully, the orphanage is now in use or will be shortly. So I look forward to visiting when I get out there.
I will update after my first day with Barnado’s.
Hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year x
I made a few enquiries late last night and first thing this morning I got a call from Barnado’s.
So come Saturday morning I will be volunteering in their shop. I agreed, for some reason to go in for a meeting at 10am...bah...it’s not exactly a job interview but I decided to look keen and opt for a morning meeting...on reflectionthis is hideous news considering I get up at 6:30am each morning during the week.
Saturdays are usually for massive hangovers and all day sleepathons but apparently this has now changed. I changed it. But at least I now have a good reason for staying in on a Friday night (because saving money doesn’t fly apparently) ...work. More work. Unpaid work. Hmm...
I don’t sound very charitable do I?
This is probably because I’m sat at work with three hours left to kill and the bulk of my work very much behind me. So basically I will twiddle my thumbs till 5pm, accomplishing nothing and bombarding Will with nonsensical emails about Canadian moose (these being different to North American moose/mooses/meese). At least when we were allowed free roaming of the internet I could research escape routes from my current employment.
On the subject of reserach, it would appear the best way to set yourself aiside from others when applying for a job within a charity is to have undertaken an internship for one. So now I am wondering whether it might be worthwhile begging my manager for extended time out of work so I might be able to do something like that on my return to the UK. The only major problem being the need for even more money...is it worth giving up my job to take part in an unpaid internship that would take me away from home for something like three months with no income to return to...with just a hope that it might benefit me in the future...
Anyway, I sent the £100 as promised to Bronwen, one of the current volunteers in Malawi, on Christmas Eve. With that money they were able to finish the roof of the orphanage, the fixtures and fittings inside and I think they were able to finish either the windows/door therefore make the building secure. Because of this, hopefully, the orphanage is now in use or will be shortly. So I look forward to visiting when I get out there.
I will update after my first day with Barnado’s.
Hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year x
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