The almost $2 a day challenge

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.

Almost two years ago I left 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.

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.

My  ever patient mum will be sole keeper of my purse and this gives me 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.

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.

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...