Live Below The Line

This evening I did some food costing whilst waiting for The Toddler to fall asleep. A friend is eating for £1.00 per day for five days to raise money for World Vision by living below the breadline as many people around the world have to, and she's had me thinking. What do we spend on food, how much does it cost to grow our own, and since the bay tree came with the house do I have to work out the cost of a leaf based on the mortgage or is it classed as free?

This evenings' meal of swede and lentil bake cost £2.23 for 6 people. (Oh, and some cherry tomatoes that I forgot to include in the cost as they sat on the sidelines.) Or Toddler, Husband, Reginald and me with some for lunch next day. I haven't included the cost of actually cooking the meal using gas and electricity. If we had grown the celery, onions and swede, what would it have cost? Cost of seeds/sets, manure, fertiliser? We use rainwater from 4 large butts. What about the cost of my time (Husband is too expensive!)? Hmm. 

Well, I guess that Live Below The Line is going to stay with me and Husband will just have to pick his least hated lentil recipe! ...can we grow lentils here? ...don't worry lovely, it's yellow-stickered beef in stew for dinner tomorrow.

And now it's dark so I can't do the measuring of Bed E required before bunging sprouts in. Will just have to get Able Assistant Toddler to hold rather than eat the tape measure tomorrow.