Preparing for penury

Every weekend for at least a dozen years I've been meeting Sally for breakfast at one of the many cafes in the area, and I realised this morning that while I am 'on the bread-line' in October/November, it will have to stop.  I was talking about my planned challenge to her this morning and she gamely volunteered to buy me breakfast for four weeks, a lovely and typically 'Sally' gesture.  But it would be cheating.  This morning my breakfast of two poached eggs on brown toast and two lattes came to £8.75 - 29% of my food budget for my challenge, so I obviously couldn't afford this if I wanted to eat for the rest of each week.  And if I were in the situation of having no salary, savings or pension, would I take advantage of my well-off and well-meaning friends? No.  If I couldn't afford to pay my way (or know that I would be able to return the favour in a reasonable timescale) then I wouldn't go.

This has made me realise that I need to make some 'rules' for myself for the duration of this challenge, as it would be too easy to find ways around the £30 budget.  So here they are:

1. Food in the store cupboard, fridge and freezer can be used as part of the challenge (if I was suddenly thrust into penury it probably wouldn't be with an entirely empty house - unless I was in a war zone, which, thankfully, I'm not).  BUT there must be no artificial stocking-up of the cupboard, fridge or freezer in advance of the 11th October.  I would normally do a shop after the pension arrives on the 1st of the month, so that is what I shall do, although this month I'll also be shopping in order to cater for my house guest who arrives on the 4th for a week.
2. Any items that need to be replaced from the cupboards must be purchased from the £30 and all additional food too.
3. Invitations from well-meaning friends to supply me with food, meals or money during the month will be refused on the basis that I can't reciprocate or 'go Dutch' (and it would go against the spirit of the challenge).
4. Offers of free food from people's gardens - apples, spuds etc will be accepted if these are 'glut' items.
5. Activities which I currently engage in that normally involve me making a contribution for coffee/cake etc will only take place IF I can fund it from the £30.  So the SWI meetings on the 17th and 23rd of October will be in, as I've already paid my subs for the year, but the Needle and Natter meetings on Tuesday of each week are out, as I pay £1 for coffee when I attend.
6. The whole £30 will be available to me to spend from day 1, but when it's gone, it's gone!
7. I can ask a friend for advice and ideas - and seek recipes for frugal food from the raft of books I have available.
8. I'm going to give myself three 'lives' - opportunities to borrow items of food from neighbours - within reason!  So not the entire ingredients for a day's meals, but an egg, an onion or a cup of milk.
9. This challenge applies only to food and drink.  I can't adequately stage all of the issues that would affect me if I were in a state of penury - or adjust all of the things I normally pay for, like utilities, council tax, insurances and car maintenance and petrol.  But a £30 budget for food and drink will give me an understanding of what it is like to live on the breadline, if not totally realistic to living in poverty.
10. I will donate the difference between £30 and my normal food and alcohol expenditure based on an average month, and be grateful that living on the breadline is a choice that I make and not a necessity.

I think a bit planning is going to be needed.

If you'd like to sponsor me for this challenge and support  'Start-Up Stirling' you can do so here!