Well, we are on day nine of our Buy Nothing Month challenge. We have managed to get by without spending any money – well, nearly. So, the first thing that let us down was a piece of mail that needed to be sent guaranteed delivery for work. I thought that the post mistress at our local post office was unlikely to trade for a box of our home-produced eggs so I paid up, with a sense of guilt that less than seven days into the experiment I had spent some money.
Then we went to the fireworks display on Saturday and each of the children with us took a handful of coins from our spare change pot to give as a donation. So, in effect we spent money on going to the fireworks. Which were spectacular and really awesome. I know all about the environmental travesty of fireworks and yet, and yet – they are so beautiful and such a community event in the Sussex village where we live. Anyway, we had lots of friends for tea, supper and to stay the night and managed to cobble together an interesting selection of food.
Realistically, we have been eating really well. Today we had mushroom risotto for lunch, followed by jam tarts and for supper; tartlets filled with leeks and peas and a salad, which in part came from the garden. Yes, I made rather a lot of pastry today. Have found that Doves gluten free flour makes great light pastry with coconut oil instead of butter but I will run out of flour soon so the jam tarts today were a bit of a one off treat.
The girls and I have had no sugar in our diet since we started BNM and it’s been really amazing to monitor our changing taste buds and desires. Normally in the evening I get a craving for something rich and incredibly dark (chocolate, not human, though that’s nice too!) and my youngest usually has an intense desire for sweet snacks. A week in and she is happily devouring savoury foods saying it’s the best thing she ever tasted. I hope that we can make this the norm for the future. I am going to treat myself to William Dufty’s Sugar Blues next month as I am intrigued to read more about the effects of such a powerful and everyday drug.
I’ve borrowed a high vis jacket so that I can cycle to yoga tomorrow night. There are lots of ways in which this month of abstinence has been profoundly beneficial to our health and wellbeing. I’ll keep you posted…
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3 comments in response to this post
Hi lovelybugs, we keep saying we’ll join you but a month of birthdays seems to be stretching the old pursestrings! I did give away a book and a CD (old favourites that I know will be enjoyed) as a bday pressie yesterday… Looking through the cupboards, I know I can get creative with some ingredients if I really put my mind to it. I went swimming yesterday and thought ‘why spend £3.50 for a swim when I can go for a free run?‘ So it’s running this afternoon. And no buses or trains yet this month, all pedal-power so far! I think my most dangerous event is passing Infinity Foods when I’m in town so after a naughty splurge yesterday, I am going to focus my energies for the rest of the month on what we’ve actually got around the home. Plenty to be getting on with! BTW, the meal you rustled up for everyone on Saturday was amazing - not a hint of BNM about it! Love and love and more love xxx
Really interesting - will look forward to seeing how the rest of the month goes.
Ali (from Lewes group)
x
Hi Melissa
I am really interested to hear that you have stopped craving sugar. I have noticed lately that we get through sugar at an alarming rate. I might take a peek at that book too!
Becky
xx
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