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How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 12:34 pm
by Hernaic Tom
By Kath Kelly.

I've just finished reading it, and it is very inspirational! Really encouraging, and a whole lot better than most "How to be thrifty" books I've read. A lot of the content concerns self sufficientish actions e.g. freecycle, scavenging skips, freeganism, growing your own.

Has anyone else read it? Definitely worth a read!!

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 6:09 pm
by baldybloke
Yes I read this about a year ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. May I suggest another for you. 'Enough' by John Naish. One of my favourite books of recent times. I have also just finished reading 'The 100 Thing Challenge' , a concept of living for a year with no more than 100 things. Interesting but not really that inspiring.

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 8:53 pm
by pelmetman
A whole pound :shock: ........E by gum e was lucky :mrgreen:

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:14 pm
by baldybloke
Fifty pence of that was for the paper bag int middle of raod.

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 6:03 am
by indy
sounds great, I will hunt that out!! :sunny:

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 9:25 am
by RuthG
I read it and thought I'd like to try that too. But then, she lived in Bristol with all its university entertainment and free this and that. I live in the sticks and cant even get into town for £1, let alone have any entertainment. I would have died of boredom! Not to mention starvation from lack of food and lack of company! Good idea in principle though, if you happen to live in the right place.

I also read a book about a man who lived for a year in the woods on NO money. He also lived near Bristol - seems to be the mecca for people being able to do that! He was considering not going back to using money at the end of the year. Cant remember what it was called. If I come across it, I'll post the title, unless someone else can help me out?

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 2:43 pm
by Bulworthyproject
I think the book about living without money is The Moneyless Man by Mark Boyle. I've not read the book, but I met Mark and interviewed him for a job at a worker co-op called Essential Trading shortly before he decided to try living without money.

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 3:05 pm
by pelmetman
How could anyone live on a pound a day??

How do they pay their rates, electricity, water, insurances etc. etc. etc. oh and if any left at the end of the day eat :lol: :lol:

Sue :flower:

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 6:23 pm
by Hernaic Tom
pelmetman wrote:How could anyone live on a pound a day??

How do they pay their rates, electricity, water, insurances etc. etc. etc. oh and if any left at the end of the day eat :lol: :lol:

Sue :flower:
The rule was a pound a day after rent. She doesn't mention electricity or water, so she might have included it in rent. She does implement various measures to save on electricity and gas and heating bills, though, in the form of things like home made draught excluders (Tights filled with unwanted clothes). She gives up TV and includes her pay as you go phone bill in the pound a day.

She goes to a lot of book launches and gallery openings etc where free food and wine is available...

And I suppose she was lucky with her circumstances, but there is something everyone can try in there! :thumbright:

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 6:47 am
by Millymollymandy
Ahhhhhhh. I did wonder, when just your blooming house insurance would cost you more than a £ a day, so you would definitely have to go and live in the woods. :lol:

So it's a pound a day after all the usual essential bills are paid, it's a bit misleading really isn't it?

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 8:44 am
by Bulworthyproject
Millymollymandy wrote:Ahhhhhhh. I did wonder, when just your blooming house insurance would cost you more than a £ a day, so you would definitely have to go and live in the woods. :lol:
I would definitely recommend living in the woods, it's done wonders for our living costs.

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2011 9:37 am
by pelmetman
[quote="Hernaic Tom") freecycle, scavenging skips, freeganism, growing your own.
[/quote]
When we finally manage to sell up and clear off in the camper, we intend to practice the art of sponging :mrgreen: ..........By parking up on relatives/friends drives when in the UK......using all their facilities, drinking their wine, eating their food :lol:....................and if cornered I will give them a pound a day :lol:

:brave: ........................to sponge :cheers:

Dave :pirate:

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:58 pm
by Keaniebean
Ahahahaha, I just had a look at this book on Amazon and there is 1 new available to buy for £200 - well that only leaves another £165 to find :shock: :lol:

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:46 am
by the.fee.fairy
baldybloke wrote:Yes I read this about a year ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. May I suggest another for you. 'Enough' by John Naish. One of my favourite books of recent times. I have also just finished reading 'The 100 Thing Challenge' , a concept of living for a year with no more than 100 things. Interesting but not really that inspiring.

I've been trying to read the 100 things Challenge after you mentioned it, but nearly halfway through he's just moaning about all the stuff he's got to get rid of!!

And i'm getting a bit fed up with the Christian/religious references. I'm interested in his project, NOT his religion.

I want to read about his experiences living with just 100 things and not all the luxury stuff he's getting rid of, and how it makes his daughters feel. I feel like he had an idea, he executed it, someone told him to write a book so he did. But he didn't have a lot to say so he moaned a lot for the first 5 chapters just to pad it out a bit.

Re: How I lived on a pound a day for a year

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 3:09 pm
by bill1953
A whole pound a day?! That would last me a week so it would. What on earth did she spend all that on? Clubbing and dining out I expect. All the young are doing it now. It's a shame more people don't learn to be careful with their money.